Apple Templates, Business Writing, Excel Templates, Templates (MS Office)

NEW – Communications Plan Templates for MS Office and Apple iWorks

Posted on by Anthony James
08
May

If you work in an IT company, you know that communicating both internally and externally to customers is always a challenge.

Creating a communications plan especially in IT is difficult as due to the dynamic nature of our industry, multiple stakeholders, and the technical nuances of new products.

If I were to identify some of the comms challenges I see, it would include:

  1. Technical Jargon: In IT, you have to consider complex terminology that can be difficult for non-technical stakeholders to understand. Make sure your communications plan describes these concepts to internal and external audiences.
  2. Fast-Paced Environment: The nature of the industry is so fast-faced you have to stay on top of it. Creating a formal comms strategy help addresses this. Make sure your communication plan is agile and adaptable to accommodate sudden changes and updates.
  3. Multiple Stakeholders: You probably have diverse stakeholders, including internal teams, customers, investors, partners, and possibly regulators. Modify your communication strategies to meet the expectations of each stakeholder group.
  4. Global Operations: Increasingly, we work on global scale. If you’re responsible for comms, you need to factor in cultural differences, language barriers, and varying regulatory requirements in different regions. Ensure your communication strategies are culturally sensitive and comply with local laws and regulations.
  5. Crisis Communication: Cybersecurity breaches, service outages, and other technical issues mean you must have flexible crisis communication templates in place. These should outline protocols for responding to and communicating about emergencies effectively. You can download a Crisis Communications Plan template (MS Office) here.

To help you address these challenges, we’ve updated the Klariti MS Office and Apple iWorks templates.

Each template includes the following sections with explanatory ‘how to write’ text.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose

1.2 Objectives

1.3 Scope

1.4 Document Maintenance

2 Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Project Structure

2.2 Project Office

2.3 Steering Committee

2.4 Project Sponsor

2.5 Project Director

2.6 Project Manager

2.7 Project Team

2.8 Contractor/Vendor Project Team

2.9 External Stakeholders

2.10 Stakeholder Roles & Responsibilities

2.11 Stakeholder Contact Information

2.12 Stakeholder Information Requirements

3 Internal Communications

3.1 Informal Communications

3.2 Formal Communications

4 External Communications

5 Other Communications

5.1 News and Print Media

5.2 Public Inquiries and Requests for Information

5.3 Dispute Resolution Process

5.4 Escalation Process

5.5 Problem/Defect Tracking Process

6 Project Meetings

6.1 Meeting Plan

6.2 Daily / Weekly Meetings

6.3 Team Leads Meeting

6.4 Individual Team Meeting

6.5 Project Office Meeting

6.6 Leadership Committee Meeting

6.7 Steering Committee Meeting

6.8 Monthly Extended Team Status Meeting

6.9 Executive Update Meeting

6.10 All Hands Meeting

6.11 Orientation Meeting

6.12 Communication Plan Web Page

6.13 Feedback

7 Information Collection, Reporting, and Distribution

7.1 Collection and Reporting

7.2 Distribution, Storage, and Disposition

7.3 Distribution Groups

7.4 E-mail Policy

7.5 Format and Styles Guide

7.6 Effectiveness

7.7 Changes

8 Communications Matrix

The Finer Points

Communication planning refines both internal communication and your relationships with customers.

Ready to write your communications plan for customers, employees, and stakeholders? Draft your communications plan using premium templates from Klariti.

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Anthony James