Management of

Project
Communications
Table of Content

1. Planning programme communications

1.1 Inputs for planning communications management

1.2 Tools and techniques for the communications plan

1.3 Outputs for the communications plan

2. Managing programme communications.

2.1 Inputs for managing communications

2.2 Methods for Managing communications

2.3 Outputs for managing communications

Introduction

Project communication management it is a collection of the processes which help to

ensure that the correct messages are sent received and that are understood by the
relevant people. This is one of the 10 Key knowledge areas which are in the project
management book of knowledge. Processes which are included in this area have
changed over the years in the current version we have three primary project
communications which are plan communications management, manage
communications and monitor communications.

Project managers have to outline now they will manage communicating across their
project. This should be done by creating a project communication management plan.
Project communication management plan have to be details enough so that it can
clearly lay out why you are sending a message who you are sending the message to
which specific information will be sent how you are going to send it and when you
are going to sending the message.

When planning the project communications management you involve your

stakeholder so that you can understand their communication preferences as well as
their attention communicate these may lead to misunderstanding and issues.

Contents

1. Planning program communications

This involves determining the information and communications need of all the
stakeholder, it comprises of who needs which information when will they need it and
how will the information be given to them. Most project projects share the need to
communicate information, the informational needs and the methods of distribution
are different.

The important aspect of the projects success, it is to identify the informational needs
of the stakeholders and determining a suitable means of meeting those needs, most
of the communication planning is done as part of the earliest project phase. The
results of this process have to be revised as needed to ensure continued
applicability. Communication planning is sometimes linked with organizational
planning.

1.1 Input for planning communication management

⦁ Project management plan

-This are set of documents which outlines and describes how, when and the what if's
of a projects execution. It overviews the projects values, proposition execution
steps, resources communication tools and protocols, stakeholders and their different
roles in the project and the deliverables which are involved in completing the project.

-The project management plan documents include an executive summary, Gantt and
team charts, risks assessments and the communication and resource management
sub plans .It serves as a roadmap to the successful completion of your project
.Project management plan ensures that everyone knows and understands their
responsibilities and which tasks are involved in the project and when is the deadline
so that the project stays on track and it is completed on time.

⦁ Stakeholder register

-This is a project document which has pertinent information regarding the project
stakeholders.

-The stakeholders register has the following information about the stakeholders

-Names

-Titles

-roles

-Interest

-power

-Requirements

-Expectations

-Types of influence

-The stakeholders register should be created as soon as the project sponsors signs
the project charter. Once the project charter is ready, you identify and organise your
stakeholders, then you can start a strategy to communicate with and manage those
stakeholders The stakeholders register is important because it helps you to complete
your project with having problems.
⦁ Enterprise environmental factors

-This is internal and external factors which can influence projects, success they
include:

-Organizational culture

-Organizational structure

-internal and external political climate

-Existing human resources

-Available capital resources

-Regulatory environment

-financial and market conditions

⦁ Organizational Process assets

-Organizational process assets are assists which can be used to ensure the project’s
success. They fail into two categories which are:

-Process, guiltiness and procedures such as the organizational standard processes,

guidelines and templates.

-The Corporate knowledge base such as lessons learned historical information and
east projects files

1.2 Tool and techniques for the communication plan.

⦁ Expert judgement

-This is used in practically all the planning processes which create management
parts for different knowledge areas in the project.
⦁ Communications requirements analysis

-This takes the information regarding all the stakeholders in the stakeholders register
and uses it to determine the information needs of the different stakeholders in regard
to the type of information that they need. They can be used to analyse which
stakeholders need to be informed before and after any important meeting on the
project.

⦁ Communication technology

-These are common methods which are used for information exchange and
collaboration will be established.

⦁ Communication Models

-The communication model is simple because you have a sender who encodes the
massage and then transmits the message via a communication model and you have
a receiver who decodes the message.

⦁ Communication Methods

- There we have three basic types of communications, interactive communications

that is when you interact with team members at a meeting, push communication it is
which you send an email out to team members with important information and lastly
full communication when you put information on a website that team members can
access anytime.

⦁ Communication style assessment

-This is an analysis of the preferred communication method for stakeholder and it

allows you to form your communication method to their needs more effectively.

⦁ Data Representation

-Here a stakeholder engagement assessment matrix can help to determine the level
of engagement of a stakeholder .You have to find out where they are in the project
and you show what level engagement you are trying to influence them to be during
the course of your project.

⦁ Meetings

Just like expert judgement, meeting are a generic tool and technique that is used in
all the planning process of far different knowledge areas.In regards to this process,it
means setting the ground rules for project meetings so that they are effective and
efficient.

1.3 Outputs for communication plan

-To set the best output is communicating with all the members of the project team
and also when you discuss the strategy process so that they can have a clear
understanding of what you are doing. This communication can be with different
target audience e. g stakeholders and the management team

-Output can be in various forms like

-Reports like direct mail

-To management in the forms of email, discuss forums

-To stakeholders in form of advertisement public relations

-When the project ends, you have to issue a closedown memo and give each
member of the project team and management a copy so that they are aware that a
certain project is complete and a proper accountability is set.

2. Managing programme communicating

-This refers to the processes and procedures needed to ensure that data throughout
the life of a project are collected properly, stored and distributed across the project
team. It basically gather the project information, distribute it to stakeholder in a timely
manner and finally it stores it
2.1 Inputs for managing communications

⦁ Program management plan components includes, thou it does not restrict the
following

-Resource management plan: The resource management plans object is to explain

the communication methods which are needed for the management of the group
resources.

-Communications management plan: This fully explains how the programme

communications are going to be planned structured monitored and controlled.

