Project Communications

Management
Mohammad A. Rob

Importance of Good Communications

The greatest threat to many projects is a failure
to communicate
Our culture does not portray IT professionals as
being good communicators
Research shows that IT professionals must be
able to communicate effectively to succeed in
their positions
Strong verbal skills are a key factor in career
advancement for IT professionals

What is Project Communications

Management?
The goal of project communications
management is to ensure timely and appropriate
generation, collection, dissemination, storage,
and disposition of project information
It provides the critical links among people, ideas,
and information that are necessary for success
Everyone involved in the project must
understand how the communications in which
they are involved can affect the project as a
whole

Project Communications Management

Processes
Communications planning: determining the
information and communications needs of the
stakeholders
Information distribution: making needed
information available in a timely manner
Performance reporting: collecting and
disseminating performance information
Administrative closure: generating, gathering,
and disseminating information to formalize
phase or project completion

Communications Planning
Communication planning involves determining the
information and communication needs of the
stakeholders, when they will need it, how it will be given
to them, and by whom
The main input to this process is communication
requirements, which includes information such as:
project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationship
disciplines, departments, and specialties involved in the project
number of people involved and their location

The main tool for this process is a stakeholder

analysis for project communications
The main output is a communications management
plan - a document that guides project communications

Communications Management Plan

A description of a collection and filing structure for gathering and
storing various types of information - organizing documents
A distribution structure describing what information goes to whom,
when, and how. Do executives receive different formats of status
report?
A format for communicating key project information. Is there a
template for preparing status report? Hard copy or e-mail?
A project schedule for producing the information. Do stakeholders
know when to expect status report?
Access methods for obtaining the information - who can see what
documents, what information is online, etc.
A method for updating the communications management plans as
the project progresses and develops. Who will update?
A stakeholder communications analysis. What kinds of information
will be distributed to which stakeholder?

Sample Stakeholder Analysis for Project

Communications
Stakeholders

Document Name

Document
Format

Contact Person Due

Customer
Management

Monthly Status
Report

Hard copy

Gail Feldman,
Tony Silva

First of month

Customer
Business Staff

Monthly Status
Report

Hard copy

Julie Grant,

First of month

Customer
Technical Staff

Monthly Status
Report

E-mail

Internal
Management

Monthly Status
Report

Hard copy

Bob Thomson

First of month

Internal
Business and
Technical Staff

Monthly Status
Report

Intranet

Angie Liu

First of month

Training
Subcontractor

Training Plan

Hard Copy

Jonathan Kraus

11/1/1999

Software
Subcontractor

Software
Implementation
Plan

E-mail

Barbara Gates

6/1/2000

Jeff Martin
Evan Dodge,

First of month

Nancy Michaels

Information Distribution
Information distribution involves making needed
information available to project stakeholders in a timely
manner
The inputs to this process include work results, project
plan, and communication management plan
Tools and techniques include:
communication skills (oral, written, formal, informal, etc.)
information retrieval systems (drawing, presentation, test plan)
information distribution method (hardcopy, e-mail, intranet, etc.)

The outputs include:

project records (correspondence, memos, documents - all
organized
project reports (formal project reports on status an/or issues)
project presentations (formal or informal, and per audience)

Information Distribution
Important considerations for information distribution:
using technology such as e-mails, telephones, Web.
Intranet can be used to make available form
templates, project documents (design, schedule, etc.)
Formal method of information distribution: includes a
PowerPoint presentation or a status report.
Informal method of information distribution: includes a
discussion over a cup of coffee
sending e-mails often to a large number people
normally have adverse effect on a project, creating a
complexity in communication
e-mail is also not a good communication mechanism
for expressing ones feeling

The Impact of the Number of People on

Communications Channels
An important aspect of information distribution is the
number of people involved in a project
As the number of people involved increases, the
complexity of communication also increases
Number of communication channel increases with the
increasing number of people
A simple formula to calculate the number of
communication channel is:
number of communication channel = n(n-1)/2
where n is the number of people

Thus two people will have one communication channel,

but four people will have six channels
Thus, large projects need to break into smaller parts

The Impact of the Number of People on

Communications Channels

Performance Reporting
Reporting keeps stakeholders informed about how
resources are being used to achieve project objectives
Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific
point in time. It addresses where project stands in terms of
meeting scope, time, and cost. How long did it take to complete
a task?
Progress reports describe what the project team has
accomplished during a certain period of time. Team members
often submit weekly or monthly reports and tem leader
consolidates those reports for upper management
Project forecasting predicts future project status and progress
based on past information and trends. How long it will take to
complete a task based on the past performance
Status review meetings are used to have face-to-face
discussion, exchange project information, motivate people, and
empower people to be accountable for their work. It can be a
battleground to explode conflicts between team members

Administrative Closure
A project or phase of a project requires closure
Administrative closure consists of verifying and
documenting project results
It also allows time to collect project records, ensure that
the records reflect final specification, analyze project
effectiveness, and archive information for future use
The main outputs of administrative closure are:
project archives: A complete set of organized project records
that provide an accurate history of the project
formal acceptance: a document that the project sponsor and/or
customer signs to show that they have accepted the projects
product
lessons learned: statements written by project managers and
team members about new experiences through the project

