PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

MANAGEMENT

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 What is IT project communications
management?
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A subset of project management that

includes the processes required to ensure

timely and appropriate generation,
collection, distribution, storage, and
ultimate disposition of project
information.
 Importance of Good Communications
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 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

 Project Communications Management
Processes
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 Identifying stakeholders: identifying everyone involved in or

affected by the project and determining the best ways to manage

relationships with them
 Communications planning: determining the information and

communication 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
 Identifying Stakeholders
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Recall that the ultimate goal of project
management is to meet or exceed stakeholder
needs and expectations from a project, so you must
first identify who your particular project
stakeholders are
Two key outputs of this process include:
 Stakeholder register: a public document that includes
details related to the identified project stakeholders
(see Table 3-4 for an example)
 Stakeholder management strategy: an approach to
help increase the support of stakeholders throughout
the project; often includes sensitive information
Stakeholder Management Strategy
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 Communications Planning
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Every project should include some type of

communications management plan, a

document that guides project
communications
Creating a stakeholder analysis for project

communications also aids in communications

planning
 Communications Management Plan Contents
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A description of a collection and filing structure

for gathering and storing various types of

information
A distribution structure describing what

information goes to whom, when, and how

A format for communicating key project

information
A project schedule for producing the information
 …continued

Access methods for obtaining the

information
A method for updating the

communications management plans as

the project progresses and develops
A stakeholder communications

analysis
 Sample Stakeholder Analysis for
Project Communications
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Stakeholders Document Name Document Contact Person Due

Format
Customer Monthly Status Hard copy Gail Feldman, First of month
Management Report Tony Silva
Customer Monthly Status Hard copy Julie Grant, First of month
Business Staff Report Jeff Martin
Customer Monthly Status E-mail Evan Dodge, First of month
Technical Staff Report
Nancy Michaels
Internal Monthly Status Hard copy Bob Thomson First of month
Management Report
Internal Monthly Status Intranet Angie Liu First of month
Business and Report
Technical Staff
Training Training Plan Hard Copy Jonathan Kraus 11/1/1999
Subcontractor
Software Software E-mail Barbara Gates 6/1/2000
Subcontractor Implementation
Plan
 Information Distribution
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Getting the right information to the right

people at the right time and in a useful

format is just as important as developing
the information in the first place
Important considerations include
 using technology to enhance information
distribution
 formal and informal methods for distributing
information
THE IMPACT OF THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE ON COMMUNICATIONS
CHANNELS
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 Distributing Information in an
Effective and Timely Manner
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 Don’t bury crucial information

 Don’t be afraid to report bad information

 Oral communication via meetings and

informal talks helps bring important
information—good and bad—out into the
open
 Performance Reporting
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Performance reporting keeps stakeholders

informed about how resources are being used
to achieve project objectives.
For example
 Status reports describe where the project stands at
a specific point in time
 Progress reports describe what the project team
has accomplished during a certain period of time
 Project forecasting predicts future project status
and progress based on past information and trends
 Status review meetings often include performance
reporting
 Administrative Closure
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It is concerned with generating, gathering, and

disseminating information to formalize phase or

project completion
A project or phase of a project requires closure

Administrative closure produces

 project archives
 formal acceptance
 lessons learned
 Conflict Handling Modes, in Preference Order
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Confrontation or problem-solving: directly face a

conflict
Compromise: use a give-and-take approach

Smoothing: de-emphasize areas of differences and

emphasize areas of agreement

Forcing: the win-lose approach

Withdrawal: retreat or withdraw from an actual or

potential disagreement
 Conflict Can Be Good
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Conflict often produces important results, such as

new ideas, better alternatives, and motivation to

work harder and more collaboratively
Groupthink can develop if there are no conflicting

viewpoints
Research by Karen Jehn suggests that task-

related conflict often improves team

performance, but emotional conflict often
depresses team performance
 Running Effective Meetings
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Define the purpose and intended outcome

of the meeting
Determine who should attend the meeting
Provide an agenda to participants before
the meeting
Prepare handouts, visual aids, and make
logistical arrangements ahead of time
Run the meeting professionally
Build relationships
 DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATIONS
INFRASTRUCTURE
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 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
 Using E-Mail Effectively
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Make sure that e-mail is an appropriate medium

for what you want to communicate
Be sure to send the e-mail to the right people
Use meaningful subjects
Limit the content to one main subject, and be as
clear and concise as possible
Limit the number and size of attachments
Delete e-mail you don’t need, and don’t open it if
you question the source
Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date
Respond to and file e-mails quickly
Learn how to use important features
 Using Templates for Project Communications
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 Many technical people are afraid to ask for help

 Providing examples and templates for project

communications saves time and money

 Organizations can develop their own templates, use

some provided by outside organizations, or use

samples from textbooks
 Recall that research shows that companies that

excel in project management make effective use of

templates
Using Software to Assist in Project Communications
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There are many software tools to aid in project

communications
Today more than 37 percent of people

telecommute or work remotely at least part-

time
Project management software includes new

capabilities to enhance virtual communications

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MANY THANKS