Communication Management 10.2 Plan Communications

 1. Communication Management 10.1 Identify Stakeholder

2. Communication Management 10.2 Plan Communications

3. Communication Management 10.3 Distribute Information

4. Communication Management 10.4 Manage stakeholder Expectations

5. Communication Management 10.5 Report Performance

 

Communications planning involves determining the information needs of the stakeholders and devising an appropriate communication plan. The plan should address who needs what information, when they need it, how they will get it, and who will give it to them. NOTE: PMF says most communication planning should be done early in the project, but the process should be reviewed regularly.

PMI distinguishes effective communication (information in the format and at the right time) from efficient communication (providing only the avoiding information needed; avoiding information overload).

Plan Communications
Inputs	Tools	Outputs
1. Stake holder register 2. Stake holder Management strategy 3.Enterprise Environmental Factor 4.Organisational process assets	1. Communication requirement analysis 2.Communication technology 3. Communication models 4. Communication method	1. Communication Management plan 2. Project document update

Four Key Inputs for plan Communications:

1.       Stakeholder Register: An output of the previous process, the register identifies potentially important stakeholders.

2.       Stakeholder Management strategy: Again, an output of the previous process (Section 10.1.3.2).

3.       Enterprise Environmental Factors: All the factors described in this site, section 1.8 are potentially relevant to communication planning.

4.       Organizational Process Assets: All organizational process Assets are relevant to communication planning, but lessons learned and historical information from similar projects are of particular importance.

Four Key Tools for plan Communications:

1.       Communications Requirements Analysis: Determines the information needed by stakeholders. PMI says the process should focus only on information really needed for success; in other words, beware of information overload or distracting minutiae.

The concept of communication channels within a team is important for the exam. You must know that as the project team grows larger, the number of communication channels also increases. The number of channels provides a measure of the complexity of communication on a given project. You must know that the number of communication channels increases at greater than a linear rate. See course slide #151 to review an example.

The following information helps determine communication requirements:

·         Organization charts and stakeholder relationships

·         The specific departments and functional specialties involved

·         The number of people and locations

·         Internal vs. external information needs

·         Stakeholder information (who are they and what concerns do they have?)

2.       Communication Technology: Methods used to transfer information; the spectrum ranges from low tech (conversations and meetings) to high tech (automated, computerized systems). Relevant factors in choosing appropriate technology include:

·         Urgency of the need

·         Current technology already in use (Is it sufficient?)

·         Expected staffing (Is the proposed system compatible with the team's experience?)

·         Length of the project (wilt available technology change during the project?)

·         Project environment (For instance, a virtual team might depend on more advanced technologies.)

3.       Communication Models: PMI displays the following basic communication model in Figure 10-8.

·         Encode: A sender encodes translates thoughts into a message that will be understood by others-

·         Message and Feedback Message: The output of encoding.

·         Medium: The method used to convey the message (voice, telephone, letter, memo, email, and so on).

·         Noise: "Noise" is anything that might interfere with the transmission, receipt, or understanding of the message (technical jargon, language, distance, lack of background information, etc.).

·         Decode: A receiver translates the information into an understandable message.

·         PMI cautions that receipt of a message does not necessarily mean that agreement or understanding has occurred.

Special note for the exam: PMI says that project managers spend as much as 90% of their time acquiring and communicating information! Senders and receivers each have important and specific responsibilities during the communication process:

                The sender is responsible for:

·         Making the information clear, unambiguous, and complete

·         Confirming the receiver's understanding

The receiver is responsible for:

·         Making sure the entire message was received

·         Confirming the message was understood correctly. Active listening is a relevant skill here, that is, paraphrasing to check for understanding.

Other notes for the exam:

1.       Formal communication is best handled in writing.

2.       Advantages of verbal communication include: fast, immediate feedback (ability to clarify), and supports the brainstorming needed to solve complex problems.

3.       Effective listening includes:

a.       Asking for clarification

b.      Repeating what you heard {seeking confirmation}

c.       Watching body language (non-verbal clues)

d.      Maintaining eye contact

4.       Communication Methods: PMI describes three methods of sharing information among stakeholders:

·         Interactive communication: Two or more parties at the same time, multi-directional. Quick, efficient way to exchange information.

·         Push Communication: Information sent to specific people or groups. Does not ensure that information was received and/or understood.

·         Pull Communication: Used for large volumes of information and/or large audiences (intranet, e-learning).

 

 

Two Key Outputs for Plan Communications:

1.       Communications Management Plan: The primary output of communication planning is the communications management plan. This plan documents how information will be handled and provides the following:

·         Stakeholder requirements

·         Information to be communicated

·         Purpose (the reason the information is needed)

·         Senders and receivers

·         Format, medium, and technology

·         Frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) plus start/end dates

·         Escalation process

·         Method for updating the communication plan

·         Glossary of common terms

2.       Project Document Updates: May include:

·         Project schedule

·         Stakeholder register

·         Stakeholder management strategy