bsbpmg507a manage project communication manage project communication project communication processes...

BSBPMG507A Manage Project Communication

Manage Project Communication

Project CommunicationProcesses – Part 1

Diploma of Project Management 17872Qualification Code BSB51507

Unit Code BSBPMG507A


Project Communication Processes – Part 1

PMBOK Project Communication Management Processes -10.1 Identify Stakeholders

10.2 Plan Communications

10.3 Distribute Information

10.4 Manage Stakeholder Expectations

10.5 Report Performance

PMBOK 4th Edition


Learning Objectives

1. Explain the project communication planning process and describe the contents of a Project Communication Plan

2. Understand how to identify project stakeholders and their communication requirements

3. Understand effective communication and different communication techniques

4. Understand of the processes required to manage stakeholder expectations on a project

5. Be able to identify resistance factors that may cause negative stakeholder reactions

6. Understand different techniques for conflict resolution and negotiation

7. Understand the importance of project communication for overall project success


Reading – Communication Processes

Please take some time to review the PMBOK Chapters 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5

This could take 45 to 60 minutes


10.1 Identify Stakeholders

• The process of identifying all people and organisations involved in or impacted by the project

• Stakeholder information is gathered including their interests, involvement and potential impact on project success

• Includes diverse groups such as customers, sponsors, impacted management, impacted staff, external organisations and sometimes even the public or press

• Stakeholders can positively or negatively impact the project

• Occurs during Planning Initiation Planning Execution Close

Monitor

Control

Adapted from PMBOK 4th Edition


Definition of Project Stakeholders

• Stakeholders are persons or organisations who are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the performance or completion of the project.

• Stakeholders may also exert influence over the project, its deliverables and the project team members.

• The project management team must identify both internal and external stakeholders in order to determine the project requirements and expectations of all parties involved.

• The Project Manager must manage the influence and expectations of the various stakeholders to ensure a successful project outcome.


Stakeholders and the Project

OperationsManager

Other Stakeholders

Portfolio Manager

Program Manager

Project Sponsor

Project Management

Team Project Manager

Project Team

FunctionalManagers

Business Partners

CustomersProject

ManagementOffice

Project Stakeholders

Project Team

The Project

PMBoK Guide – Fourth Edition, figure 2.6


Stakeholder Identification

• Identifying stakeholders and understanding their relative influence on a project is critical.

• It can be difficult• Stakeholders can change over time and new ones can

be identified during the project• Stakeholder expectations and power can also change

during the project


Internal and External Stakeholders

The Project

Internal Stakeholders

External Stakeholders

OperationsManager

Other Stakeholders

Portfolio Manager

Program Manager

FunctionalManagers

Business Partners

Customers

Project Management

Office

Public

GovernmentSub

Contractors

OtherStakeholders

Competitors

Suppliers



• Inputs to Identify Stakeholders -Project CharterProcurement Documents and ContractsEnterprise Environmental Factors

– Organisation culture and structure– Government regulations– Industry standards and

Organisational Process Assets– Stakeholder register templates– Lesson learned from previous projects– Stakeholder Registers form previous projects

• Tools and techniques to Identify Stakeholders –


StakeholderAnalysis

ExpertJudgement



Stakeholder Analysis

• The process of systematically gathering and analysing information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project

• It identifies the interests, expectations and influence of the stakeholders

• Looks at stakeholders with positive and negative feelings towards the project

Step 1 - Identify all potential project stakeholders

Step 2 – Identify Power and Impact of each stakeholder

Step 3 – Assess likely stakeholder reactions and plan to get support



Steps in Stakeholder Analysis

1. Identify all potential stakeholders and information about them

Understand their role and authority levels

Identify their interest and expectations

Key stakeholders are easily identified as they appear in the project governance and structure chart

Key stakeholders include anyone in a decision-making or management role that will be impacted by the project

