PMP: 9. Project Communication Management

-  Project Communications Management consists of two parts. The first part is developing a strategy to ensure communication is effective for stakeholders. The second part is carrying out the activities necessary to implement the communication strategy
-  Communication is the exchange of information, intended or involuntary. The information exchanged can be in the form of ideas, instructions, or emotions. The mechanisms by which information is exchanged can be in (Written form, Spoken, Formal/Informal, Through gestures, Through media and Choice of words)
-  Information can be sent or received, either through communication activities or project documents

Communication activities have many dimensions, including:
- Internal: Focus on stakeholders within the project and organization
- External: Focus on external stakeholders (customers, vendors, government)
- Formal: Reports, formal meeting, presentation or stakeholder briefings
- Informal: General communication through email, social media, websites
- Hierarchical focus: The position of the stakeholder or group with respect to the project team will affect the format and content of the message (Upward: Senior management stakeholders, Downward: team others who contribute project work and Horizontal: peers of the project manager or team
- Official: Annual reports, reports to regulators or government bodies
- Unofficial: Communications that focus on establishing and maintaining the profile and recognition of the project and building strong relationships between the project team and its stakeholders using flexible and often informal means.
- Written and oral: Can be verbal and nonverbal (body language), social media and websites

-  The act of sending and receiving information takes place consciously or unconsciously
-  There are two parts to successful communication. First part involves developing an appropriate communication strategy based on both the needs of the project and the project stakeholders. From that strategy, a communications management plan is developed
-  Project communications are the products of the planning process, addressed by the communications management plan
-  Project communications are supported to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunication
-  Misunderstandings can be reduced using the 5C’ (Correct grammar and spelling, Concise expression and elimination for excess words, Clear purpose and expression, Coherent logical flow of ideas and Controlling flow of words and ideas)
-  The 5c’s are supported by communication skills like (Listening actively, Awareness of cultural and personal differences, Identifying and managing stakeholder expectations and Enhancement of skills
-  Trends and practices in project communication management include (Inclusion of stakeholders in project reviews, Inclusion of stakeholder in project meetings, Increased use of social computing, Multifaceted approached to communication

Plan Communications Management (Planning Process Group)
Plan Communications Management is the process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications activities based on the information needs of each stakeholder or group, available organizational assets, and the needs of the project
Key benefit of this process is a documented approach to effectively and efficiently engage stakeholders by presenting relevant information in a timely manner
-  This process is performed periodically throughout the project as needed
-  An effective communications management plan is developed early in project life cycle
-  It should be reviewed regularly and modified when necessary when the stakeholder community changes or at the start of each new project phase.
-  On most projects, communications planning is performed very early, during stakeholder identification and project management plan development.

Plan Communications Management Inputs: (No Project Charter)
1- Project Management Plan
-  Includes (Resource management plan and Stakeholder engagement plan)
2- Project Documents
-  Includes (Requirements documentation and Stakeholder register)
3- Enterprise Environmental Factors
4- Organizational Process Assets

Plan Communications Management Tools & Techniques:

1- Expert Judgment

2- Communication Requirements Analysis
-  Analysis of communication requirements determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. These requirements are defined by combining the type and format of information needed with an analysis of the value of that information
-  Sources of information include (Stakeholder information, Number of potential communication channels, Organizational charts, Development approach, Internal and external information and Legal requirements)

3- Communication Technology
-  Methods includes (Conversation, meetings, Written documents, Databases and Websites)
-  Factors that affect the choice of communication include (Urgency of the need for information, Availability and reliability of technology, Ease of use, Project environment (face-to-face or virtual) and Sensitivity and confidentiality of the information)

4- Communication Models
-  Represent the communication process in its most basic linear form (sender and receiver), in more interactive form (sender, receiver, feedback) or in complex model that incorporates the human elements of the sender(s) or receiver(s) and attempts to show the complexity of any communication that involves people
-  Sample basic sender/receiver communication model: This model consists two parties (sender and receiver). This model is concerned with ensuring that message is delivered, rather than understood. The sequence of steps in basic communication model is
- Encode: The message is coded into symbols, such as text, sound or some other medium
- Transmit message: The message is sent via a communication channel. The transmission of this message may be compromised by various physical factors (unfamiliar technology) or inadequate infrastructure. Noise may result in loss of information in transmission/reception
- Decode: Data received is translated by the receiver back into a form useful to the receiver
-  Sample Interactive communication model: This model consists two parties (sender and receiver), but recognizes the need to ensure the message has been understood. Noise includes any interference or barriers that might compromise the understanding of the message such as (receiver distraction, lack of knowledge or variations in the perceptions of receivers). Steps in this model
- 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—merely that it has been received.
- 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. If the sender perceives that the feedback matches the original message, the communication has been successful. Feedback can be achieved through active listening
-  The sender is responsible for the transmission of the message, ensuring the information being communicated is clear and complete and confirm the message is correctly interpreted.
-  The receiver is responsible for ensuring that the information is received in its entirety, interpreted correctly and acknowledged or responded to appropriately
-  Cross-cultural communication presents challenges to ensuring that the meaning of the message has been understood.

