ENGINEERING PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT.pdf
- 1. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT • The processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage and ultimate disposition of project information • Project Managers spend the majority of their time communicating with team members and other project stakeholders • Effective communication bridges the following differences in the project execution: – Stakeholders involved in a project – Cultural and organisational backgrounds – Levels of expertise – Perspectives and interests • Provides links among people, ideas and information • Takes up 90 per cent of Project Manager’s time
- 2. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT • Processes are: – Identify Stakeholders • Determine individuals or entities impacted by, or that can influence the project and document relevant information about them. – Plan Communications • Determining Stakeholder information needs and plan how to respond – Distribute Information • Make relevant information available to stakeholders as planned – Manage Stakeholder Expectations • Managing communications to satisfy stakeholder requirements. – Report Performance • Collect and distribute performance information
- 3. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Plan Communications • This involves: - Determining project stakeholder information needs - Defining a communication approach - The questions to ask are: 1. Who needs what information 2. When they will need it 3. How it will be given to them and 4. By whom • Improper Communications will lead to 1. Delay in message delivery 2. Communication of sensitive information to the wrong audience 3. Lack of communication to some of the required Stakeholders • Effective communication means providing information: 1. In the right format 2. At the right time 3. And with the right impact • Efficient communication means providing only the information that is needed
- 4. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Plan Communications - INPUTS • Stakeholder Register • Stakeholder Management Strategy • Enterprise Environmental Factors i.e. organisational structure, technology etc • Organisational Process Assets i.e. lessons learned and historical information
- 5. • Communication Requirements Analysis • Determines the information needs of Stakeholders • Consideration is given to the potential number of communication channels which reflects the complexity of a project’s communication • Total number of channels = n(n-1)/2 where n is the number of stakeholders 9e.g. where n=15, number of potential channels = 105) • The sources of these channels could be - Organisation Charts - Stakeholder register - Internal and external information needs - Disciplines, departments and specialties involved in the project - Etc. • Communication Technology • Method used to transfer information among stakeholders. Factors to consider are: 1. Urgency of need for information i.e. regular issue of reports or moment’s notice 2. Availability of technology i.e. access to technology 3. Expected project staffing i.e. experience and expertise of staff 4. Duration of project i.e. would there be change in technology before project ends 5. Project environment i.e. do team members meet face-to-face, virtual team etc PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Plan Communications - TOOLS
- 6. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Plan Communications - TOOLS • Communication Models – Sender - Encodes the message, Determines communication method – Sender - Confirms that message is understood – Message – Sent but could experience noise (disturbances) • Distance, Unfamiliar technology, Lack of background information, Language, Culture, Hostility, – Receiver - Decodes the message, Confirms that message is understood • Communication Methods (based on mode of access) – Interactive Communication e.g. meetings, phone calls, video conferencing – Push Communication e.g. letters, memos, reports, emails, faxes, voice mails etc. – Pull Communication e.g. knowledge repositories, e-learning etc. • Communication Methods (based on mode of presentation) – Formal Written:Used for complex problems, project plans and documentation, communicating over long distances – Formal Verbal:Used for presentations and speeches – Informal Written:Used for memos, e-mail and notes – Informal Verbal: Used for meetings and conversations
- 7. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Plan Communications - OUTPUT • The Communication Management Plan – This is an important output of communication planning • Created by the Project Manager as a subsidiary of the Project Management Plan • Stakeholder communication requirements including language, format, content and level of detail • Time frame and frequency for the distribution of information • Person responsible for communicating information • Person responsible for authorising confidential information • What information should be collected and when • Who will receive the information • Methods to be used to gather, store and distribute information • Reporting Relationships • Listing of all contact information for all stakeholders • Escalation process • Communication constraints e.g. organisational policies, legislation etc. • Guidelines and templates for project status meetings, emails, project team meetings etc.
