Communications Management

Communication Management helps you avoid common kinds of errors (wrong person getting the wrong message; mistakes in encoding and decoding the message) Makes sure everyone gets the right message at the right time Effective communication means that the information is provided in the right format, at the right time, to the right audience, and with the right impact. Efficient communication means providing only the information that is needed.

Process 1: Plan Communications Management The process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder’s information needs and requirements, and available organizational assets. The key benefit of this process is that it identifies and documents the approach to communicate most effectively and efficiently with stakeholders.

Plan Communications Management: Inputs Stakeholder Register: Stakeholder register provides the information needed to plan the communication with project stakeholders. Enterprise Environmental Factors – What are the company's policies toward project communication? The structure of an organization will have a major effect on the project’s communication requirements. Organizational Process Assets - lessons learned and historical information are of particular importance because they can provide insights on both the decisions taken regarding communications issues and the results of those decisions in previous similar projects. You can gain insight from templates and lessons learned. Project Management Plan – You use what you know about the project to find out what will be the most important things to communicate. This is where you will find all the other plans that might affect this

Plan Communications Management: Outputs Communications Management Plan – A part of the project management plan where you figure out who needs to know what. It contains details on the events (Status meetings, budget report) that will lead to the communication, the rationale, frequency, deliverables (minutes/reports) as well as the responsible parties. Project Documents Updates Project documents that may be updated include, but are not limited to: • Project schedule, and • Stakeholder register.

Plan Communications Management: Tools and Techniques 1. Communication Requirements Analysis Determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. Project resources should be expended only on communicating information that contributes to the success of the project or where a lack of communication can lead to failure.  The project manager should also consider the number of potential communication channels or paths as an indicator of the complexity of a project’s communications. The total number of potential communication channels is n(n – 1)/2, where n represents the number of stakeholders 2. Communication Technology The methods used to transfer information among project stakeholders may vary significantly. Factors that can affect the choice of communication technology include: Urgency of the need for information. There is a need to consider the urgency, frequency, and format of the information to be communicated Availability of technology. Ease of Use. Project environment. There is a need to determine if the team will meet and operate on a face-to-face basis or in a virtual environment; whether they will be located in one or multiple time zones; whether they will use multiple languages for communication; whether there are any other project environmental factors, such as culture, which may affect communications. Sensitivity and confidentiality of the information. 3. Communication Models A basic communication model consists of two parties, defined as the sender and receiver. Steps in a basic communication model are: Encode. Thoughts or ideas are translated (encoded) into language by the sender. You encode your message into a phone call, document or IM Chat Transmit Message. This information is then sent by the sender using communication channel (medium).The transmission of this message may be compromised by noise (static on the phone, spotty internet connection, distance, unfamiliar technology, inadequate infrastructure, cultural difference, and lack of background information) Decode. The message is translated by the receiver back into meaningful thoughts or ideas. Acknowledge. Upon receipt of a message, the receiver may signal (acknowledge) receipt of the message but this does not necessarily mean agreement with or comprehension of the message. Feedback/Response. When the received message has been decoded and understood, the receiver encodes thoughts and ideas into a message and then transmits this message to the original sender. 4. Communication Methods Interactive communication. Between two or more parties performing a multidirectional exchange of information. It is the most efficient way to ensure a common understanding by all participants on specified topics, and includes meetings, phone calls, instant messaging, video conferencing, etc. Push communication. Sent to specific recipients who need to receive the information. This ensures that the information is distributed but does not ensure that it actually reached or was understood by the intended audience. Push communications include letters, memos, reports, emails, faxes, voice mails, blogs, press releases, etc. Pull communication. Used for very large volumes of information, or for very large audiences, and requires the recipients to access the communication content at their own discretion. These methods include intranet sites, e-learning, lessons learned databases, knowledge repositories, etc. 5. MeetingsPlan Communications Management process requires discussion and dialogue with the project team to determine the most appropriate way to update and communicate project information.

Formal Written Communication: Any form of legal documentation like contract; blueprints; invoices; specifications and project management plan. Anytime  Informal Written Communication: Emails, memos and sticky notes Formal Verbal Communication: Presentations, speeches, and prepared talks Informal Verbal Communication: Meetings, hallway chats, planning sessions and phone callsNon-verbal communication is any type of communication that doesnt use words, for example, changing body language, making eye-contact, gestures, facial expressions and appearance when communicating. There's more non-verbal communication than verbal communication during interactions. Para-lingual communication: Tone & pitch of voice can influence the receiver decoding the message. Do you sound upset? Are you being sarcastic? Is there dread in your voice? A type of non-verbal communication that conveys more than the words you speak. It is usually accompanied by a change in the tone of your voice Feedback: Can be in the form of asking questions and summarizing the main points to the sender. Active listening is characterized by lots of feedback, rephrasing the question and responding

Manage Communications - The process of creating, collecting, distributing, storing, retrieving and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the communications management plan. This process goes on to ensure that the information being communicated to project stakeholders has been appropriately generated, as well as received and understood. It also provides opportunities for stakeholders to make requests for further clarification and discussion.

