Professional Diploma in

Project Management
Unit 8

Project Communications
 In This Unit

• Develop a project communication

plan.
• Identify and manage communication
channels.
• Understand how to manage and
control communications.

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Team Exercise – Communications

Perception

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Performance Domains
The planning and management of communications falls under
three Performance Domains

Planning Project Work Measurement

Performance Performance Performance
Domain Domain Domain
• Create the • Manage Project • Status Reporting
Communications Communications
Management Plan and Engagement

Engaging stakeholders involves effective communications with

your stakeholders. Stakeholder communications and engagement
is part of the Stakeholder Performance Domain
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Communication Tailoring

Because each project is unique, the project team will need

to tailor the way that Project Communications
Management processes are applied.
● Stakeholders
● Physical location
● Communications technology
● Language
● Knowledge management
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Communications
• Project Managers spent up to 90% of their time communicating, so
we want to plan, structure and control our message.
• We want to provide a very structured approach to communications.
• Communications questions are often combined with other topics.
• A WBS could be used as a communication tool (Scope chapter),
• Risk response strategies should be communicated to all stakeholders.
• Communication management strongly linked to stakeholder
management.

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Communications
Some things to note…
Some common themes across the three communications
processes:
• Internal and external

• Formal and informal

• Vertical and horizontal

• Official and unofficial

• Written and oral, and verbal and nonverbal 10

Communications
Some things to note…
5Cs of written communications
1. Correct grammar and spelling

2. Concise expression

3. Clear purpose

4. Coherent logical flow of ideas

5. Controlling flow of words and ideas

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Communications – 5Cs email Activity
You have just received the email below -
Hi,
Attached is the latest AUC extraction and we would like you
to convert the WBS to new structure in the system
please. This is for our MT1 testing. Would it be possible to
create all WBS?

Thanks.
Kind regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

You review the attachment. It has 2500 lines of data and it

will take approx 60 hours for you to manually convert these
to the new format. You do not know what MT1 means or
when that testing is scheduled. Also on first review large
sections of the data (approx 25%) seems irrelevant to the
project. You have previously worked with the sender and
they are aware that the data conversion is time consuming
and that you have a number of other high priority tasks to
support the project.

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Write the response.
Communications – 5Cs email exercise…

I am not familiar with MT1? When is it due?

Based on our work at SIT we report that since this is a purely manual process it will take
(minimum)
a. Update AR mass upload template with required data – 5 minutes per project
b. Move AR through approval process and create assets/measures – 5 minutes per project
c. CJ20N activity – 1 minute per WBS element

It is not clear from your data but there are 1262 WBS and (estimating) 250 projects.
This work will take over 60 hours.

Some questions on the data –

There are AUCs going back to 2013, 2014, 2015, etc.….would it be possible to cleanse the data for
some of these older parts?
There are WBS with zero value. Do we need to create these also?

Thanks,

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Communications – Some things to note…

Communication Skills:
• Listening actively

• Awareness of cultural and personal differences

• Identifying, setting, and managing stakeholder

expectations

• Enhancement of skills

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Team Exercise – Activity
Communications
• Guessing Game

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 Activity
Communication Types
• Formal Written
• Formal Verbal
• Informal Written
• Informal Verbal

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Situation Communication
type

Updating the Project Management Plan

Giving presentations to management

Trying to solve a complex problem

Quick
Making notes on a telephone conversation Test
Making changes to a contract

Informing a team member of poor performance (1st time) Answers

Formal Written
Formal Verbal
Informing a team member of poor performance (2nd time) Informal Written
Informal Verbal

Schedule a meeting

Clarifying a work package

Trying to discover the root cause of a problem

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 Communications Processes
Planning/Project
Work/Measureme
nt Performance PROCESS GROUPS
Domains

Monitoring &
Planning Executing
Controlling

Plan
Manage Monitor
Communications
Communications Communications
Management

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Plan Communications Management
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. The 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.

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Plan Communications Considerations

• Who needs what information?