- 8. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Distribute Information • Involves: – Distributing information to stakeholders through • Reports • Presentations • Formal communications • Informal communications • INPUTS 1. Project Management Plan 2. Organisational Process Assets e.g. Policies, procedures, Templates, Historical information, lessons learned etc. 3. Performance Reports: – This should be ready before project meetings – Contains project’s past performance that could impact the project in the future e.g. estimates to complete and estimate at completion – Includes impact of external events on the schedule – Project Status, Problems, Updated project plans or components of the project plan, Successes, Team member performance, Meeting schedule, New Risks uncovered, Upcoming milestones
- 9. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Distribute Information - TOOLS • Communication Methods • Information Distribution Tools – Hard-copy document distribution, press releases, shared-access electronic databases – Electronic communication and conferencing tools such as email, fax, video conferencing etc – Electronic tools for project management e.g. web interfaces to scheduling and project management software etc. • Distribute Information – OUTPUTS – Stakeholder Notifications i.e. information on resolved issues, approved changes and general project status – Project Reports i.e. outputs from other knowledge areas, issue logs, project closure reports etc. – Project Presentations – Project Records i.e. memos, meeting minutes etc. – Feedback from stakeholders – Lessons learned documentation
- 10. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT • Information Recipients – Internal and External to the project – Management – Project Team and Team Member’s Managers – Project Manager and Other Project Managers – Other Stakeholders • Guidelines to Meetings – Set a time limit and keep to it – Schedule recurring meetings in advance – Meet with team regularly but not too often – Have a purpose for each meeting – Create an agenda with team input – Distribute agendas before hand – Stick to the agenda – Let people know their responsibilities in advance – Bring the right people together – Chair and lead the meeting with a set of rules – Assign deliverables, responsibilities, and time limits for all tasks resulting from the meeting – Document and publish meeting minutes
- 11. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Manage Stakeholders • Involves: – Actively managing the expectations of stakeholders to increase the likelihood of project acceptance – Negotiating and influencing their desires to achieve and maintain project goals – Addressing concerns that have not become issues yet – Clarifying and resolving issues that have been identified
- 12. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Manage Stakeholders - INPUTS • Stakeholder Register • Stakeholder Management Strategy • Project Management Plan • Issue Log i.e. document and monitor the resolution of issues • Organisational Process Assets i.e. issue management procedures, historical information etc. • Change Log i.e. used to document changes that occur on the project. The changes and their impact on time, cost and risk must be communicated to appropriate stakeholders
- 13. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Manage Stakeholders - TOOLS • Communication Methods • Interpersonal Skills – Building Trust – Resolving Conflict – Active and effective listening •Receiver confirms listening •Confirms agreement •Asks for clarification when necessary •Watching speaker to pick up physical gestures •Facial expressions •Think before responding •Asking questions •Repeating and providing feedback – Overcoming resistance to change • Management Skills – Presentation skills, Negotiating, Writing Skills, Public Speaking
- 14. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Manage Stakeholders - OUTPUTS • Organisational Process Assets Updates i.e. lessons learned from managing stakeholder expectations • Change Requests – Corrective actions – Preventive action • Project Management Plan Updates • Project Document Updates – Stakeholder register – Issue log – Stakeholder Management Strategy
- 15. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Report Performance • Involves: – Collecting and distributing performance information including status reports, progress measurements and forecasts – Periodic collection and analysis of baseline versus actual data • Report Performance - INPUTS: – Project Management Plan – Work Performance Information – Work Performance Measurements – Budget Forecasts – Organisational Process Asset
- 16. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Report Performance - TOOLS • Variance Analysis • Forecasting Methods • Communication Methods • Reporting Systems i.e a standard tool for the project manager to capture, store, and distribute information to stakeholders
- 17. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT Report Performance - OUTPUTS • Performance Reports • Analysis of past performance • Current status of risks and issues • Work completed during the reporting period • Work to be completed during the next reporting period • Summary of changes approved in the period • Results of variance analysis • Forecasted project completion (time and cost) • Types – Status Report – describe where the project now stands – Progress Report – describe what has been accomplished – Trend Report – examine project results over time for improvements or deterioration – Variance Report – compare actual to planned results – Earned Value – make use of earned value analysis • Organisational Process Assets Updates • Change Requests
- 18. PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT • Communication Terminology – Nonverbal • Physical mannerisms( 55% of all communications) – Paralingual • Pitch and tone of voice