| p>Communications are a critical deliverable of every | | | | guidelines around what can and cannot be shared |
| successful project and a key project management | | | | outside executive offices; share as much information |
| soft skill. You may not have thought of | | | | with the team as possible without violating these |
| communications as an actual project deliverable, but it | | | | policies. You'll find sharing positive reports will boost |
| is. It may not be the one your client or customer places | | | | morale, while sharing negative reports will stop the |
| the most emphasis on, but that's because every client | | | | rumors that will further erode morale. |
| and customer will take good communications for | | | | Be prepared to capture and report information by |
| granted. | | | | stakeholder group, department, or sub-project. The |
| Project communications is one deliverable that you are | | | | individual groups on your team will want the ability to |
| personally responsible for and it's one that has a large | | | | view their progress in isolation from the rest of the |
| influence over your project's success or failure. I say | | | | team. Tip: make sure that you break the work down |
| this because personal experience has taught me that | | | | so that tasks performed by individual groups or |
| the best managed projects, delivering on all their | | | | departments are identifiable. This will enable you to |
| promise, on time, and on budget can still get a bad | | | | report performance group by group or department by |
| reputation and be perceived as failures. The reason: | | | | department and still roll totals up to report for the entire |
| the project manager did not do an adequate job of | | | | project. |
| communicating project success to their stakeholders. | | | | The information you plan to communicate will drive |
| We hope that the information and template in this | | | | your activities throughout the project. Your plans should |
| section will help guide you to choose the right | | | | include the metrics that must be gathered in order to |
| information, schedule, and communication vehicles for | | | | support the information you plan to communicate. You |
| your project. | | | | will need to identify who is responsible for providing the |
| The Major Elements of Project Communications | | | | information and where the information is to be stored |
| Who to Communicate to | | | | and reported from. There are 2 questions you need to |
| You could just say that it's important to communicate | | | | ask yourself before you commit to providing a report: |
| with all the project's stakeholders and leave it at that | | | | 1. How do I get this information? (i.e. what metrics do I |
| but this approach would guarantee failure. Each | | | | need to capture and where will they come from) |
| individual stakeholder has a different set of | | | | 2. Where will I store the metrics? |
| requirements for project information, and prefers | | | | A failure to answer both questions will mean that either |
| different ways of receiving their communications. It will | | | | you have to alter your plan to task someone to gather |
| not be possible to define a unique set of | | | | the metric, identify a tool to capture and retrieve the |
| communications and communication vehicles for each | | | | metric, or drop the requirement. |
| stakeholder in most projects so the best you can do is | | | | Finally, don't forget individual accomplishments and |
| identify the different category of stakeholder and | | | | rewards when reporting project progress. There's |
| define the required information and communication | | | | nothing like a good news story to keep team morale |
| methods that best suits the group. | | | | high and the celebration of a team member's |
| Executive Sponsor/Business Sponsor Probably the | | | | accomplishment is something most sponsors enjoy |
| most important customer(s) of your project's | | | | hearing about. |
| communications. It's going to be worth your while to | | | | How to Communicate |
| define a custom set of communications for each | | | | There are many different means of communication |
| person in this category. Generally speaking, these are | | | | available to you - face to face, e-mail, intranet, internet, |
| busy people who don't have a lot of time to read a lot | | | | regular mail, phone, video conferences, etc., etc. These |
| of detail. Charts and graphs that tell the viewer a lot | | | | can be grouped into 2 groups: "push" communications |
| about the project at a glance will probably work best | | | | and "pull" communications. Push communications |
| for them. | | | | requires you to push the information onto the recipient |
| Take the time to interview them about their | | | | as the name would suggest, while pull communications |
| preferences: what they need to know, how they want | | | | requires the recipient to actively retrieve the |
| to be communicated with, and how often. Keeping | | | | information from a central source. Web sites and |
| them informed about project performance is critical | | | | centralized repositories are examples of pull |