Interview key stakeholders to identify more stakeholders

Positive stakeholders can be leveraged to enhance project success

Negative stakeholders need to be encouraged to support the project, or at least be neutral



2. Identify Stakeholder Power and Interest

Classify stakeholders

Plan approach to stakeholder management depending on their power and interest

Identify stakeholder communication requirements

Complete the Stakeholder Power & Interest Grid

It is critical to understand their roles or positions, interests, expertise, expectations and levels of influence



3. Assess likely stakeholder reactions

Identify stakeholder related risks

Monitor and control stakeholder related risks

Develop risk management plans and mitigation strategies to reduce negative impacts

Complete the Stakeholder Register and determine management strategy

Positive stakeholders can be leveraged to enhance project success

Negative stakeholders need to be encouraged to support the project, or at least be neutral


Stakeholder Power & Interest Grid

KeepSatisfied

Monitor(minimum effort)

Keep Informed

ManageClosely

Interest

Po

wer

Low

Low High

Hig

h

PMBoK Guide – Fourth Edition


Expert Judgement

• Stakeholders are normally uncovered through discussions with the key stakeholders and the list should be expanded until all potential stakeholders are identified – eg staff or customers impacted by the project, third party suppliers, finance and legal departments

• It can be difficult to identify all the stakeholders• Different experts who should be consulted includes -

SeniorManagement

IndustryGroups

PMO

SubjectMatter

Experts

OtherProject

Managers

KeyStakeholders

ConsultantsProfessionalAssociations



• Outputs of this process include –Stakeholder Register

– Identification information– Assessment information– Stakeholder Classification

Stakeholder Management Strategy

– Defined approaches to increase support or decrease negative impacts

Stakeholder Analysis Matrix– Takes the results of the above and the Power and Interest assessment– Summarises and organises into a register or table– Includes potential strategies to gain support or reduce negative impacts



Stakeholder Register or Stakeholder Analysis Matrix

• First step in communication planning• Includes expectations (interests) and management

approach (strategies)• Content can be very sensitive • Discretion is required regarding access to the document

and distribution lists


Stakeholder Stakeholder Interests in the Project

Assessment of Impact and Authority

Potential strategies for gaining support and reducing objections

Stakeholder name and position title Areas of interest –

functional, operational, specific project outcome or key knowledge area

Using the Power and Interest Grid to determine level of authority and also level and type of impact (positive or negative)

Specific actions planned to gain support and reduce objections, leverage supporters and neutralise detractors



• The process of determining the project stakeholder information needs and defining a communication approach

• Plan Communication determines – who needs what information, when they will need it, how it will be given to then, and by whom

• Informational needs and communication mechanisms vary widely from project to project

• A complex process that is critical to project success, and unfortunately, often under valued

• Occurs during Planning Initiation Planning Execution Close

Monitor

Control




• Inputs into Plan Communications –

Stakeholder register

Stakeholder management strategy

Enterprise environmental factors

– Project Management maturity helps to determine the type and frequency of communication

Organisational process assets

– Relevant policies and procedures

– Lessons learned from past projects

– Organisation charts

Adapted from PMBoK Guide – 4th Edition



• Tools and techniques to Plan Communications –


CommunicationRequirements

Analysis

CommunicationMedia

CommunicationMethods

CommunicationTechnology

CommunicationChannels


Communication Requirements Analysis

• Information used to determine specific project communication requirements includes –– Organisation charts– Project Organisation and Governance Charts– Stakeholder responsibilities– Disciplines, departments and specialisations involved in the

projects eg. Finance, legal, risk– Logistics of communication – how many people, location– Internal information needs – across organisation– External information needs – media, contractors, public– Stakeholder register and stakeholder management strategies


Communication Technology

• Information used to determine specific project communication requirements includes –– Organisation charts– Project Organisation and Governance Charts– Stakeholder responsibilities– Disciplines, departments and specialisations involved in the

projects eg. Finance, legal, risk– Logistics of communication – how many people, location– Internal information needs – across organisation– External information needs – media, contractors, public– Stakeholder register and stakeholder management strategies


