Project Communications Management

Project Communications management is essential to any successful project; it comprises of the procedures required to ensure on time/prompt and suitable/appropriate production, assembly, dissemination, storage, and final outlook of project information. It offers crucial connections among individuals, ideas, and information that is essential for success. Organizations environment and culture impacts the level and the kind of communications one may have on the project.

Many project managers have implemented the technical work to excellence in order to figure out that stakeholders are not contended due to poor communication. For that reason, project communication is equally important as the technical work.  Also, the project manager needs to communicate in case of any unexpected events. That’s the area of project risk management.

The constant and steady communication with stakeholders prevents the occurrence of project obstacles that fall under Project Communication Management knowledge area. This should be planned in a way that it should provide relevant information through the project to those who need to know all or part of that information.

Following diagram depicts all the essential elements which should be addressed in a communication plan to be effective.

Project Managers spend 90% of their time in communication and most of this is non-verbal and para lingual

Project Communications Management Processes

Plan Communication Management

Often times project blunders are forgiven for good communication. Similarly, when a provocative project is proposed, the effective solution is frequent communication with stakeholders. The project may not change considerably from its initial plan, but the communication with stakeholders can be the real deal breaker to proceed with the project. On the other hand, even if the project is not debatable, still, a standard communication is required such as progress updates, stockholder circulars, and the planning out content in the form of Communication Management Plan.

The good plan not only keep the team members and stakeholders on the same page and minimizes the misunderstanding but also improves the morale of the stakeholders and team which in turn will increase the performance with the direct effect on the productivity

Manage Communication

In the project implementation phase while the execution of the planned activities, efficiently managing project communication can make a difference between a successful project and a failed one. The communication with stakeholders is determined within the Communication Management Plan that are put into practice along with other immediate communications. The process of collecting information, analysing, producing, distributing, and storing communication is a critical part of project management that requires significant attention of the project manager.

Monitor Communication

Since project communication is important to the overall success of a project, likewise, strong project control should be brought up. This procedure requires analyzing whether the current project communication in the task is sufficient enough. Being a part of the monitoring and controlling process, the project manager should include project communication control at regular project updates. Meanwhile, the earned value evaluation, quality control, scope authentication, and the project control items take place, the project manager must make sure that every stakeholder has received the right communication and whether any changes or modifications are required. The most important aspect in this to make sure that message is properly understood and has made the effect which was initially planned.

Key Deliverables for Project Communication Management

Communication Management Plan

A Communication Plan makes sure that effective communications are carried out throughout the lifecycle of the project to all project stakeholders. Good communication is like a lifeline to project stakeholders. It aims to drive the success of a project by fulfilling the information requirements of project stakeholders.

Information is required to flow in every direction i.e downward, upward and laterally within the organization. A failure in communication can have a negative impact on the project and PMI suggests that many projects fail because of communication failures

Further Readings

• Challenges & Solution of Effective and Efficient Communication
• Professional Networks, personal rapport and project success
• How to fail Eloquently
• Project Management Office (PMO)

[pt_view id=”c356c37lza”]