| because they sign the cheque for the project (including | | | | communications, while e-mail and meetings are |
| your salary). They also need information so they can | | | | examples of push communications. |
| keep their peers apprised of the project's | | | | Preference for either push or pull communications is |
| performance. Remember, they are your project's | | | | typically a personal preference. Some people deal with |
| champions so the better armed with information they | | | | information best when it's presented to them and |
| are, the better job they can do promoting your project. | | | | some prefer to retrieve it at their own convenience. |
| Tip: don't report a problem to them without suggesting | | | | Be prepared for conflicting requirements from |
| a solution. For example, if you're reporting an SPI of | | | | individuals in your stakeholder groups. You may have |
| less than 1.0 for the 2nd week in a row, you need to | | | | to make the final decision on which method to use if |
| include a corrective action with the report. | | | | there are conflicting requests. Alternatively, you may |
| Project Team Members This is the single most | | | | be able to identify a spokesperson for the group who |
| populous group in your list of stakeholders. You may | | | | will be empowered to identify the group's requirements. |
| want to subdivide the group into sub-groups based on | | | | The exception to this rule is your project's sponsor. |
| their roles. For example you may want to have a | | | | Because there is only one or two of these people, you |
| different set of communications for the Business | | | | need to ensure that your communication methods suit |
| Analysts and Software Developers, or for the | | | | their requirements. |
| Electricians and Plumbers on your project. This group | | | | Tip: If you determine that the project must have a new |
| has a different perspective on project performance | | | | tool, such as a web site, to satisfy a stakeholder |
| than sponsors: the sponsor views the project as work | | | | requirement, you'll need to justify the cost with a |
| being done for them. The team member views the | | | | business case. State the benefits to the project in |
| project as work being done by them and therefore | | | | business terms that justify the costs. You can also |
| reports on project performance are a reflection on | | | | include benefits that supersede your project. For |
| them. A good report pleases everyone - project | | | | example a web site or tool such as Lotus Notes could |
| sponsors and team members. A bad report will cause | | | | benefit all projects your organization performs, and |
| the sponsor to worry but may negatively impact team | | | | may even provide a benefit to operations. You may |
| morale. | | | | also want to explore having the PMO, or Operations |
| Customers/Clients These can be internal to your | | | | bear the cost of the new tool. |
| organization, or external to it. These people may | | | | When to Communicate |
| profess no particular interest in project communications | | | | Your communication schedule will be driven by the |
| until the final product or service is delivered. You need | | | | needs of your audience and the availability of the |
| to overcome this disinterest and pique their interest in | | | | information to be communicated. For example, if you |
| project progress. The more informed they are on the | | | | had the bandwidth, you could report on any metrics |
| project as it progresses through its lifecycle, the more | | | | managed by your MS Project file daily. On the other |
| likely they are to accept the resulting products or | | | | hand, you can't report on the results of your Gate |
| services. | | | | Meeting until the Gate Meeting has actually been held. |
| Partners These are people who are doing work that is | | | | There is also no reason that a report communicated |
| in some way affected by the work of your project. | | | | to one stakeholder group bi-weekly, can't be |
| You may both be working on projects that are part of | | | | communicated to another group every week. |
| a program, or your projects may simply affect one | | | | You need to use common sense in addition to |
| another without further integration. For example, you | | | | capturing your stakeholders' requirements. If you |
| may be managing a software project that requires a | | | | choose to use a "town hall" to communicate to all |
| corresponding database project - the database | | | | stakeholders, don't schedule the meeting to occur |
| project team is your partner. Or, you may be working | | | | weekly. Tip: when planning a meeting that involves you |
| on a software system new software system that will | | | | (or another team member) communicating information |
| utilize an existing web portal for customer access - the | | | | to an audience, count the audience, multiply that |
| portal team is your partner despite the fact they aren't | | | | number by the number of hours the meeting lasts and |
| performing a project. | | | | multiply that number by the loaded labor rate for that |
| Community Stakeholders These are an increasingly | | | | group. Avoid spending large amounts on frequent |
