ABSTRACT

Stakeholder engagement and stakeholder communication are by nature nearly synonymous. There is no way to fully engage stakeholders without communicating well with them. This requires having a carefully planned communication strategy. Communication, along with stakeholder engagement, begins at conception of a program and must continue through all phases of the program through program closure. To effectively engage stakeholders throughout the program, you should equip yourself with a well-thought-out communications strategy and correlating communication plan. Poor communication is frequently a primary factor when stakeholder expectations are not met. You can remove this barrier to program management success through strong communication practices. The truth is that good communication is not rocket science. Anyone can do it, with a little guidance. This chapter focuses on providing you with a menu of communication options with tips on who/what/when and how to communicate program information. The chapter is organized into four sections:

• Understanding the difference between project management and program management communication methods

• Providing a menu of communication vehicles, with a discussion of the pros and cons of each

• Creating a communication plan (who/what/when/where/how) • Targeting communication methods by stakeholder quadrant

Strong communication is equally important in project management as it is in program management, but being competent at project management-level communications does not always equate to success at the program level. There are several distinct differences between program-and project-level communication that are important to understand. Table 6.1 highlights some of the key differences.