What is a communications plan?
Communications planning is a critical component of service development. A good communications plan identifies all audiences—clients, support teams and internal staff involved in the service delivery.
Communications plans should be completed for new services, services that will be upgraded or modified in a significant way, or services that you will retire.
Some key components of a communications plan include:
- Identify who needs to know - this usually includes clients and support staff
- What you will communicate - such as a new service announcement, service change or retirement
- When you will communicate this information
- How you will distribute communications - this may include email, a service website, direct outreach, meetings, etc.
How do I develop a communications plan?
The University IT (UIT) Communications team has a template to help you develop your communication strategy. For more complex service efforts, they can also assist with communications planning and execution.
The UIT Communications team can help you identify the most effective communications channels for your service. The team can also provide advice about when to communicate about your service for maximum impact, based on other current and planned communications campaigns.
What is a training plan?
A training plan details who needs training and how and when you will provide it to them. When developing a training plan, consider support staff, members of the service team, and your clients. Vendor training can frequently be negotiated at a significant discount as part of the contract negotiations. The UIT Technology Training Program can frequently assist with providing specialized training in support of your service.
How to get help developing communications and training plans:
| I want to: | Here’s how: | When: | Who is responsible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get help planning a communications strategy | Submit a request to the UIT Communications Team | During the service planning phase | Service Manager and Project Manager |
| Download the communications template. | Download and fill out the Communications Plan template. See a sample Communications Plan here. | During the service development phase | Service Manager and Project Manager |
| Provide vendor-based training for my support staff, service team, and clients | Negotiate with the vendor for discounted training. | During contract negotiation | Vendor Management and Service Manager or Project Manager |
| Provide UIT-based training for my support staff, service team, and clients | Submit a request to the UIT Technology Training Team | Prior to launch | Service Manager or Project Manager |