| important category of stakeholder. As more emphasis | | | | communications. |
| is being placed on organizations ethical behavior and | | | | Other meetings, such as status review meetings with |
| social responsibility, there is an increasing demand for | | | | project teams must be done more often to avoid the |
| projects to be performed ethically. One of the ways | | | | project going off the rails. I find that when the project is |
| this is done is by treating those who don't belong to the | | | | on track, weekly status review meetings are sufficient. |
| performing organization, or to the customer/client | | | | When your project encounters problems, you might |
| organization, as project stakeholders. Consideration of | | | | want to increase the frequency to better control the |
| these stakeholders must go beyond communications, | | | | work. In extreme cases such as a project rescue, you |
| but project communications constitute an important | | | | may need to hold them daily. Tip: when the project is |
| part of your ethical dealings with them. | | | | running smoothly and you have an alternate means of |
| Project Manager Don't forget to include yourself as a | | | | identifying completed tasks, don't be afraid to cancel a |
| stakeholder. Your need for project information is | | | | status review meeting and give the team an hour off! |
| perhaps the most important for the project. If you | | | | Remember that communications is part of the project |
| aren't receiving the information you need to run the | | | | work. You should manage that work in your MS |
| project, you won't be able to share it with other | | | | Project file like other project tasks, but be sensible - |
| stakeholders. Your needs will stem from the need to | | | | don't overload yourself by tracking every meeting in |
| be updated on the progress of the individual tasks of | | | | MS Project. You should be using the "walk around" |
| the project so that you can keep the project plans up | | | | style of management if your team is collocated, you |
| to date and identify preventive or corrective actions. | | | | needn't track each informal meeting you have with |
| Project Management Office (PMO) Your PMO may | | | | individual team members. Use MS Project to help you |
| have requirements for project information that will | | | | control the project, not overload yourself with work. |
| enable it to identify opportunities for process | | | | Tools and Techniques |
| improvement. While these needs are very much like | | | | Tools and techniques include tools you'll use to convey |
| the needs of sponsors, customers, and clients to know | | | | the information, tools you'll use to gather the |
| how the project is progressing to plan, its focus is on | | | | information, and tools you'll use to store and retrieve |
| the project processes, tools, techniques, and best | | | | the information. Conveyance tools will include e-mail, |
| practices it supports. Your PMO may also be tasked | | | | web sites, web casts, conference calls, video |
| with reporting on project progress to the organization. | | | | conferencing, public directories, town hall meetings, and |
| Reports which the PMO is responsible for should | | | | graphical tools such as Excel. What you're |
| provide very specific requirements for information. | | | | communicating, how you need to communicate it, and |
| What to Communicate | | | | your communication budget will determine which of |
| What project information to communicate to a | | | | these tools you'll use. |
| stakeholder group is inextricably tied to the information | | | | There is one tool that you'll rely on more than any |
| that is available for communication. After all, you can't | | | | other to manage information about your project: MS |
| communicate what you don't know. On the other hand, | | | | Project (or Primavera, if that's the tool your company |
| if the need for the information is real and gathering the | | | | has selected for use). These tools are referred to as |
| information is feasible, you should make every effort | | | | Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) by |
| to make it available. The choice of the information to | | | | most PMP Exam preparation courses and in the |
| be communicated cannot be made without considering | | | | PMBOK. These tools are capable of capturing, |
| the project's tools and techniques for gathering the | | | | manipulating, and reporting most of your project's |
| information and vice versa. | | | | relevant information so you need to be very familiar |
| Project communications is not a key deliverable of the | | | | with their use. There are many excellent courses |
| project, but it should be treated as a project | | | | available that will ground you in the fundamentals of |
| deliverable. Start with your Project Charter: does the | | | | their use. |
| project charter contain any requirements for | | | | Your organization may employ a time tracking system |
| information? If it does, the information and its target | | | | in which case you have an additional source of |
