Define the way in which the message will be delivered along with who is responsible for that message and the timing of it.

Define the way in which the message will be delivered along with who is responsible for that message and the timing of it.

Communication Plan

Copy-paste the table below into a word document or spreadsheet.

Target Audience

Message Delivery

Method Responsibility

Timing Notes

Use this format to set up a communication for the following scenario.

Scenario: Turmeric & Spice have decided that they need a strategic plan for both expansion of their company to new regions, to create new spice mixtures, and to include a more diverse audience from employees to customers and vendors. They know that marketing will play a great role in these changes, as will HR.

You have been asked to build the strategic planning team, set up the planning meetings, and facilitate them (or at least have someone on your team who facilitates them.)

Consultants may be required throughout the strategic planning and execution process, if your team does not have the available skills.

Get together with one of your classmates or with an interested party from your workplace or community.

Identify the target audiences that you will need to reach for the various stages of this project.

What the key messages will be. Those messages may be generic at this point (i.e., planning has start, you are invited, etc.)

Define the way in which the message will be delivered along with who is responsible for that message and the timing of it.

Message timing is interesting; it might be a reoccurring message (e.g., a weekly update or publishing minutes of meetings), or it might be very date specific (21 days prior to meeting or Sept 15, 2010).

Think carefully about the various aspects of communication. If there are specific issues that need to be addressed, be sure to use the Notes area of the chart for those. (For example, if one communication is via web-hosted teleconference, a note may be that the teleconference service must be purchased externally and a purchase order executed a month before the meeting.)

Notes can be used to remind the project team of key integration factors between messages, such as an email survey needs to be completed before an invitation to attend the meeting is sent.