Chapter 10 Project Communications Management
(Source: PMBOK Books, 2000)
Project Communications Management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides the critical link among people, ideas, and information that are necesary for success. Everyone involved in the project must be prepared to send and receive communications, and must understand how the communications in which they are involved as individuals affect the project as a whole. Figure 10-1 provides an overview of the following major processes:
10.1 Communications planning-determining the information and communications need of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when they will need it, and how it will be given to them.
10.2 Information Distribution-making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner.
10.3 Performance Reporting-collecting and disseminating performance information. This includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting.
10.4 Administrative Closure-generating, gathering, and disseminating information to formalize a phase or project completion.
These processes interact with each other and with the processes in the other knowledge areas as well. Each process may involve effort from one or more individuals or groups of individuals, based on the needs of the project. Each process
may involve effort from one or more individuals or groups
of individuals, based on the needs of the project. Each process generally
occurs at least once in every project phase.
Although the processes are presented here as discrete
elements with well-defined interfaces, in practice they may overlap and
interact in ways not detailed here process interactions are discussed in detail
in Chapter 3.
The general management skill of communicating (discussed in
Section 2.4.2) is related to, but not the same as, project communications
management. Communicating is a broader subject and involves a substantial body
of knowledge that is not unique to the project context. For example:
- Sender-receiver
models-feedback loops, barriers to communications, etc.
- Choice of media-when
to communicate in writing versus when to communicate orally, when to write an
informal memo versus when to write formal
- Writing style-active
versus passive, sentence structure, word choice, etc.
- Presentation
techniques-body language, design of visual aids, etc.
- Meeting management
techniques-preparing an agenda, dealing with conflict, etc.
10.1 Communications Planning
Communications
planning involves determining the information and communications needs of the
stakeholders: who needs what information, when they will need it, how it will
be given to them, and by whom. While all project share the need to communicate
project information, the informational need the methods of distribution vary
widely. Identifying the informational need of the stakeholders and determining
a sultable means of meeting those needs is and important factor for project
success.
On most projects, the majority of communications planning
is done as part of the earliest project
phases. However, the results of this process should be reviewed regularly
throughout the project and revised as needed to ensure continued applicability.
Communications planning is often tightly linked with
organizational planning (describe in Section 9.1) since the project’s
organizational structure will have a major effect on the project’s communications requirements.
10.1.1 Input to Communications Planning
1. Communications requirements. Communications requirements
are the sum of the information requirements of the project stakeholders.
Requirements are defined by combining the type and format of information
required with an analysis of the value of that information. Project resources
should be expended only on communicating information that contributes to
success or where a lack of communication can lead to failure. Information
typically required to determine project communications requirements includes:
- Project organization and stakeholder responsibility
relationships.
- Discipline, departments, ad specialties involved in the
project.
- Logistics of how many individuals will be involved with
the project and at which
locations.
- External information needs (e.g., communicating with the
media).
2. Communications technology. The technologes or methods
used to transfer information back and forth among project stakeholders can vary
significantly: from brief conversations to extended meetings, from simple
written document to immediately accessible online schedules and databases.
Communications
technology factors that may affect the project include:
-
The immediacy of the
need for information-is project success dependent upon having frequently
updated information available on a moment’s notice, or would regularly issued
written reports suffice?
-
The availability of
technology-are the systems that are already in place appropriate, or do project
needs warrant change?
-
The expected project
staffing-are the proposed communications systems compatible with the experience
and expertise of the project participants, or will extensive training and
learning be required?
-
The length of the
project-os the available technology likely to change before the project is over?
3. Constraints. Constraints are factors that will limit the
project management team’s options. For example, if substantial project
resources will be procured, more consideration will need to be given to
handling contract information.
When a project is performed under contract, there are often
specific contractual provisions that affect communications planning.
4. Assumptions. See
Section 4.1.1.5.
10.1.2 Tools and
Techniques for communications planning
1. Stakeholder analysis. The information needs of the
various stakeholders should be analyzed to develop a methodical and logical
view of their information needs and sources to meet those needs (project
stakeholders are discussed in more detail in Section 2.2). The analysis should
consider methods and technologies suited to the project that will provide the
information needed. Care should be taken to avoid wasting resources on
unnecessary information or inappropriate technology.