| audience ought to be included in your Communications | | | | information. Your time tracking tool should allow you to |
| Management Plan. Your Scope Statement may also | | | | report on labor costs for your project (i.e. support the |
| include requirements for project communications. The | | | | charging of time to your project code). It should also |
| Statement of Work (SOW) may also have captured | | | | support the reporting of these costs by group and by |
| requirements for project communications. When you | | | | type of work. For example it should tell you how much |
| are performing a project for an external customer or | | | | time was spent last week on analysis of your |
| client the SOW is your bible and any project | | | | software project. You should reconcile the metrics |
| communications that are part of the legal contract | | | | from the time tracking system with your MS Project |
| should be specified there. | | | | file to ensure they tally. Tip: if your time tracking |
| After identifying all the needs already expressed in the | | | | system is used to generate the pay cheque for your |
| project documentation to date, you need to solicit | | | | team, make it your bible. A discrepancy means your |
| requirements from the various groups of stakeholders. | | | | MS Project file may be inaccurate. |
| This solicitation should be done in the context of what | | | | MS Project comes complete with a selection of |
| is feasible for the project to deliver. Be prepared to | | | | "canned" reports ready for your use. I have found that |
| meet with your sponsor to identify their requirements. | | | | it's most useful feature for reporting project progress |
| Be specific as to presentation: should the SPI | | | | is its ability to export data to an Excel spreadsheet. |
| (Schedule Performance Index) be shown as a bar | | | | Because Excel has been around so long it's feature |
| graph with a rolling 6 week tally? Should it be shown | | | | rich and supports just about any type of graph or |
| as a line graph with the benchmark line of 1.0 and a | | | | chart you can imagine. The trick here is to export the |
| rolling 6 month tally? You may even want to mock up | | | | information you need to base your report on, then edit |
| some sample reports to let them choose the format. | | | | it in Excel. MS Project contains ample help facilities on |
| A project dashboard is a popular instrument for | | | | how to export data. |
| communicating project progress to sponsors and other | | | | I mentioned the 2 different categories for distributing |
| senior executives. The dashboard is meant to show | | | | information: push and pull. Many of your project's |
| the status of your project at a glance and may consist | | | | communications will lend themselves equally well to |
| of the project's SPI, CPI (Cost Performance Index), SV | | | | both methods. For example, if you communicate you |
| (Schedule Variance), CV (Cost Variance), PV (Planned | | | | can review your dashboard report with the project |
| Value), AC (Actual Cost), and EV (Earned Value). As | | | | executive steering committee during a meeting, push it |
| a rule, you shouldn't mix schedule indicators with cost | | | | to the project team via an e-mail broadcast, and |
| indicators, but you can show schedule and cost | | | | archive it on a public directory or the project's web site. |
| indicators in any combination your sponsor would like. | | | | Lastly, remember that the accuracy of the information |
| You may also want to include such things as the top 5 | | | | you communicate about the project will have a |
| risks, top 5 outstanding issues, metrics on change | | | | profound affect, either good or bad, on your reputation. |
| (number of change requests, number accepted, | | | | You need to do your utmost to ensure the information |
| number of rejected, total costs, etc.), and quality | | | | you communicate is accurate. Measures such as the |
| (number of tests, number passed, number failed, | | | | reconciliation between time sheets and your MS |
| outstanding bug reports, etc.). You should try to keep | | | | Project file can save you from making claims about |
| your dashboard to a handful of slides and provide | | | | project progress that aren't supported by the facts. |
| supporting detail in text, or Excel format as backup. | | | | Even with that degree of scrutiny your information can |
| You should repeat the requirements gathering exercise | | | | still be misleading or out of date. Be open and honest |
| with each group of stakeholders, weighing their need | | | | with your communications: tell your audience where |
| for information with the project's ability to gather and | | | | the information comes from, how it was compiled, and |
| communicate it. Tip: share as much of the information | | | | how old it is. Be forthcoming with any information that |
| reported to the other groups with the project team | | | | could impact on the accuracy of your reports and let |
| (the people actually doing the work of the project), as | | | | your audience form their own opinions of the accuracy |
| is possible. Your organization may have policies or | | | | and value of your communications. |