5- Communication Methods
-  Interactive communication: Between two or more parties performing a multidirectional exchange of information in real time like (Meetings, phone calls, video conferencing and instant messaging)
-  Push communication: Sent or distributed directly 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. Like (letters, memos, reports, emails, faxes, voicemail and blogs)
-  Pull communication: Used for large complex information sets, or for large audiences, and requires the recipients to access content at their own discretion subject to security procedure. Like (web portals, intranet sites, e-learning, lessons learned databases or knowledge repositories)
-  Different approaches should be applied to meet the needs of the major forms of communication
- Interpersonal communication: Information is exchanged between individuals, typically face-to-face.
- Small group communication: Occurs within groups of around three to six people
- Public communication: A single speaker addressing a group of people
- Mass communication: There is a minimal connection between the person or group sending the message and the large, sometimes anonymous groups for whom the information is intended
- Networks and social computing communication: Supports emerging communication trends of many-to-many supported by social computing technology and media

6- Interpersonal and Team Skills
-  Communication style assessment: A technique used to assess communication styles and identify the preferred communication method for planned communication activities. Often used with unsupportive stakeholders, this assessment may follow stakeholder engagement assessment to identify gaps in stakeholder engagement plan
-  Political awareness: Helps the project manager to plan communications based on the project environment as well as organization’s political environment. Political awareness concerns the recognition of power relationships, both formal and informal and also the willingness to operate within these structures. This help communicate with stakeholders in aspect of political awareness.
-  Cultural awareness: Understanding of the difference between individual and groups and adapting the project’s communication strategy in the context of these differences. This minimize misunderstandings and miscommunications that may result in cultural differences
7- Data Representation
-  Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix: displays gaps between current and desired engagement levels of individual stakeholders, it can be further analyzed in this process to identify additional communication requirements as a method to close any engagement level gaps
8- Meetings: include virtual (e-meetings) or face-to-face meetings, and can be supported with document collaboration technologies, including email messages and project websites.

Plan Communications Management Outputs:
1- Communication Management Plan
-  The communications management plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how project communications will be planned, structured, implemented, and monitored for effectiveness.
-  This communication management plan can include guidelines and templates for project status meetings, project team meetings, e-meetings, and email messages. The use of a project website and project management software can be included if these are to be used in the project
-  It also contains “Escalation processes”
2- Project Management Plan Updates
-  Any change to the project management plan goes through the organization’s change control process via a change request. Example stakeholder engagement plan
3- Project Documents Updates
-  Includes (Project schedule and Stakeholder register)

Manage Communications (Executing Process Group)
Manage Communications is the process of ensuring timely and appropriate collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, monitoring, and the ultimate disposition of project information.
Key benefit of this process is that it enables an efficient and effective information flow between the project team and the stakeholders
-  This process is performed throughout the project
-  The Manage Communications process identifies all aspects of effective communication, including choice of appropriate technologies, methods, and techniques
-  It should allow flexibility in the communication activities allowing adjustments in the methods and techniques to accommodate the changing needs of stakeholders and the project.
-  This process ensure that the information has been generated is appropriately generated and formatted and received by the intended audience. Also provides opportunities for stakeholders to make requests for further information and clarification
-  Techniques for effective communication management includes (Sender-receiver models, choice of media, writing style, meeting management, presentations, facilitation and Active listening)

Manage Communication Inputs
1- Project Management Plan
-  Includes (Resource management plan, communications management plan and stakeholder engagement plan)
2- Project Documents
-  Includes (Change log, Issue log, lessons learned register, Risk report and Stakeholder register)
3- Work Performance Reports
-  Reports are circulated to the project stakeholders through this process
-  Example of reports (status and progress reports)
-  Work performance reports can contain earned value graphs and information, trend lines and forecasts, defect histograms, contract performance information, and risk summaries
-  They can be presented as dashboards, heat reports, stop light charts, or other representations useful for creating awareness and generating decisions and actions
4- Enterprise Environmental Factors
5- Organizational Process Assets

