10.1 Plan Communications Management

The Plan Communication Management Plan takes into consideration stakeholder information and communications needs, communications requirements of organizational assets, establishes and documents a logical approach to fulfill those needs.  It also sets ground rules for who may access what type of project information and how.   The Input, Tools & Techniques and Outputs are listed below in figure 20.

Figure 20. Plan Communications Management: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p.289. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.

Process Definition

The plan communication management process documents minimum requirements for all project communications.  The overall success of a project can follow directly with the success or lack of proper, timely and adequate communications processes.  This can be as complex as calendared meeting with set agendas to text message updates on an daily basis as spelled out in the communications management plan.  The needs of the receiver and project are the key to meeting these objectives.  

Process Assessment

Improper communications can lead to missed communication, delays in approval, allowing communications to the wrong receiver, miss opportunities and miss understandings.  This process is designed establish who needs what information, when, where and how and a retrieval process. Part of that requirement are meetings for project teams, stakeholders, and project originators. 

Artifacts

Input

The stakeholder register can provide information on stakeholders responsibility and how they like to be communicated with.  In one of my projects I had to develop a communications plan from scratch for an airport project.  The Stakeholder register was incorporated into the communications plan table.   see 10.1.1

Tools & Techniques

The are a myriad of tools to discuss regarding communication processes.  The Project Management Communications Bible written by William Dow and Bruce Taylor used in this course is a thick as any Webster's Dictionary. For a brief description on some of the communication methods I had to compose a blog titled Tools and Techniques  for our communication class it is included below WBS2.2 Blog_troy_stempfley tools & techniques These tools are used to enhance effective communications and development of the communications plan. see 10.1.2

Output

The Output of the Plan communication Management process is the Communication  Management Plan.  I've included below the communications plan the Stakeholder and communications plan table were taken from you may see how the integrate.  See WBS 1.5 communications management plan. see 10.1.3