As a project manager, stakeholder communication should be one of your absolute priorities. The last thing you want is alienated or disenfranchised stakeholders, as they’re often the ones who keep the project funded and on its feet. 

Strategically planning how you communicate with them is a surefire way to keep your stakeholders engaged and faithful in your handling of their project. Here we’re going to discuss how to create a stakeholder communication plan that works for your project, so let’s get started.

Looking to majorly enhance your stakeholder strategy? Find out the key principles of stakeholder management here.

Why Do I Need a Stakeholder Communication Plan?

A stakeholder communication plan essentially defines how you (as project manager/owner) are going to engage with your stakeholders. Simply put, it details:

• Who to communicate with
• How often you should communicate with them
• What level of information should be provided
• Which stakeholders require more detail than others
• The mediums of communication

By creating a strategy like this, you can ensure that each of your stakeholder groups receives the information they need at the right time, in the right way. Whether your stakeholders are a board of sponsors or directors, or more public organisations that your project is serving, this rings true either way.

What Should the Plan Contain?

Your strategy should highlight your key stakeholders and the strategy of communication for each one. For instance, what key messages do you need to provide to different stakeholder groups? What medium of communication will they respond better to? 

It can be helpful to create a database that details specific things about each stakeholder. These variables should typically include:

• Stakeholder name
• Their level of involvement/influence
• Their key priorities regarding the project
• How often each stakeholder requires an update
• Which method of communication they prefer

For instance, a stakeholder communication database might look something like this:

Stakeholder	Level of Involvement	Priorities	Frequency	Medium
Board of Directors	High	Profitability	Daily	Meetings
Investor #1	Medium	Market Suitability	Weekly	Calls & PDF Reports
Investor #2	Low	Speed of Completion	Monthly	PDF Reports

Creating a database like this will help you to visualise how to communicate with each stakeholder. It can also be helpful to create individual stakeholder profiles, where any unique interests or requirements can be detailed.

Creating a Stakeholder Communication Plan

So how do you acquire all this information? Here’s our step-by-step guide to creating a stakeholder communication plan for your project.

1) Determine who the key stakeholders are

Whether your stakeholders are individuals (such as sponsors or investors) or groups (such as boards, committees or market groups) it is vital to determine the interests of each one. By doing this, you can prioritise certain stakeholders who have a higher level of involvement. 

If a stakeholder has invested in the project and hopes to see a financial return, they will likely be a high-priority stakeholder. A sponsor may be supplying the funding to the project, and therefore without their support, the project cannot happen. These are factors that must be considered when cataloguing your stakeholders. 

2) Define your aims

What are the specific aims of this strategy? Is it to further engage your stakeholders with the project, or simply to keep them in the loop? Based on the current level of involvement your stakeholders have, you can determine whether you are happy with the status quo, or whether this needs to change. 

The aims of communication will likely differ between stakeholders. Certain stakeholders may not wish to become any more involved than they have to. Others may be taking a back seat, but you might want to bring their input to the forefront. Gauge how involved each stakeholder currently is, and determine whether this is sufficient for the project at hand.

3) Discern the priorities of each stakeholder group

Certain stakeholders will likely be more interested in certain aspects of the project than others. One stakeholder group may pay more attention to audience engagement, while another might be more interested in other data metrics or profit. Some stakeholders may even be more involved in the development of a specific component of the project.

Because of this, it’s up to you to determine each stakeholder’s priorities. All you have to do is ask them, it doesn’t need to be a full-on investigation. Simply take the time to get to know each stakeholder, and ask them what they hope to see from your management of the project. Once you know, you can cater your communications accordingly.

4) Plan your methods of communication

Some stakeholders will have a preference for the methods by which you communicate with them. Some may prefer face-to-face meetings, where they can sit down and hash things out in detail, while also getting to know you as a person. Others will not need anything half as intense, simply requesting a monthly report or update on the phone. 

It may even be that some stakeholders prefer a specific platform for communications such as Slack or WhatsApp. As we’ve all found during the pandemic, some of us swear by using Zoom as a video call software, while others prefer Teams. 

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of a stakeholder communication plan is how you communicate, but for some stakeholders, it is vital.

5) Define a stakeholder communication calendar

Based on their level of involvement or stake-holding in the project, some sponsors or board members will require different frequencies of communication. 

More involved stakeholders may want a daily call or a weekly sit down, where they can keep tabs on how the project is progressing. Others will not need such frequent updates and may settle for scheduled meetings at various stages of the project.

Again, this is something that you can be transparent with your stakeholders about. Ask each one how often they want to receive an update but don’t be afraid to set boundaries if you have to. 

Some project managers may find daily calls too distracting or time-consuming, so don’t be afraid to highlight this. Once you know how often each stakeholder requires an update, you can create a calendar for your communications with them.

6) Assign comms managers for your stakeholders

Just as some companies assign specific caseworkers or customer service representatives to certain clients, it may help you to borrow this framework for your project. If you have a large team with an array of personalities, it could benefit you to assign certain members as comms managers to specific stakeholders. 

By playing matchmaker between comms managers and stakeholders, you can create a seamless communication plan for your project. Doing this can also ensure that stakeholders speak to the person most relevant to the aspect of the project they are most interested in. However, you might want to oversee all comms to ensure the right messaging is given to the right stakeholders at the same time.

7) Evaluate your plan as you go

Once you’ve put everything together, you’ll have a fairly solid understanding of what your stakeholders require. Your communications can then be tailored to accommodate their needs, and keep them engaged and satisfied with how the project is going. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of your stakeholder communications is never to marry yourself to your strategy. Things may change as the project moves. Certain stakeholders may become more involved in the project, audience requirements might change, or other stakeholders may become busy with other things. 

This is why constant evaluation and refinement of your communications is needed. Conduct evaluations with your stakeholders on a semi-regular basis to see how they feel the strategy is working. You may find as you learn more about them, you’ll be able to improve your communications plan as it moves forward.

Plan your Stakeholder Engagement the Right Way

Your stakeholder engagement plan will lay the foundations for your relationship with them before the project even begins, so it’s vital to ensure you do it right. With Verto, you can create, track, manage and change your stakeholder communication plan easily. The platform is built to be versatile, containing a set of tools applicable to any project or programme. 

Our stakeholder engagement tools enable you to map out your communication plan, and keep track of how each party is responding to your project. Book a tailored demo with a member of our expert team if stakeholder management is an area you are looking to improve.  

Looking to create a knockout stakeholder communication plan? Then you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to get in touch with our team for more information.