Manage Communication Tools & Techniques:
1- Communication Technology
-  Factors that influence the technology includes weather team is collocated, information confidentiality, resource availability and organization culture
2- Communication Methods
3- Communication Skills
-  Communication competence: A combination of tailored communication skills that considers factors such as clarity of purpose in key messages, effective relationships and information sharing, and leadership behaviors.
-  Feedback: information about reactions to communications or a deliverable. Feedback supports interactive communication between the manager, team and stakeholders. Example (coaching, negotiating and mentoring)
-  Nonverbal: Examples of nonverbal communication include appropriate body language to transmit meaning through gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions, eye contact and Mirroring)
-  Presentation: Formal delivery of information and/or documentation. Clear and effective presentations of project information to relevant stakeholders include (Progress reports, Background information, General information about the project and specific information on a subject)
4- Project Management Information System (PMIS)
-  Electronic project management tools: Project management software, meeting and virtual office support software, web interfaces and work management tools
-  Electronic communications management: Email, fax, and voice mail; audio, video and web conferencing; and websites and web publishing
-  Social media management: Websites and web publishing; and blogs and applications, which offer the opportunity to engage with stakeholders and form online communities
5- Project Reporting
-  Project reporting is the act of collecting and distributing project information
-  Reporting format may range from a simple communication to more elaborate custom reports
-  While work performance reports are the output of the Monitor and Control Project Work process, this process develops ad hoc reports, project presentations blogs
6- Interpersonal and Team Skills
-  Active Listening: involve acknowledging, clarifying and confirming, understanding and removing barriers that adversely affect comprehension
-  Meeting management: taking steps to ensure meetings meet their intended objectives effectively and efficiently

-  Networking: interacting with others to exchange information and develop contacts. Networks provide the manager and the team access to informal organizations to solve problems, influence actions of their stakeholders, and increase stakeholder support for the work and outcomes.
-  Political awareness: assists the project manager in engaging stakeholders appropriately to maintain their support throughout the project
-  Cultural awareness
-  Conflict management
7- Meetings

Manage Communication Outputs:
1- Project Communications
-  Project communications artifacts includes: performance reports, deliverable status, schedule progress, cost incurred, presentations, and other information required by stakeholders
2- Project Management Plan Updates
-  Includes (Communication management plan and Stakeholder engagement plan)
3- Project Documents Updates
-  Includes (Issue log, Lessons learned register, Project schedule, Risk register and Stakeholder register)
4- Organizational Process Assets Updates
-  Includes (Project records such as memos, meeting minutes and planned and ad hoc reports)

Monitor Communications (Monitor & Controlling Process Group)
Monitor Communications is the process of ensuring the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met
Key benefit of this process is the optimal information flow as defined in the communications management plan and the stakeholder engagement plan.
-  This process is performed throughout the project
-  Monitor Communications determines if the planned communications had the desired effect of increasing or maintaining stakeholders. And ensure the information is delivered to the right audience through the right channel at the right time
-  Monitor Communications process can trigger an iteration of the Plan Communications Management and/or Manage Communications processes to improve effectiveness of communication

Monitor Communication Inputs:
1- Project Management Plan
-  Includes Resource management plan, Communications management plan and Stakeholders engagement plan
2- Project Documents
-  Includes (Issue log, Lessons learned register and Project communications)
3- Work Performance Data
-  contains data on the types and quantities of communications that have actually been distributed
4- Enterprise Environmental Factors
5- Organizational Process Assets

Monitor Communication Tools & Techniques:
1- Expert Judgment
-  Specialized knowledge in communicating with the public and the media and in communications project management systems
2- Project Management Information System (PMIS)
-  Tools for manager to capture and store information to internal and external stakeholders
3- Data Representation
-  Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix: Provide information about the effectiveness of the communications. This is achieved by reviewing changes between desired and current engagement and adjusting communications as necessary
4- Interpersonal and Team Skills
-  Observation/Conversation: Discussion and dialogue with the project team helps determine the most appropriate way to update and communicate project performance, and to respond to requests from stakeholders for information. Also help the manager to detect any conflicts between people
5- Meetings
-  Meetings can be face-to-face or virtual to respond to stakeholder’s requests and have discussions with suppliers and other project stakeholders

Monitor Communication Outputs:
1- Work Performance Information
-  information on how project communication is performing by comparing the communications that were implemented compared to those that were planned. It is also considered feedback on communications such as survey results on communication effectiveness
2- Change Requests
-  Change requests may result in (Revision of stakeholder communications requirements such as stakeholders and distribution and may add new procedures to eliminate bottlenecks)
3- Project Management Plan Updates
-  Includes (Communications management plan and Stakeholder engagement plan)
4- Project Documents Updates
-  Includes (Issue log, Lessons learned register and Stakeholder register)