A project communication plan is a guideline for dispensing details of a project to invested parties. It is an agreement between collaborators and stakeholders that outlines what, when, and how information will be shared at key intervals. Information like status updates, task-related questions, and meeting details should all be included in this written guide of project communication plan.

A project communication plan also establishes professional boundaries. A project management communication plan keeps the project on track because it :-

• Creates written documentation that the team can reference.
• Sets expectations of when stakeholders will receive updates.
• Increases stakeholders’ visibility into the project and its status.
• Provides the opportunity for stakeholders to give feedback, which can help the team detect issues early on and decrease wasted work.
• Increases productivity during meetings or eliminates them altogether.

A good communication plan can help you communicate the right information to the right project stakeholders. Executive stakeholders don’t need to be notified about every project detail—similarly, every project team member might not need to be on a conference call with your external partners. By clarifying where and how you’ll be communicating, you can reduce the guessing game and open communication gate to the other project team members.

A good project communication plan is a series of documents that outline all formal communication shared throughout a project. Every successful communication plan should include details such as:-

• Key Stakeholders: These are the people who have a heavily vested interest in the project. They might be owners, clients, managers, or anyone else who needs regular updates on large-scale project developments. Read our guide to managing and communicating with stakeholders for more information.
• Team Members: These are the individuals working on the project. This also includes the project manager.
• Scheduled Meetings and Updates: Identify what’s important to communicate, including but not limited to deadlines, project phases, budget updates, and roadblocks. Consider the best way to share this information. For example, you might find that a weekly bulletin email update is more valuable for some items than a weekly meeting. If possible, create a meeting schedule early to ensure that people can attend. Utilize an online scheduling tool like Doodle to determine the best times for your team to meet.
• Specific Updates for Individuals: Pick out particular items of concern for key individuals. For example, C-level executives and
  clients might require opportunities to provide feedback at critical
  points, or they might only want updates after significant milestones.
• Evolve as the Project Progresses: Many projects suffer from scope creep or simply grow during the span of the venture. Be sure to account for any major changes in your communication needs as time goes on.