Calendar with color coded pins indicating types of communication releases.
A tool that may be useful for communications management is a communications calendar. (Note: this is not a document or tool mentioned in the PMBOK.) In the communications calendar, the team identifies a schedule for when certain messages should go out and to which audience. The calendar can also identify who will write and/or send the communication and what media will be used. This can be part of the communications management plan, and it can also be a useful, visual way to track and control communications.
In developing the communications calendar, consider
- when the project will have major milestones to announce
- how often people outside of the project team should have it in mind
- are there changes in behavior or expectations that need to be addressed? (The communications may be part of an overall organizational change management or transition.)
- the flood of messages most people receive
- giving context for external parties
- providing cross-team updates for a large project where there are multiple teams or geographical dispersion
- who will write the communications