Communication is the key to the successful implementation of a good EU project. Without a proper communication plan, the partners are not going to be able to give life to the projects, go through the actions and complete the deliverable. This is why, in every proposal must contain a detailed communication plan, although it does not appear as a must in the EU Guide Book for proposal writing.
There are many factors that can define a good communication plan. And of course, many factors that define a bad communication plan. Here are some things you must do when writing the communication plan and some things you should definitely avoid:
Do’s
1. Determine the goals
Your goals regarding the communication campaign need to be defined with as many details as possible.
2. Connect the goals with the target audience
Your goals will help you reach your target audience. Each goal will set a different communication process specified to each audience group.
3. Determine the resources
The resources needed for the communication plan need to be defined. You need those resources to be approved so the more detail you put in them and their necessity the more likely you are to get them.
4. Determine the communication channels
You can choose many different ways of communication or just one. That is up to you. But make sure the communication channels are mentioned thoroughly.
Don’t’s
1. Don’t be too confident about the budget
Yes if the communication plan is good, the budget will get approved, but never be too confident about it. That can result in you not deeming all the details to be important and that alone can be the reason you will not get the budget needed.
2. Do not neglect evaluation
You will evaluate your proposal as a whole, many times before you submit it. But each part of the proposal will need extra attention. Especially the communication plan. Give it a few extra hours if you have to.
3. Do not neglect details
Every detail is important. Even if it seems like it is not. The more details you put into this, the more likely you are to cover every possible ‘’hole’’ regarding the requested budget.
By following these simple rules, you are about to start creating a very good communication plan. But these are just the basics. The more plans you write, the more experience you are going to gain. It is always a good idea to get some training as well. After all asking for help in these cases can only be good for you and your proposal.
