Running head: MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 1

Managing Expectations and Project Communications

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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 2

Managing Expectations and Project Communications

Communication plans are important tools in project management (Burke & Barron,

2014). This tool enables project managers to effectively communicate with stakeholders, team

members and also the client on matters relating to the project. Communication plans are crucial

in every project because of many reasons. They help create a written documentation of which

every project member can turn to. They also help in creating clear expectations for when and

how updates about a project will be shared. Moreover, communication plans help project

managers ensure their projects continue to align with their goals. This paper provides a sample

communication plan to manage the expectations of stake holders involved in the implementation

of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) both in the large academic medical center in

California and in a small community hospital in Virginia.

Managing client expectations can sometimes prove to b the toughest job for every project

manager. Listening, understanding and meeting the expectations of the client is not easy at all.

However, these four rules can help project managers manage their client expectations. First, the

project manager needs to honest from the get go (Brett, 2021). Being upfront from the onset of

the project is key to managing client expectations. You should be clear about everything

including those things that you cannot guarantee. Project managers should take ample time and

clarify the confines of their projects. The manager can also take this opportunity to make it clear

that there are some things that they can’t guarantee. Secondly, project managers should always

anticipate but never assume. They should try to anticipate their client’s requirements. Thirdly,

project managers should communicate openly and constantly. Making communication a top

priority is the key towards managing client expectation (Natalie, 2021). Lastly, to manage client

expectations, project managers should clearly set their expectations, goals and limits.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 3

Communication plan: implementation of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE)

project.

Summary

This project is focused with implementation of computerized physician order entry

(CPOE) system in a large academic center in California and in a small community hospital in

Virginia.

Communication goals

 To keep the stakeholders informed about the project needs, budget and timeline.

 To give clear insight into the necessary decisions required.

 To give stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback regarding the project.

 Give stakeholders ample time to gain acceptance of the project.

Stakeholder communication requirements

Person Role Title Frequency Format/channel Notes

Mr. X Project daily Daily emails are Requires daily

coordinator needed milestone update

regarding the

project.

Mr. Y Project lead weekly Weekly check-in Prefers to see the

meetings and final weekly

emails report on the

milestone of the

project.

Mr. Z Assistant project weekly Weekly check-in Prefers seeing

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 4

manager meetings and only the final

daily emails approved files.

Information to be communicated

The stakeholder expectation does not align with the project agreed upon project plan

(Schibi, 2014). Trying to meet the aggressive schedule will lead to compromising of personal

dat. The project plans for both locations need to be reviewed according to the regulatory policy

mandates of California and Virginia respectively.

Method of presentation

Information to be presented through emails and weekly meetings. Daily phone calls to be

conducted with the project coordinator regarding the daily milestones of the project. The weekly

meetings between all stakeholders to be conducted via video meetings due to their location

differences.

Frequency and time frame of communication

Weekly check-ins: weekly phone calls to the project coordinator and assistant project manager

to go over the progress of the implementation and share any completed work. Moreover, through

these phone calls, we will share the timeline and budget flags, the project progress, what has

been completed so far, and questions about deliverables.

Weekly email reports: weekly email reports sent mostly on Mondays to the project coordinator

and assistant project manager to relay the project’s budget, timeline, and milestone particulars.

These weekly reports will also share the budget burn, specific timelines, links to the approved

deliverables, links to the edited deliverables, links to anything that need to be reviewed and the

next steps list.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 5

Major milestone meetings: these meetings are scheduled for delivery and presentation of

crucial milestone deliverables. They will be shared 3-4 days in advance and will contain the

agenda of the meetings and attendees needed for the meetings. The meeting format will start with

the agenda review, then the presentation of deliverables by the project team and lastly,

questions/discussions. Emails will be sent to all stakeholders immediately after the meeting

containing the meeting notes.

Daily emails: sent to the project coordinator as needed. They will provide questions about the

specific project items, the assets needed, minor non-deliverable approvals and review of the

decisions and deliverables before sending them to the higher- level stakeholders.