Manage Communications: Inputs Communications Management Plan - The communications management plan describes how project communications will be planned, structured, monitored, and controlled. Work Performance Reports - Work performance reports are a collection of project performance and status information that may be used to facilitate discussion and to create communications.To optimize this process, it is important that reports be comprehensive, accurate, and available in a timely manner. Enterprise environmental factors - Organizational culture and structure, Government or industry standards and regulations, and Project management information system. Organizational Process Assets: Policies, procedures, processes, and guidelines regarding communications management; Templates; Historical information and lessons learned.

Manage Communications: Tools and Techniques 1. Communication Technology 2. Communication Models 3. Information Management Systems: How do you get the information you need to manage communications? Hard-copy document management (letters, memos, reports,); Electronic communications management: e-mail, fax, voice mail, telephone; Electronic project management tools: web interfaces to scheduling and project management software, meeting and virtual office support software, portals, and collaborative work management tools. Are there time sheets for tracking hours? Are there budgeting systems for tracking expenses? 4. Performance Reporting Performance reporting is the act of collecting and distributing performance information, including status reports, progress measurements, and forecasts. Performance reporting involves the periodic collection and analysis of baseline versus actual data to understand and communicate the project progress and performance as well as to forecast the project results. Taking project information on how work is being done and distributing it to stakeholders who need to know. Work Performance Information tells the status of each deliverable; whenever a team member gives the PM an update, it's called work performance information

Manage Communications: Outputs Project Communications: performance reports, deliverables status, schedule progress, and cost incurred. Project Management Plan Updates: The performance measurement baseline is an approved plan for the project work to which the project execution is compared, and deviations are measured. Project baselines, communications management and stakeholder management may require updates based upon the current performance of the project. Project Documents Updates: Project documents that may be updated include, but are not limited to: Issue log, Project schedule, and Project funding requirements. Organizational Process Assets Updates: The OPAs which may be updated : Stakeholder notifications. Project reports, presentations and records, stakeholder feedback, lessons learned documentation. Examples of updates to lessons learned: “Don't use 70s Phone for calling international vendors”. Updating lessons learnt implies that future OMs can learn from you

Exam Highlights You'll need to be able to count the communication lines for the exam – Don't forget to always include the Project Manager as an additional person on the project

Control Communications - The process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of project stakeholders are met.

Control Communications: Inputs Project Management Plan: The project management plan describes how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed Project Communications: Deliverables status, Schedule progress, and Costs incurred Issue Log: You may want to communicate issues to stakeholders. A written log document and helps to monitor who is responsible for resolving specific issues by a target date. This information is important to the process as it provides both a repository for what has already happened in the project and a platform for subsequent communications to be delivered. Work Performance Data: Work performance data organizes and summarizes the information gathered, and presents the results of comparative analysis to the performance measurement baseline.  Organizational Process Assets: Report templates; Policies, standards, and procedures that define communications; Specific communication technologies available; Allowed communication media; Record retention policies; and Security requirements.

Control Communications: Tools and Techniques Information Management Systems: Provide a set of standard tools for the project manager to capture, store, and distribute information to stakeholders about the project’s costs, schedule progress, and performance. Some software packages allow the project manager to consolidate reports from several systems and facilitate report distribution to the project stakeholders. Expert Judgment: Expert judgment is often relied upon by the project team to assess the impact of the project communications, need for action or intervention, actions that should be taken, responsibility for taking such actions, and the timeframe for taking action. Meetings: The Control Communications process requires discussion and dialogue with the project team to determine the most appropriate way to update and communicate project performance, and to respond to requests from stakeholders for information.

Control Communications: Outputs Work Performance Information: Work Performance Reports should be added to OPAs so that future PMs can use them as a source of historical information. Work performance information organizes and summarizes the performance data gathered. This performance data typically provides status and progress information on the project at the level of detail required by the various stakeholders Change Requests: The Control Communications process often results in the need for adjustment, action and intervention. As a result, change requests will be generated as an output. May result in: New or revised cost estimates, activity sequences, schedule dates, resource requirements, and analysis of risk response alternatives; Adjustments to the project management plan and documents; Recommendations of corrective actions that may bring the expected future performance of the project back in line with the project management plan; and Recommendations of preventive actions that may reduce the probability of incurring future negative project performance. Approved changes are thus made to the project plan. Project Management Plan Updates: Control Communications process may trigger updates to the communications management plan as well as other components of the project management plan (e.g. stakeholders and human resource management plans). Project Documents Updates: Project documents may be updated as a result of the Control Communications process. These updates are: Forecasts, Performance reports, and Issue log. Organizational Process Assets Updates: Report formats and lessons learned documentation. Lessons learned from talking to stakeholders are recorded

The Basics

Process1: Plan Communications Management

Process 2: Manage Communications

Process 3: Control Communications