The document emphasizes the importance of ongoing visibility and effective communication with project sponsors to maintain their support. It highlights that simply being transparent is not enough; there needs to be contextual and understandable updates tailored to the audience's needs. Effective messaging should include useful data and clear requests, framed in a way that resonates with the stakeholders.

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Visibility and
continuous updates
Alex Pandel & Nikki Lee, 18F
In partnership with the Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue

2. Winning support isn’t a one-time
process; you must constantly work
to keep sponsors and supporters
bought in.
2

3. One of the most important ways to
do that is to let them see how the
project is going.
3

4. It can be uncomfortable to let people
see the rough edges of your project
as you build... but they can’t help you
if they don’t know what’s happening.
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Transparency isn’t
enough

6. That doesn’t mean you can send
them a link to your backlog, dial
them into your sprint demos, and call
it good. Transparency isn’t the same
as understandability.
6

7. That doesn’t mean you can send
them a link to your backlog, dial
them into your sprint demos, and call
it good. Transparency isn’t the same
as understandability.
7

8. It’s easy to share your project
management tools to give status
updates. But those tools require
context and immersion. They’re not
designed for infrequent observers.
8

9. It’s easy to share your project
management tools to give status
updates. But those tools require
context and immersion. They’re not
designed for infrequent observers.
9

10. It’s easy to share your project
management tools to give status
updates. But those tools require
context and immersion. They’re not
designed for infrequent observers.
10

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Efficient, effective
communication

12. This doesn’t mean that you should
spend all of your time sharing
outwards about the project. Instead,
focus on high-impact messages.
12

13. This doesn’t mean that you should
spend all of your time sharing
outwards about the project. Instead,
focus on high-impact messages.
13

14. Who wants to know about your
progress? Who needs to know?
14

15. What do they need to know?
15

16. What do you want from them?
Feedback? Resources? Air cover?
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17. 17
Breaking down the
message

18. The formula is pretty simple...
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19. 19
useful data
clear requests
+ smart framing
the right message

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useful data
clear requests
+ smart framing
the right message
Share info that they
can use.

21. 21
useful data
clear requests
+ smart framing
the right messageTell them what you
need them to do.

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useful data
clear requests
+ smart framing
the right message
Tell them in a way
they’ll understand.