How to Create a Robust Project Communications Plan: A Checklist

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On the morning of January 13, 2018, Hawaii residents sent out an alert that clearly warned that ballistic missiles were heading toward the island.

"SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL." the message read, explaining the dire consequences for the recipients.

As it turned out, there were no missiles in Hawaii, but the people who received the warning learned that the grim message was a mistake nearly 40 minutes later. All they could do was sit and wait for their inevitable doom.

Even more than the initial operator error and miscommunication that led to the false alarm (an employee mistook an internal drill for a real emergency), the subsequent actions - or inactions - of authorities turned the incident into one of the most high-profile breakdowns in recent memory. That's something everyone can learn from.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency clearly could the benefit of using our student database have used a more effective communication plan for the project, but then again, who couldn't?

Checklist for Building a Project Communication Plan
Why do you need a project communications plan?
You can have the best people, the best equipment, and the best project management software money can buy, but still your entire project can fail due to a simple communication breakdown.

An important message is not conveyed clearly and sent to the wrong audience, then a follow-up message is not sent in a timely manner or through the appropriate channel... and suddenly millions of people think nuclear missiles are heading to Hawaii.

Even if you're not facing a disaster, a project communications plan is vital. Good decisions start with good communication, and you can ensure that good communication happens within your team by following this plan.

Hopefully your team won't have to deal with potentially incoming nuclear missiles, but you never know what unexpected changes will happen during a given project. If you at least know in advance how your team will share information in return, you'll save a lot of time and effort.

Checklist for Building a Project Communication Plan
This checklist will walk you through all the steps you need to take before delivering any message. It's generic enough to handle almost any scenario, but you, as the project manager, will need to use your own judgment to fill in the gaps.

But don't worry: at each step, I've included a question or questions that you must answer before moving on to the next step.

Checklist: How to Create a Project Communications Plan
1. Determine the desired outcome of your communication.
QUESTION: What result or action do I want from recipients after sending my message?
You shouldn't start crafting your message until you understand what it's intended to accomplish. Does your message require an immediate response from the recipient after an unexpected setback, or is it a regular weekly status report to let stakeholders know everything is on track?

The first scenario should include clear instructions to the recipients about what action is required on their part and information about a follow-up meeting. The second may not require a response at all.