Managing team and stakeholder communications is one of the most important tasks for project managers. Consistent, effective communication is critical for everyone involved in the project and a key element in keeping the project on track. Use the checklist below to plan, track, and distribute the different types of communications that can occur during the life cycle of a project.

Note: The project manager should include team members and key stakeholders in the development of this communication plan, to ensure all perspectives are addressed.

• Identify all team members and key stakeholders that should receive ongoing communications throughout the project.
• Identify the types of ongoing communication that will be employed.
  • Team Meetings/Minutes
  • Email Correspondence
  • Project Status Reports
  • One-to-one Meetings
  • Document Retention
  • Other
• For each stakeholder identified above, identify the type of communication to be used and the frequency of the communication. The more specific you can be about the frequency of project communications, the more effective the plan will be.
• Plan the content of each communication. Consider the audience, level of detail needed, metrics, etc.

The Stakeholder Communication Plan can be easily developed in a chart format. The following sample chart can be used as a guide for the project manager. It is important to talk with the project team members and key stakeholders as you prepare this plan.

Communication	Purpose	Audience	Author	Vehicle	Frequency
Team Meetings and Minutes	To ensure all team members are apprised of progress, changes, and current priorities	Project team members	Project manager	Face-to-face	Monthly

 

We acknowledge the following website for this information: https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/