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A Project Charter Communication Strategy Is Essential

By Patrick Waddick

Six Sigma Black Belts, Master Black Belts, and Project Champions, when embarking on a DMAIC, DMADV, or Process Management project, need to be aware of the importance of establishing a communication plan when developing and validating a team charter. A finely executed Black Belt project can suffer disappointing results if an efficient mechanism is not already in place to ensure that vital information is relayed to those members who need it.

Typically, team charters include such deliverables as a business case, problem and goal statements, scope, milestones, and roles. What should be added, perhaps in the team charter or as a separate Define phase deliverable, is a plan or strategy for communicating information that is related to the Six Sigma project to its appropriate recipients.

At a minimum, Black Belts should give thought to how the proceedings of team meetings and project work will be communicated so that others in the organization who are on a need-to-know basis will be assured that they remain in the loop. A simple table could be constructed that would display what will be communicated, who will do the communicating, when the communication will take place, to whom the communication will be delivered, how the communications will be delivered, and where the information will be stored.

Communication Plan Considerations
Who - Person who is responsible for delivering the communication, e.g. Project Champion, Master Black Belt, Black Belt, Green Belt, Quality Analyst, Process Owner, Team Member, etc.

What - The type of communication, e.g. team meetings, meeting minutes, team work/action items, project status reports, project timeline, project reviews/tollgates, project success stories/storyboards, etc.

Why - The rationale for the communication plan, i.e. to establish and enforce a contract for communication.

Where - The location where the recipient will find the communication, if specified.

When - The time and/or frequency at which the communication is delivered, e.g. every Friday at close of business, weekly, within 24 hours or next day close of business, etc.

How - The delivery mechanism that will facilitate the communication, e.g. electronic mail, voice mail, conference call, video presentation, etc.

To Whom - The audience or recipients of the communication, e.g. senior management, the quality department, project champion, MBB, team members, etc.

Page 2 contains a sample communication tool that could be employed in a Six Sigma project that addresses all of the considerations listed above.

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