Communication, risks and issues
You will be able to: Plan communication by audience; Maintain a risk and issue log; Escalate problems at the right time.
- Read not done yet
- Self-check: not taken not done yet
- Lesson complete not done yet
Most project disasters are known to someone early. The job of communication is to make that knowledge visible to the person who can act.
| Audience | What they need | Format | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Progress, budget, decisions needed | One-page status; call | Weekly |
| Steering committee | Gate decisions, risks, changes | Pack and meeting | At gates or every two weeks |
| Key users | What is next, what they must do | Short meeting, checklist | Twice a week during UAT |
| All staff | Why, when, what changes for me | Announcement, demo | Monthly, then weekly near go-live |
| Zeyto contact | Product questions and requests | Written, with examples | As needed |
The RAID log
Keep one log of Risks (may happen), Assumptions (taken as true), Issues (have happened) and Dependencies (waiting on someone). Review it weekly. A risk becomes an issue when it happens.
Score a risk by probability and impact, each from 1 to 5, and multiply. Over 15 is high, 8 to 15 medium, under 8 low.
| ID | Risk | P | I | Score | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Client data arrives late | 4 | 4 | 16 | Weekly chase; escalate to sponsor on day 12 |
| R2 | Printer model unsupported | 2 | 5 | 10 | Test a sample printer in week 4 |
| R3 | Key user on leave in UAT | 3 | 3 | 9 | Name a replacement |
| R4 | Licence not ready at cutover | 2 | 4 | 8 | Confirm in T-10 checklist |
Escalation levels
- Consultant and client lead resolve within two working days.
- Project manager and sponsor resolve within a week.
- Steering committee decides on scope, budget or date changes.
- Product matters, such as a defect or a missing feature, go to Zeyto in writing with steps and evidence.
Keep the written record short and send it the same day. After each meeting, send the decisions, their owners and the dates, so that nobody has to remember who agreed what. A note that takes five minutes to write can save a long argument later in the project.
Practise in the demo
- Create a RAID log with five entries for a project you know and score the risks.
- Write a one-page weekly status in the format shown, with a rating and decisions needed.
- Open https://demo.zeyto.app/demo-app/ and sign in with the demo login. This is a public demo with sample data, so nothing you do there affects a real business.
Public demo company, sign in as admin / demoAdmin123. Data refreshes nightly.
- Communicate by audience: sponsor, steering committee, users and all staff.
- Keep one RAID log and score risks by probability times impact.
- Escalate early with options; honest amber status builds trust.
Check yourself
3 questions on this lesson. Not timed, not the exam, and you can try again. Score 60% or more, and read the lesson, to complete it.