- Processes to ensure timely and proper generation, collection, dissemination and disposition of project information
- General communications management
- Communications Planning – determining informational needs, who needs what and when; 90% of PM’s time is spent communicating
- Information Distribution – making information available
- Performance Reporting – collecting and disseminating project information
- Administrative Closure – formalize project/phase completion
- Determining information requirements of stakeholders
- Tightly linked with organizational planning
- Communication requirements – sum of the information requirements of the stakeholders
- Define type and format of information with analysis of value of information
- Project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationships
- Disciplines, departments and specialties involved in project
- Logistics of number of individuals at location
- External communication needs (media)
- Communication Technology – used to transfer information
- Immediacy of need for information
- Availability of technology
- Expected project staffing – compatible with personnel experience
- Length of project – will technology change during duration?
- Constraints – factors that limit project team’s options
- Assumptions
Tools & Techniques for Communication Planning
Stakeholder analysis – informational needs should be analyzed to develop methodology suited for the project; eliminate unnecessary information or technologies
Outputs from Communications Planning
- Communication Management Plan
- Collection and filing structure to detail the gathering and storage of information; updating and dissemination
- Distribution structure – who gets info in certain format; compatible with project organization chart
- Description of information included – format, level of detail, conventions
- Production schedules of each type of communication
- Methods for accessing information
- Method for updating and refining communications plan
Inputs to Information Distribution
- Work Results
- Communication Management Plan
- Project Plan
Tools & Techniques for Information Distribution
- Communication Skills – used to exchange information. Sender is responsible for clarity; receiver is responsible for receipt and understanding
- Information retrieval systems – filing systems, software
- Information distribution systems – meetings, correspondence, networked databases, video/audio conferencing
Outputs from Information Distribution
- Project Records – maintained in an organized fashion
Performance Reporting
- Collecting and disseminating performance indicators to provide stakeholders information how resources are achieving project objectives
- Status reporting
- Progress reporting
- Forecasting
- Project scope, schedule, cost and quality, risk and procurement
- Inputs to Performance Reporting
- Project Plan
- Work Results – deliverables completed, % completed, costs incurred
- Other Project records
- Tools & Techniques for Performance Reporting
- Performance reviews – meetings to assess status
- Variance Analysis – comparing actual results to planned or expected results (baseline); cost and schedule most frequent
- Trend Analysis – examining results over time to determine performance
- Earned Value Analysis – integrates scope, cost and schedule measures – calculate 3 keys:
- Budgeted Cost of Work (BCWS) – portion of approved cost estimate planned to be spent on activity during a given period
- Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) – total of direct and indirect cost incurred in accomplishing work on activity in a given period
- Earned Value (Budgeted Cost of Work Performed – BCWP) – percentage of total budget equal to percentage of work actually completed
- Cost Variance (CV) = BCWP – ACWP
- Schedule Variance (SV) = BCWP – BCWS
- Cost Performance Index (CPI) = BCWP/ACWP
- Information Distribution Tools & Techniques
- Outputs from Performance Reporting
- Performance Reports – organize and summarize information gathered and present results
- Bar charts, Gantt charts, S-curves, etc.
- Change Requests – handled as part of change control
Administrative Closure
- Projects/phases after achieving results or terminated require closure
- Verifying and documenting project results to formalize acceptance
- Collection of project records, analysis of effectiveness, reflect final specifications and archiving of material
- Inputs to Administrative Closure
- Performance Measurement Documentation – includes planning docs; all information that records and analyzes performance
- Documentation of product and project
- Other project records
- Tools & Techniques of Administrative Closure
- Performance Reporting tools & techniques
- Outputs from Administrative Closure
- Product Archives –complete index of all records, database updates
- Formal Acceptance – signoffs from client or sponsor
- Lessons Learned
Tips from Review Guide
- Understand all concepts and major points
- Memorize the communications model
- Understand the inputs/outputs of Administrative Closure
- Understand how administrative closure differs from contract closeout
- Contract closeout has product verification and administrative closeout but the contract terms may have special provisions/procedures for closeout
Communication Model
- Messages are encoded by sender and decoded by receiver based on receiver’s education, experience, language and culture
- Sender should encode message carefully
- Nonverbal
- Paralingual (pitch and tone)
- Active Listening – receiver confirms they are listening, confirms agreement and ask for clarification
- Effective Listening – watching speaker, think before speaking, ask questions, repeating and providing feedback
Communication Methods
- Pick the form of communication that is best for the situation
- Formal Written – complex problems, All Plans, communicating over long distances
- Formal Verbal – Presentations, speeches
- Informal Written – memos, e-mail, notes
- Informal Verbal – Meetings, conversations
Communication Blockers
Noise, Distance, Improper en-coding, “bad idea”, Hostility, Language, Culture
Performance Reporting
- Status Reports (where project stands)
- Progress Reports (what has been accomplished)
- Trend Report (project results over time)
- Forecasting Report (projecting future status)
- Variance Report (actual results vs. planned)
- Earned Value
- N (N-1)/2 where N = the number of people
- Example 4 people equals 6 communication channels
- To determine if someone understands message feedback must be obtained
- Unanimous Agreement
- All members committed
- Decisions reached slowly
- Integrity is developed
- Future decision making is enhanced
- Clearly defined group goals
- Motivate team behavior
- Cause tension until completed
- Encourage member identification
- Complex messages need oral, written and non verbal methods
- There are 5 directions of communication
- Façade – when an individual processed needed information but withholds the information
- Least effective form of communication for complex situations is verbal and formal
- If there are a team of experts, PM decisions will likely promote high satisfaction
- Functional/Project Mangers likely to exercise
- Power
- Authority
- Influence
- Traditional organization forms have no single point of contact for clients/sponsors
- To determine if someone understands message, must obtain feedback
- Unanimous Agreement – all members committed, decisions reached slowly, integrity is developed, future decision making is enhanced
- Clearly defined group goals: motivate team behavior, cause tension until completed, encourage member interaction
- Complex messages need oral, written and non verbal methods
- Least effective form of communication for complex issues: verbal and formal