-Stakeholders engagement plan: This fully identifies how all the stakeholders are
going to be communicated to using communication strategies.

⦁Programme documents which can be taken as inputs for this particular process
includes thou they are not limited to:

-Change key this are used for communications in instances where changes will be
accepted and those changes which are not accepted by the stakeholder.

- Issue log, here collected information will be given to the relevant stakeholders only.

-Lesson learned register, everything that was done in the programme that is in hand
with communications can later be utilised in the programme phase.

-Quality report, these is a report conveying information about the quality of a

statistical product, it comprises of one or more quality indicators sometimes a
combination of both and it can be recorded on a paper, file or a data base.

-Risk report, is a summary which describes all the potential risks which may become
problematic in the future if someone does not monitor them closely.

-Stakeholder register is a project related document which includes all the information
about the projects stakeholders. It identifies the people grows and organizations
which have an interest in the project and its results.
⦁ Work performance reports

-This is physical or electronic representation of the work performance information

that helps to generate decision they include technical information and the progress
indication for the key project tasks and its deliverables.

⦁ Institutional factors

-This is a formal and informal rules in the society which constraints behaviour

⦁ Institutional process assets

-These are things which the organization has acquired and which they can be used
in the management of the project and they include formal and informal plans,policies
procedures and guidelines. They are important for the planning stage irrespective of
the type of the type of the project.

2. 2 Methods of managing technology

⦁ Communication technology

-These are tools, systems and equipment’s which are used to transfer different
information to the stakeholder of a project.

⦁ Communication Methods

-Selecting the relevant communication method which will help stakeholders to

understand the ongoing of the project

⦁ Communication skills
There are communication technique which can be used for this process, they are:

-Communication competence

This is the ability have to achieve communication goal during the process at the
project in a socially appropriate manner.

-Feedback

This is the response, feedback in information that is given by the recipient of a

message to the sender. It is important in projects because it lets someone know
where to improve.

- Non- verbal

Here Members should be vigilant of how the communicate especially when they are
using bad or gestures. This is because non-verbal communication can seem like
another person is being rude to the other person.

-Presentation

A presentation can be used as a broad term that encompasses other speaking

engagements such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a
video conference. To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and
means of presenting the information should be carefully considered. Presentation
requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain
persuasive element.

For example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could
offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.
-Networking

Network and communications management involves making sure these computer

network devices function properly and do not experience issues with their
connections Network and communications management also involves making sure
communications systems aren’t failing to properly transmit complete data in a timely
fashion.

-Meetings

These explain each and everything that has been addressed by the stakeholders

2 , 3 Outputs of managing communications

- Project communications

These outlines the processes and procedures needed to ensure that information and
data throughout the life of a project are properly collected, stored, and distributed
across the project team

- Project management plan updates

Project Management Plan Updates is an output for the process Control costs.
Elements of the project management plan that may be updated include, but are not
limited to: – Cost baseline. Changes to the cost baseline are incorporated in
response to approved changes in scope, activity resources, or cost estimates.

- Communications management plan

A communication management plan is a document that details how everyone

working on a project can communicate best. The plan can define each team
member's responsibilities regarding communication and which channels are best.
Communication management plans are often integral to project planning and project
management
- Stakeholder engagement plan

A stakeholder engagement plan documents shows how involved and influential your
project stakeholders are. It also outlines your stakeholder communication plan,
including when you'll reach out to each stakeholder, what platform you'll use, and
how much information you'll deliver

- Project documents updates

Project documents update is a generic term that the PMBOK uses to describe the
fact that some processes will require updates to various project documents. Many
outputs are specified, but sometimes it may be necessary to update other project
documents

- Issue log

An issue log also referred to as an issue register, is a comprehensive document that

outlines all issues that arise throughout the project lifecycle. It typically comes in the
form of a list or spreadsheet that allows teams to easily track record report and
communicates ongoing issue management progress.

- Lessons learned register

Lessons learned register is a document in which the project team records their
valuable project experience.

- Project schedule

Schedule Management is the process of defining project tasks and their durations,
dependencies, and assigned resources in order to complete the project within a
designated time frame. It also includes monitoring and reporting on the schedule to
ensure the project is delivered on time.
- Risk register

A risk register is a document that is used as a risk management tool to identify

potential setbacks within a project. This process aims to collectively identify, analyse,
and solve risks before they become problems

- Stakeholder register

A stakeholder register is a project document with pertinent information about the

project stakeholders. It identifies the people, groups, and organizations interested in
the project or its outcome. A stakeholder register can have the following information
about stakeholders: Names

Conclusion

Project management is important because it helps every part of the business run
more efficiently and effectively. When done correctly, it enables leadership to plan
and manage projects so that every objective and deliverable is completed on time
and within budget. It can also foster better communication and collaboration between
teams, and provide data-driven insights to help you make better business decisions
with this in mind, it's perhaps no surprise that the demand for project managers has
been growing more rapidly than the demand for skilled workers in other occupations.

This emphasis on the importance of project managers reflects the growing

understanding of the impact that good project management can have on a business.
That’s because good project management is about more than just tasks and timings
and budgets. Don’t get us wrong, that stuff is important too but we believe that it can
be so much more.

Companies are starting to realize that good project management is important for
stronger results and happier employees. These aren’t just coincidences or side
effects they are functions of project management done right.
 Bibliography

1, https://www.projectmanagement.com.(accessedon20May2023

2, https://kissflow.com.project,communication.(accessedon19May2023

3, University of South Africa Mucleneuk, Pretoria, Pub3711/1/2022, Approach to

Program Management III, Only study guide for Pub3711