10.1.3 Outputs from communications planning
1. Communications management plan. A communications
management plan is a document that provides :
- A collection and filing structure that details what
methods will be used to gather and store various types of informations.
Procedures should also cover collecting and disseminating updates and
corrections to previously distributed material.
- A distribution structure that details to whom information
(status reports, data, schedule, technical documentation, etc.) will flow and
what methods (written reports, meetings, etc.) will be used to distribute
various types of information. This structure must be compatible with
responsibilities and reporting relationships described by the project
organization chart.
- A description of the information to be distributed,
including format, content, level of detail, and conventions/definitions to be
used.
- Production schedules showing when each type of
communication will be produced.
- Methods for accessing information between scheduled
communications.
- A method for updating and refining the communications
management plan as the project progresses and develops.
The
communications management plan may be formal or informal, highly detailed or
broadly framed, based on the needs of the project. It is a subsidiary component
of the overall project plan (described in Section 4.1).
10.2 Information Distribution
Information
distribution involves making needed information available to project
stakeholders in a timely manner. It includes implementing the communications
management plan, as well as responding to unexpected requests for information.
10.2.1 Inputs to Information Distribution
1. Work results.
Work results are described in Section 4.2.3.1.
2.
Communications management plan. The communications management plan is described
in Section 10.1.3.1.
3. Project plan.
The project plan is described in Section 4.1.3.1.
10.2.2 Tools and Techniques for Information Distribution
1.Communications skills. Communications skill are used to
exchange information. The sender is responsible for making the information
clear, unambiguous, and complete, so that there receiver can receive it
correctly, and for confirming that it is properly understood. The receiver is
responsible for making sure that the information is received in it’s entirety
and understood correctly. Communicating has many dimensions:
- Written and oral, listening and speaking.
- Intenal (within the project) and external (to the
customer, the media, the public, etc.).
- Formal (reports, briefings, etc.) and informal (memos, ad
hoc conversations, etc.).
- Vertical (up and down the organization) and horizontal
(with peers).
2.Information retrieval systems. Information can be shared
by team members and stakeholders through a variety of methods including manual
filing systems, electronic databases, project management software, and systems
that allow access to technical documentation such as engineering drawings,
design spectifications, test plan, etc.
3. Information distribution methods. Project information
may be distributed using a variety of methods including project meetings,
har-copy document distribution, shared access to networked electronic
databases, fax, electronic mail, voice mail, videoconferencing, and project
intranet.
10.2.3 Outputs from Information Distribution
1.Project records. Project records may include
correspondence, memos, and documents dscribing the project. This information
should, to the exten possible and appropriate, be maintained in an organized
fashion. Project team members may often maintain personal records in a project
notebook.
2. Project reports. Formal project reports on project
status and/or issues.
3.Project presentations. The project team provides information
formally, or informally to any or all of the project stakeholders. The
information is relevant to the needs of the audience, and the method of
presentation is appropriate.
10.3 Performance Reporting
Performance reporting involves collecting and disseminating
performamce information to provide stakeholder with information about how
resources are being used to achieve project objectives. This process includes:
-
Status
reporting-describing where the project now stands-for example, status related to schedule and budget
metrics.
-
Progress
reporting-describing what the project team has accomplished-for example,
percent complete to schedule, or what is completed versus what is in process.
-
Porcasting-predicting
future project status and progress.
Performance reporting should generally provide information
on scoope, schedule, cost, and quality. Many projects also require information
on risk and procurement. Reports many be prepared comprehensively or on an
exception basis.
10.3.1 Inputs to Performance Reporting
1. Project plan. The project plan is discussed in Section
4.1.3.1. The project plan contains the various baselines that will be used to
assess project performance.
2. Work results. Work results-which deliverables have been
fully or partally completed, what costs (and/or resources) have been incurred
or committed, etc.-are an output of project plan execution (discussed in
Secction 4.2.3.1). Work results should be reported within the framework
provided by the communications management plan. Accurate, uniform information
on work results is essential to useful performance reporting.
3. Other project records. Project records are discussed in
Section 10.2.3.1. In aadition to the project plan and the project’s work
results, other project documents often contain information pertaining to the
project context that should be considered when assessing project performance.
10.3.2 Tools and Techniques for Performance Reporting
1. Performance reviews. Performance reviews are meeting
held to assess project status and/or progress. Performance reviews are
typically used in conjunction with one or more of the performance-reporting
techniques described below.
