Topic 10 — Project Communications Management

Definition: A Communications Management Plan is a document that guides how project information will be created, distributed, and controlled throughout the project. Every project should have one, and it is usually built alongside a stakeholder analysis for communications.

Typical contents (any 6–8 for full marks):

• Stakeholder communications requirements — what each stakeholder needs to know.
• Information to be communicated — its format, content, and level of detail.
• Who produces and who receives the information.
• Suggested methods/technologies for conveying it (e.g. e-mail, hard copy, intranet).
• Frequency of communication (e.g. monthly status reports).
• Escalation procedures for resolving issues that can't be settled at the working level.
• Revision procedures for keeping the plan itself up to date.
• A glossary of common terminology so all parties share the same vocabulary.

• Communications planning — determining the information and communication needs of stakeholders (output: the Communications Management Plan).
• Information distribution — making needed information available to stakeholders in a timely manner, using the right technology and both formal and informal methods.
• Performance reporting — collecting and disseminating performance information: status reports, progress measurement, and forecasts.
• Managing stakeholders — managing communications to satisfy stakeholder needs/expectations and to resolve issues as they arise.

Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives. It has three parts:

• Status reports — describe where the project stands at one specific point in time (a snapshot).
• Progress reports — describe what has been accomplished during a given period of time (a summary of activity).
• Forecasts — predict future project status and progress, based on past information and trends.

• Interactive communication — two or more people exchange information back and forth, e.g. meetings, phone calls, video conferencing. Usually the most effective way to ensure a common understanding.
• Push communication — information is sent/pushed to recipients without their request, e.g. reports, e-mails, faxes, voice mails. Ensures the information is distributed, but not that it was received or understood.
• Pull communication — information is placed somewhere for recipients to access at their own request, e.g. project web sites, bulletin boards, e-learning portals, knowledge repositories/blogs.

Five conflict-handling modes:

• Confrontation — directly face the conflict using a problem-solving approach.
• Compromise — use a give-and-take approach.
• Smoothing — de-emphasize areas of difference, emphasize areas of agreement.
• Forcing — the win-lose approach.
• Withdrawal — retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential disagreement.

Why conflict can be good: Conflict often produces important results — new ideas, better alternatives, and stronger motivation to work harder and more collaboratively. Research suggests task-related conflict tends to improve team performance, while emotional conflict tends to depress it.