Communication Media and Channels

One on OneMeetings

Group briefings

Collaboration Sites

Stakeholder Meetings

Team Meetings

PushVs

Pull

Presentations

EmailNewsletters

InformalVs

Formal

Steering Committee

Presentations

TraditionalVs

Electronic

Status Reports


• Sent to specific recipients• Need to know basis• Doesn’t check understanding• Letters, memos. Reports• Emails, faxes• Voice mail• Press releases

Communication Methods

• Two or more parties• Multi directional exchange

of information• Efficient way to ensure

common understanding• Meetings• Phone calls and

teleconferences• Video conferences

Interactive

Push

• Used for large volumes of information

• Large audiences can self serve• Can’t determine understanding• Access at own discretion• Intranet sites• E-learning• Knowledge repositories• Collaboration sites

Pull



• Outputs of this process include –Communications Management Plan

– Stakeholder Communication requirements– Resources allocated to communication activities – including time and

cost– Escalation, approval information flow processes– Glossary of terms

Project Document Updates– Project schedule– Stakeholder register– Stakeholder management strategy– Project risk register – Risk Management Plan

Target Audience

Communication Needs

Messenger Approval Media/Channel Frequency

Who to What Who from Who approves How When



• The process of making relevant information available to project stakeholders as per the Communication Plan

• It is performed throughout the entire project lifecycle and is part of all management processes

• Closely related to Monitor and Control processes as it also covers the distribution of status and performance reporting information

• The Communication Plan is implemented during Execution, although information is distributed

throughout all phases

• Also unexpected requests for informationInitiation Planning Execution Close

Monitor

Control




• The inputs into Distribute Information are –Project Management Plan

Performance Reports and Status Reports

Communications Plan

Stakeholder Register

Stakeholder Communication Requirements

Organisational Process Assets– Information distribution policies and procedures– Existing communication channels and media - eg. Intranet, Share

Point, internal TV broadcasts etc– Templates– Lessons learned

Initiation Planning Execution Close

Monitor

Control




• Tools and techniques to Distribute Information include -


InformationDistribution

ToolsWritingStyle

Sender-receiverModels

CommunicationMedia

CommunicationMethods

PresentationTechniques

MeetingManagementTechniques

FacilitationTechniques



Information Distribution Tools –

Hard copy document distribution and manual filing systems

Shared access electronic databases, knowledge management and collaboration tools

Electronic communication and conferencing tools – email, voice mail, telephone messages, video conferencing, web publishing

Electronic project management tools

Sender-receiver Models -Including feedback loops and barriers to communication –

covered in Introduction to Project Communications




Writing Style –Active versus passive voice

Formal versus informal

Sentence structure and word choice

Meeting Management Techniques -Preparing an agenda, distributing action items, documenting

decisions, resolving conflict – covered in Introduction to Project Communication

Presentation and Facilitation Techniques -Body language and design of visual aids – covered in Introduction

to Project Communication

Building consensus, resolving conflict and negotiation skills – covered in Introduction to Project Communication




• Outputs of this process include –

Stakeholder notifications

Project reports

Project presentations and briefings

Steering Committee presentations

Project records– Correspondence– Meeting minutes and action items– Memos

Feedback from Stakeholders

Lessons Learned



Stakeholder Analysis

1. Take some time to reflect on different stakeholders that have impacted your projects. Have they had positive or negative influences on project outcomes?

2. Have you ever been surprised by unidentified stakeholders who have come up later in the project lifecycle and created change requests? How was this handled?

3. Then go to the Forum on Stakeholder Analysis and provide comment on the questions that are posed. You can also respond the comments and observations made by other learners in the course.

Research Practice Comment


Next Steps

Please proceed to Communication Processes Part 2

in the Learning Program.

Best of Luck!