2. Variance analysis. Variance analysis involves comparing
actual project results to planned or expected results. Cost and schedule
variances are the most frequently analyzed, but variances from plan in the
areas of scoope, resource, quality, and risk are often of equal or greater
importance.
3. Trend analysis. Trend analysis involves examining
project results over time to determine if performance is improving or
deteriorating.
4. Earned value analysis. Earned value analysis in it’s
various forms is the mos commonly used method of performance measurement. It
integrates scope cost (or resource), and schedule measures to help the project
management team assess project performance. Earned value (EV) involves
calculating three key values for each activity:
- The Planned Value (PV), previously called the budgeted
cost of work scheduled (BCWS), is that portion of the approved cost estimate
planned to be spent on the activity during a given period.
- The Actual Cost (AC), previously called the actual cost
of work performed (ACWP), is the total of costs incurred in accomplishing work
on the activity during a given period. This Actual Cost must correspond to
whatever was budgeted for the PV and the EV (example: direct hours only, direct
costs only, or all costs including indirect costs).
- The EV, previously called the budgeted cost of work
performed (BCWP), is the value of the work actually completed.
These
three values are used in combination to provide measures of whether or not work
is being accomplished as planned. The most commonly used measures are the cost
variance (CV) (CV= EV – AC), and the schedule variance (SV) (SV = EV – PV).
These two values, the CV and SV, can be converted to efficiency indicators to
reflect the cost and schedule performance of any project. The cost performance
index (CPI = EV/AC) is the most commonly used cost-efficiency indicator. The
cumulative CPI (the sum of all individual EV budgets divided by the sum of all
individual AC’s) is widely used to forecast project costs at completion. Also,
the schedule performance index (SPI = EV/PV) is sometimes used in conjunction
with the CPI to forecast the project completion estimates.
5.Information distribution tools and technique. Performance
reports are distributed using the tools and techniques described in Section
10.2.2.
10.3.3 Outputs from Performance Reporting
1. Performance reports. Performance reports organize and
summarize the information gathered and present the results of any analysis.
Reports should provide the kinds of information and the level of detail
required by various stakeholders, as documented in the communications management
plan.
Common
formats for performance reports include bar charts (also called Gantt charts),
S-curves, histograms, and tables. Figure 10-2 uses S-curves to display
cumulative EV analysis data, while Figure 10-3 displays a different set of EV
data in tabular form.
2. Change requests. Analysis of project performance often
generates a request for a change to same aspect of the project. These change
requests are handled as described in the various change control processes
(e.g., scope change management, schedule control, etc.).
10.4 Administrative closure
The
project or phase, after either achieving it’s objectives or being terminated
for other reasons, requires closure. Administrative closure consists of
documenting project results to formalize acceptance of the product of the
project by the sponsor, or customer. It includes collecting project records;
ensuring that they reflect final specifications; analyzing project success,
effectiveness, and lessons learned; and archiving such information for future
use.
Administrative
closure activities should not be delayed until project completion. Each phase
of the project should be properly to ensure that important and use ful
information is not lost.In addition, employee skills in the staff poll database
should be updated to reflect new skills and proficiency increases.
10.4.1 Inputs to Administrative Closure
1. Performance measurement documentation. All documentation
produced to record and analyze project performance, including the planning
document that established the framework for performance measurement, must be
available for review during administrative closure.
2. Product documentation. Documents produced to describe
the product of the project (plans, specifications, technical documentation,
drawings, electronic files, etc.-the terminology varies by application area)
must also be available for review during administrative closure.
3. Other project records. Project records are discussed in
Section 10.2.3.1.
10.4.2 Tools and Techniques for Administrative Closure
1. Performance reporting tools and techniques. Performance reporting
tools and techniques are discussed in Section 10.3.2.
2. Project repots. See Section 10.2.3.2.
3. Project presentations. See Section 10.3.3.3
10.4.3 Outputs from Administrative Closure
1. Project archives. A complete set of indexed project record
should be prepared for archiving by the appropriate parties. Any project-spesific
or programwide historial databases pertinent to the project should be updated. When
projects are done under contract, or when they involve procurement, particular
attention must be paid to archiving of financial records.
.jpg)
