4.2.7 Communication

Strategies

The implementation of PeopleSoft HRMS will affect internal University processes, data, technology, and the people. The communications for this project will target all department heads, employees in specific departments (such as HR), external business partners and all employees. Other project teams will address those affected by the system that are not employees but are still affiliated with the University, i.e. students, alumni. As with any substantial change, communication, over a long period of time, delivered to multiple audiences, is the key to enabling and succeeding in the change.

We suggest you treat the Communications just like a software development project, i.e., identify the requirements, design the solution, build it, and then maintain it. Determine the requirements by answering the who (Audience), why (Purpose), what (Information Content), when (Schedules), by whom (Responsible Parties), and how (Delivery Channels) questions. Build the Communications incrementally.

Audience

 

Over the course of the project, you will need to communicate with the following Audiences

 

• Executive Sponsors – project direction and coordination of other university goals
• Project Managers of Other Project teams – who need to coordinate their use of the system, timeframes
• Department Managers - who need to access information

• HR Departments and Payroll office employees - everyday users of the software who will add and change data including the processing of information

• Stakeholder Departments - Departments with specific needs i.e.: Risk Management, Health Services

• PeopleSoft HRMS Project Team
• Help Desk

• CIT department for support issues and technology direction

• Employees - who may want to verify or change data deployed over the web i.e. benefit elections, address changes

Purposes of Communicating to Each Specific Audience

Communication to the above areas will serve a variety of purposes:

• Awareness
• Feedback
• Decision
• Approval
• Use of Project deliverables
• Coordination
• Change in supporting processes

Information Content

The content will vary by audience, purpose, timing, delivery media, etc. but may address any of the following:

• What is new
• What is/was changing
• What value will it add
• What impact will it have
• When will it be effective
• What preparation is needed to prepare
• Status

Note some of this effort might be delegated to other university departments. Example: Payroll Office may want to send out their own communication if the employee’s pay stub is being revised or more banking options are being offered to direct depositors.

Schedules

In building a communication plan, you will need to determine when specific audiences need specific information content and why. Schedule the delivery of the communications on a regular frequency as well as coordinated with specific events (e.g., milestones, decision point, issue resolution, training, planning conferences, etc.), as appropriate. Consider "Just-in-time" as well as long lead times, as appropriate for achieving the communication’s purpose.

Responsible Parties

Identify the roles and allocate responsibility to specific individuals. Consider when consistency in the deliverer of communications is important.

Roles include:

• Owner
• Prepare (of content)
• Deliverer (messenger)
• Coordinator

Delivery Channels

Identify options and the best fit to audience, purpose, and content.

Options include:

• One-on-one meetings with key stakeholders
• Informational presentations (including demos)
• Hardcopy bulletins
• E-mail broadcasts
• Distribution of minutes of meetings or status reports
• Intranet web-site information
• Town hall meetings
• Learning or training sessions
• Tutorials (from industry) on selected enterprise data management topics

Maintain the continually updated inventory in a log. Consider saving all project communication in the shared drive used for this project with a Communication Folder.

Measure progress toward goals using questionnaires or other feedback mechanisms. Establish a team to review the feedback and improve communications as appropriate

Return to the Table of Contents

Go to 4.2.8 Technical

Go to the HRMS Implementation Home Page