Administrative Closure
Project archives often become handy many years after
completion of the project. When is system is upgraded,
it is important to look at the design of the system
Formal acceptance helps to end the project and avoids
dragging out project termination
In a contract situation, the buyer must legally accept the
products, so the seller can receive payment.
The project team members should prepare a lesson
learned report that should contain items such as causes
of variances (in scope, time, cost), reasoning behind
corrective actions taken, new tools and techniques used,
and personal wisdom based on the team members
experiences

Suggestions for Improving Project

Communications
Good communication is vital to the management
and success of a project
Applying few methodologies can improve
communication. They are:
Resolve conflicts effectively
Develop better communication skills
Run effective meetings
Use templates for project communications

Conflict Handling Modes

Project issues such as schedule, priorities, staffing,
technical matters, administrative procedures,
personalities, and cost - all contribute to conflicts
When the stakes (salary, prestige) are high, conflicts
arise; when the potential for conflict is high, good
communication is necessary
There are five basic modes of conflict resolution:
Confrontation: directly face a conflict and allow the parties to
work together to resolve the problem
Compromise: use a give-and-take approach
Smoothing: de-emphasize areas of differences and emphasize
areas of agreement
Forcing: exert a viewpoint over another
Withdrawal: retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential
disagreement. It is least effective

Developing Better Communication Skills

Most information technology professional enter the field
because of their technical skills, however, most find that
communication skills are the key to advancing their
career
Most companies spend a lot of money for technical
training, some other do for both technical and
communication skills
Senior management needs to have high standards for
presentations, reporting, and behavior towards others
Allocation of time for report or presentation preparation,
meeting with customers, and assisting when necessary,
are important
Communication can be improved through proper
planning, support, and leadership form management

Running Effective Meetings

A well-run meeting can be a vehicle for fostering team
building and reinforcing expectations, roles,
relationships, and commitment to the project.
A poorly run meeting can have a detrimental effect on a
project
Some guidelines for improving meetings:

Define the purpose and intended outcome of the meeting

Determine who should attend the meeting
Provide an agenda to participants before meeting
Prepare handouts, visual aids, and logistics
Run meetings professionally: have ground rules, control time,
encourage participation, summarize key issues, clarify decisions
and actions, and have minutes takes
Make meetings fun with some activities
Avoid meetings when not necessary

Use Templates: Sample Template for a

Monthly Progress Report
I.

Accomplishments for Month of January (or appropriate month):

Describe most important accomplishments. Relate to project's Gantt chart

Describe other important accomplishments, one bullet for each. If any issues were
resolved from the previous month, list them as accomplishments.

II.

Plans for February (or following month):

Describe most important items to be accomplished in the next month. Again relate
to the project's Gantt chart.

Describe other important items to accomplish, one bullet for each

III.

Issues: Briefly list important issues that surfaced or are still important. Managers
hate surprises and want to help the project succeed, so be sure to list issues.

IV.

Project Changes (Date and Description): List any approved or requested

changes to the project. Include the date of the change and a brief description.

Outline for a Final Project Report

I.

Cover page

II.

Table of contents and executive summary (for a long report)

III.

Need for the project

IV.

Project description and letter of agreement

V.

Overall outcome of the project and reasons for success or failure

VI.

Project management tools and techniques used and assessment of them

VII.

Project team recommendations and future considerations

VIII.

Final project Gantt chart

IX.

Attachments with all deliverables

Outline of a Final Project

Documentation
I.

Project description

II.

Project proposal and backup data (request for proposal, statement of work,
proposal correspondence, and so on)

III.

Original and revised contract information and client acceptance documents

IV.

Original and revised project plans and schedules (WBS, Gantt and PERT charts,
cost estimates, communications management plan, etc.)

V.

Design documents

VI.

Final project report

VII.

Deliverables, as appropriate

VIII.

Audit reports

IX.

Lessons learned reports

X.

Copies of all status reports, meeting minutes, change notices, and other written
and electronic communications

Developing a Communications Infrastructure

A communications infrastructure is a set of tools,
techniques, and principles that provide a foundation for the
effective transfer of information
Tools include e-mail, project management software,
groupware, fax machines, telephones, teleconferencing
systems, document management systems, and word
processors
Techniques include reporting guidelines and templates,
meeting ground rules and procedures, decision-making
processes, problem-solving approaches, and conflict
resolution and negotiation techniques
Principles include using open dialog and an agreed
upon work ethic

Using Software to Assist in Project

Communications
One of the biggest problems on large projects is
providing most recent project plans, Gantt charts,
specifications, meeting information, change requests,
and so on to all or selected stakeholders
There are many software tools to aid in project
communications
Microsoft Project Central is a companion product of
Microsoft Project, which helps facilitate collaboration and
communication between project stakeholder over the
Intranet