Sender responsible for communication

 Daily emails to be sent to the project coordinator by the project manager regarding the

major daily milestones of the project.

 Weekly emails to be sent by the project manager to the project coordinator, project lead

and assistant project manager.

 Weekly check-in meetings to be conducted via audio and video conferencing by all the

project stakeholders and led by the project manager.

Constraint and assumptions

The assumptions for this communication plan are that: the project will get all the

resources it needs, all the relevant stakeholders will attend the next scheduled meeting, that the

team members have all the necessary required skills, and that all the equipment to be used in the

implementation of the project are in good condition.

Some of the few constraints regarding this project include: the first milestone must be achieved

within the first week, and that we will only have to work with the available resources.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 6

Method for addressing sensitive or proprietary information

To ensure sensitive or proprietary information is correctly addressed, the stakeholders are

required to abide by the following rules. They should ensure they think before they talk and

create the right environment. They can achieve this by practicing active listening, empathy and

emotional intelligence. They should also choose their words carefully as their choice of words

will influence how other team members perceive their message.

Method for addressing regulatory difference

Since these projects are being implemented in two different states of Virginia and

California, both of which have different regulatory and policy mandates demanding different

requirements for project implementation, each project will have to be implemented separately in

accordance with the regulatory requirements of that particular state (Kayla, 2021). A

supplementary budget has to be enacted to cater for the project implementation regulatory

requirement charges in California and Virginia.

Budget associated with communication activities

Type of expenditure Amount budgeted Notes

Meals for team lead meetings $1000 Five team lead meetings will

be conducted within a

duration of three months each

at a cost of $200.

Office supplies $5000 Office equipment will be

acquired to aid in the

implementation process at a

cost of $5000
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Equipment to be used during $1000 Various equipment to be used

the communication process during the communication

process including audio/visual

equipment, laptops and tablets

are to be procured at a cost of

$1000.

Pre evaluation travel meetings $500 Pre-evaluation meetings to be

conducted in the organization

field office at a cost of $500

Conference presentation $500 Conference presentation

meetings meetings to be conducted

once every month for five

consecutive months.

Letter to senior leadership.

From: The Project Manager (cpoe system implementation).

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To: The Senior Leadership of this Project

Being the project manager for the implementation of a computerized physician order entry

(CPOE) at your facility, I have been able to determine that some of the expectations that you

have with this project do not align with the originally agreed upon project plan. This is largely

due to the difference in location between the two states of California and Virginia where the two

projects are being implemented. There are different statutory policy requirements regarding

implementation of projects within these states, a factor that has largely played out towards

changing the project scope of the CPOE. I would hence recommend that the senior leadership

review the original project plan, scope and budget. This will play a significant role towards

ensuring the project proceedings align with your expectations from now onwards. The above

communication plan will also play a crucial role towards the project’s implementation.

Summary

In summary, this paper has provided a sample communication plan to manage the

expectations of stake holders involved in the implementation of a computerized physician order

entry (CPOE) both in the large academic medical center in California and in a small community

hospital in Virginia. It has also provided the basic budget requirements of the communication

plan and drafted a letter that the senior leadership can adopt to communicate the project scope

with a consistent message.

References
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Brett, H. (2021). Managing Expectations. Teamgantt. https://www.teamgantt.com/guide-to-

project-management/managing-expectations

Burke, R., & Barron, S. (2014). Project management leadership: Building creative teams.

ProQuest E-book Central.https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Kayla, C. (2021). How to Write an Effective Communication Plan (+ template). HubSpot.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/communications-plan

Natalie, S. (2021). Project Communication Plan Examples and How to Make One. The Digital

Project Manager. https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/how-write-project-

communication-plan/

Schibi, O. (2014). The expectations manager: The future of project management. Paper presented

at PMI® Global Congress 2014—North America, Phoenix, AZ. Newtown Square, PA:

Project Management Institute.