TOPIC: Can the communication plan change mid-project?

Hi all. I’m prepping for the PMP and trying to make sense of how the communication plan fits into the bigger picture.

From what I understand, once the project charter is approved, you move into creating the full project management, which includes the communication plan. I’ve read that once the plan is accepted, any changes need to go through a change control board.

But then I saw something in Study Hall that threw me off. It said it’s more practical to build out communication content gradually as the project progresses, and to keep everything in one place for easy access. That sounds like the plan can evolve over time, which seems to contradict the idea of needing formal change approval.

Can someone help clarify this? Is the communication plan meant to be flexible, or is it locked once approved?

Appreciate any insights.

Charles,

I can't give you a good PMI/PMP exam answer, but I can speak from practicality. I find that broad and somewhat vague communication plans are better than something that is rigid so that the team can alter the plan as the project settles in. For instance, as the project moves forward and becomes more developed, you may need to add stakeholders that you weren't aware of at the beginning of the project or you may find that you need to communicate more (or less) with stakeholders than originally planned. Having a less rigid communications plan can accomplish small changes without going through formal change management.

Hi Charles,

Once the plan is developed and formally approved, it becomes part of the baseline. That means any changes to the plan itself (e.g., changing who approves key messages, shifting escalation paths, or altering reporting frequency) must go through Integrated Change Control. However, some details (like exact recipients of a weekly status email) may not be known at the start. As those details emerge, they’re added or refined without going through formal change control, as long as the structure, approach, and key commitments of the plan remain unchanged.

Hi Charles

Think Elena and Harry hit the nail on the head for this one. As long as the communication plan is fairly broad to start (ie; we will send communication to the Executive team once a week), later in the project when we identify what member of the executive team specifically will receive the email we will not need a CO for this instance as the communication plan is still being adhered to.

I typically work on Agile Software projects. For our projects our means of communication, and the teams that we communicate with, can change on the fly. A typical use case would be us working and identifying a gap in a customization. Once identified, we need to loop in a 3rd party team to assist in development. I will then ensure these resources are added to all project communications (emails, Recaps, workshops, etc ) going forward but it would not impact our Project Plan.

Charles,

A more flexible communication plan is usually the best option and is in line with Agile methodology. This will likely be the direction the exam wants you to go. More rigid plans typically are only useful when you can't get people to agree on their communication methods.