How to write an Effective IT Communication Plan?

Introduction

Strengthen your organization’s IT communication with a well-structured plan. This blog provides step-by-step instructions to optimize communication channels, ensure transparency, and enhance teamwork in your IT projects. We also delve into the process for managing communication that supports the Customer Platform. It describes the different types of communication and the individuals responsible for each type.

Purpose

The purpose of the a IT Communications Plan (Communications Plan) is to define how the program collects, assesses, reports, and acts on information about the progress of the project, as measured against project plans.

Scope

The goal of the IT Communication Plan is to outline the overall strategy for communicating and sharing project information. This includes documenting and agreeing with key stakeholders on:

What to communicate
When to communicate
With whom to communicate
Using what medium (e.g., reports, meetings, email)
Content to be communicated (include a template, if needed)

Types of communication levels

The following levels of communication are expected throughout the program to inform customers of the overall performance as well as to discuss various topics related to the program:

Executive Level:

Through the executive alignment, an ongoing face to face dialogue will continue with the customer Director (when and if required) at given intervals.

Program Level:

Bimonthly Project Planning meeting with the Director, PMO lead, and customer Enterprise Officer where enhancement projects get discussed and approved. This is also the forum for program escalations, contracting, and funding issues.
A monthly summary report is produced and delivered to the customer Enterprise Officer along with a meeting to walk through the details of said report.
A monthly SLA review meeting is held with customer to discuss SLA compliance.
Support of monthly Technology Committee meetings.
Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to review overall performance.

Operational Level:

Weekly Project Status meeting
Weekly Information Technology Status meeting
Weekly Change Advisory Committee meeting
Weekly Scheduling meeting
Weekly Security meeting
Bi-weekly Help Desk Touchpoint meeting
Provide customer access to all operational, system level, and Help Desk reporting as outlined in your pre-defined guides/documents.

Stakeholders – Roles – Responsibilities – Time Frame

Build a list of stakeholders as required by your organization and spell out their responsibilities. This is required to define a proper IT communication plan as it delegates and sets responsibilities of each person and the time frames when they need to be triggered.

Role	Responsibility	Stakeholder Information Requirements	Time frame/Frequency/ Trigger
Customer Sponsor	Provide resources to enable the project, provide high-level requirements, provide overall approval for the project and results, and reach agreement through consensus	Receive written program updates	Monthly
		Provide input into requirements	Prior to completion of significant program milestones and functionality
		Receive demos and provide feedback	Upon completion of significant program milestones and functionality
		Escalation point to help resolve program level issues and risks	As required
		Attend Quarterly Business Reviews	Quarterly
Customer Relationship Manager	Coordinate overall program activities across all projects in the program	Receive updates on program progress	Weekly
		Provide an update on program status to sponsors	Monthly
		Escalate program impacting issues/risks to sponsors	As needed
		Attend SLA monthly meeting	Monthly
		Attend Quarterly Business Reviews	Quarterly
Project Management Office (PMO) & Customer	Coordinate overall project activities between PMO and Customer	Receive updates on program and/or project progress	Weekly and as needed
		Provide an updated schedule to team members	Weekly
		Direct communications appropriately	As needed
		Attend Quarterly Business Reviews	Quarterly
Operations Manager	Provide day-to-day M&O direction and requirements for the program	Receive updates on program progress	Weekly and as needed
		Provide input into requirements	Weekly and as needed
		Direct communications with the Platform Operations team	Weekly and as needed
		Attend Platform Governance meetings	Weekly and as needed
Security (Security Advisor)	Provide day-to-day direction for security aspects of the platform	Provide and receive updates on program and project progress	Weekly
		Direct communications with the security team	Weekly and as needed
		Attend Platform Security meetings	Weekly
System Owners	Liaison to the business	Provide and receive updates on program and project progress	Weekly
		Direct communications with the business and customer teams, coordinate business testing	Weekly and as needed
		Attend Platform Governance meetings	Weekly and as needed
		Provide input into requirements	Prior to completion of significant program milestones and functionality
Enterprise Architect	Give architectural advice on the Platform	Receive update on program and project progress	Weekly and ad hoc as needed
		Provide input to requirements or design reviews	Weekly and ad hoc as needed
		Attend/support the Technical Committee	Monthly
Technology Committee Chair	Review technology strategy for the Platform	Review requests for new technology components and strategic direction for the Platform	Ad hoc as needed
Technology Committee Chair	Review technology strategy for the Platform	Attend/chair the Technical Committee	Monthly

Communication Matrix and frequencies

Now build a communication Matrix as shown below and expand on it to include other rows.

Nature of Communication	From	To	Type (Mandatory /Info)	Frequency	Format Used	Delivery Medium
Sponsors
Urgent Issues	Customer Engagement Director Executive	Customer Sponsor	Mandatory	As needed	N/A	Verbal updates Email
Issues Updates/ Resolutions	Customer Sponsor	Engagement Director Executive	Mandatory	As needed	N/A	Verbal updates Email
Program Status Report	Engagement Director Executive	Customer Sponsor	Mandatory	Monthly	Pre-Defined Report	Email SharePoint

This is a starter set for building your communication plan. Go ahead and use this as a basis to build a more detailed one that suits your own organization. Let me know and share one you have written.