• Who is authorized to access that information?
• When they will need the information?
• Where the information should be stored?
• What format the information should be stored in?
• How the information can be retrieved; and
• Whether time zone, language barriers, and cross-cultural
considerations need to be taken into account?

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 Plan Communication Management

Inputs - Project Charter T&Ts Outputs

- Project Management - Expert Judgement
Plan - Communication - Communications
· Resource Management Requirements Analysis Management Plan
Plan - Communication - Project Management
· Stakeholder Technology Plan Updates
Management Plan
- Communication Models - Project Documents
- Project Documents
- Communication Updates
· Requirements Methods
documentation · Project Schedule
- Interpersonal and Team · Stakeholder Register
· Stakeholder Register
Skills
- EEFs
- Data Representation
- OPAs
- Meetings
Communication Model for Cross Cultural Comms

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Number of Comms Channels
Regarding the Number of people to be communicated with:
The number of people requiring communicating with is of
particular importance as this determines the possible number
of communications channels present.

If there are N people working on a project then there are:

N*(N-1)/2 possible channels of communication between them.

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Overview
N*(N-1)/2 possible channels of communication between them
For example :
On a team of 5 people there are : = 5 *(5-1)/2 = 10 channels
This is illustrated in the diagram below:

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Communication Activity

Channels
Question: You are managing a
telecommunication project and 10
telecom engineers are reporting to you.
Due to change in scope requested by
your customer you need to add team
member. You decide to hire 2 more
engineers. How many communication
channels will be increased by this hiring?
A. 21
B. 23
C. 66
D. 78

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Communications Management Plan
Stakeholder
Comms Information Escalation Purpose
Requirements

Time &
Frequency
Responsibility Authorizing Who

Methods & Update Glossary &

Resources
Flow Charts Methods Constraints
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Project Work Performance
Domain
The Project Work Performance Domain addresses activities
and functions associated with establishing the project
processes, managing physical resources, and fostering a
learning environment.
Manage Communication is part of the Project Work
Performance Domain

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Manage Communications

Manage Communications is the process of ensuring timely

and appropriate collection, creation, distribution, storage,
retrieval, management, monitoring, and the ultimate
disposition of project information.

The key benefit of this process:

- efficient and effective information flow between the
project team and the stakeholders.

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 Manage Communications
Inputs - Project Management T&Ts Outputs
Plan
- Communication
· Resource Management Technology
Plan
- Communications
- Communication Skills Management Plan
· Communication Plan
- Communication - Project Management
· Stakeholder
Management Plan Methods Plan Updates
- Project Documents - Project Management - Project Documents
Software Updates
· Change Log
· Issue Log - Project Reporting · Project Schedule
· Lesson Learned - Interpersonal and Team · Stakeholder Register
Register Skills
· Quality Report - Meetings
· Risk Report
· Stakeholder Register
- Work Performance
Reports
- EEFs
3. Monitor Communications

Monitor Communications is the process of ensuring the information needs of the

project and its stakeholders are met. The 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.

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 Monitor Communications
Inputs - Project Management T&Ts Outputs
Plan - Work Performance
Information
· Resource Management
Plan - Change Requests
· Communication Plan - Expert Judgement - Project Management
· Stakeholder - Project Management Plan Updates
Management Plan Software · Communication
- Project Documents - Data Representation Management Plan
· Issue Log - Interpersonal and Team · Stakeholder
Engagement Plan
· Lesson Learned Skills
Register - Project Document
- Meetings Updates
· Project
Communications · Issue Log
- Work Performance · Lesson Learned
Data Register
- EEFs · Stakeholder Register

-OPAs
Exam Prep
• For the exam imagine a large team, spread across the world, speaking
many languages, with different cultural ways of communicating.
• Communications should be efficient and effective.
• Take a structured approach to communications – Comms Plan.
• New vocabulary, but no need to memorise, just remember that
communications must be planned and include all stakeholders in
many countries.
• Can the project manager control all communications?
• Should the project manager try to control all communications?

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 Summary

• Develop a project communication

plan.
• Identify and manage communication
channels.
• Understand how to manage and
control communications.

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