10 PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Objective of This Chapter:

Project communication is the exchange of project-specific information with the emphasis on creating understanding between the sender and the receiver. Effective communication is one of the most important factors contributing to the success of a project. It includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of project information. The construction industry is one of the most complex industries because their products are unique and numerous project participants are involved at every stage of project life. Further, these participants are almost certain to vary from project to project. They involve large capital investments, embrace multi disciplines, engage widely dispersed project participants, operate on tighter schedules, and require stringent quality standards.The impact of e-business – the coming together of the internet and information technology is sinking very rapidly in real estate industry for managing communication.Effective communication creates a bridge between diverse stakeholders involved in a project, connecting various cultural and organizational backgrounds, different levels of expertise, and various perspectives and interests in the project execution or outcome

The efficiency and effectiveness of the construction process strongly depend on the quality of communication. As construction / real estate project involves large number of unskilled workers who do not have necessary skills for effective communication and most of the on-site locations do not have good internet connectivity, managing timely accurate communication is a big challenge.There are four basic categories of stakeholders which are important for real estate project manager from communication management point of view:

Project team : Builder’s on-site team Directors and head office team including finance , legal , sales etc Customers : Though managed by sales team on-site project team need to interact with

them during site visit Architect , contractors and consultants

As project managers spend the majority of their time communicating with above project stakeholders, effective communication will result in:

An improvement in the communication within the building team, in project teams and between project manager and contractors, could reduce failure.

More open communication at all levels within project team could lead to innovations and better technical solutions.

Communication improvements in early phases of projects would positively influence the quality as perceived by all stakeholders involved.

Improved communication during the briefing might lead to better decision making, for example less haste in moving to solutions and better ways of looking at the requirements first

The objective of this chapter is to understand best practices for effective communication management in construction / real estate industry

The construction industry remains one of the most people-reliant industrial sectors. The

industry employs an extremely diverse range of people from a wide range of occupational cultures and backgrounds, including people in unskilled, craft, managerial, professional and administrative positions, and these diverse groups of employees operate as an itinerant labourforce, working in teams to complete short-term project objectives in a variety of workplace settings. Hence, the industry is made up of many disparate organisations which come together in pursuit of shared project objectives, but also individual organisational goals. These arenot necessarily compatible or mutually supportive and they might not align with peoples’ personal objectives, which can lead to competing demands on those working within project-based environments. These features make construction one of the most challenging environments in which to manage people effectively, and thereby ensure that they contribute to organisational success.The factors causing communication difficulties:

A lack of clear objectives – without a clear intention, this leads to uncertainty of the message, and to confusion between the transmitter and receiver.

Faulty transmission – usually occurs because the message is sent via an inappropriate medium or channel. It can also occur when a receiver is expected to absorb too much information or when they lack an insight into the circumstances around the transmission.

Perception and attitude problems – are related to misunderstood messages where transmitter and receiver attribute different meanings so that a shared understanding is not possible.

Environmental problems – from distractions and noise, a lack of appropriate communications media and physical distance.

Chinese Whispers – the phenomenon of a message being gradually distorted as it passes along the message chain. The longer the chain, the more distorted the message would become.

It can be appreciated that all of these barriers to communication are likely to be more prevalent in construction companies than in many other types of organisation. For example, project objectives will differ from one stakeholder to another and so information can take on a variety of different meanings. Transmission problems are commonplace in construction, such as where incompatible information technologies can lead to a failure of one party to understand the needs of another. Perception and attitudinal barriers exist whereby participants from different professional occupational backgrounds interpret situations in different ways, such as where an architect and a quantity surveyor attempt to reconcile the need for architectural functionality with the need to reduce cost. Environmental problems are particularly acute within the industry. Often, project stakeholders are based at a considerable distance from the project location and yet decisions involving many organisations must be made rapidly throughout a project’s lifetime. Finally, the phenomenon of ‘Chinese Whispers’ is perhaps more acute in construction than in more integrated sectors, as the message chain is longer and the boundaries (or organisational interfaces) through which information must pass are more numerous. Consider the relaying of a design ‘message’ along a chain. Dimensions of communication management in real estate industry :

Internal (within the project team) and external (outside project team) Formal (reports, memos, briefings) and informal (emails, ad-hoc discussions), Vertical (up and down the organization) and horizontal (with peers), Official (newsletters, annual report) and unofficial (off the record communications), Written and oral, Verbal and non-verbal (voice inflections, body language).

General communication skills for effective project management Listening actively and effectively, Questioning, probing ideas and situations to ensure better understanding, Educating to increase team's knowledge so that they can be more effective, Fact-finding to identify or confirm information, Setting and managing expectations, Persuading a person or organization to perform an action, Negotiating to achieve mutually acceptable agreements between parties, Resolving conflict to prevent disruptive impacts, and Summarizing, recapping, and identifying the next steps

Communication approach with key stakeholders : Communication With Architect and Consultants :

o One Step at a Time : Home design moves through several phases, each one more detailed and “concrete” than the previous. The earliest phases are conceptual and fuzzy on purpose; it serves as a view of the project from 100,000 feet up. Don’t get into details at this point, keep it “up in the air” as long as you can. Your architect should not start the next phase until you’re comfortable with everything you’ve seen. Study the relationships between spaces in the design before you let the architect move to detailed preliminary design drawings, ensuring that both of you are quite literally on the same page.

o Thinking in Another Dimension : Architects find it easy to look at a 2D drawing and see it in 3D—you may not find this as simple. Architects sometimes forget that the rest of the world doesn’t “see” things as they do. If you only see 2D drawings, you may be in danger of not seeing the whole vision that the architect has. 3D drawings will help you get into the project and

truly feel the character of the space, as well as get you and your architect closer to communicating on the same level. Make sure you know what’s on the table by asking for the 3D stuff. Don’t agree to a design until you’ve seen enough of it to be certain you understand exactly what it looks and feels like, inside and out.

o No “Archi-Talk” : Just like you, your architect is struggling to find your common ground and similar to you, the architect may fall into familiar patterns when communications get strained. Stop your architect in his tracks when you don’t understand something. You’re not supposed to know what fenestration is or where to find the entablature, and you won’t offend your architect or embarrass yourself if you ask. Your architect needs to know what you’re thinking; the dialogue needs to be on your terms.

o A Picture May be Worth a Thousand Words, but a Thousand Pictures are Even Better : Of course you expect your architect to show you lots of cool drawings, but it helps if you show the architect some drawings too—or even, better photos. This is the easiest way to help the architect understand what you like and don’t like, and will help send the project in the right direction. Most bookstores have racks of home design magazines. Grab a pile and begin cutting out or copying images of homes that appeal to you. Make a folder for each room and add photos as you continue through the design process.

o Formalize Discussion Immediately : Every conversation you have with your architect should be reduced to notes. A lot of information will get passed back and forth and it’s easy to lose track of decisions you’ve made or ideas you want to explore further. Having meeting notes also gives you both the chance to see where you may have misunderstood each other make corrections. Typically, I type up meeting notes within a few days of a meeting and email those to my client; they’ll add, delete, and change as they see fit and email the notes back. I’ll admit I’ve been surprised at times by how differently my client and I interpreted something; writing everything down is a great equalizer.

Communication With Vendor :o Schedule time to talk about the project : If you have questions about your

project or need daily or weekly updates, set up a specific time for getting information rather than constantly pulling away your contractor from the job site. For small details or problems that can be resolved easily, e-mail your contractor or make a quick phone call.

o When searching for the perfect contractor, don't just be a bid collector: interview a few contractors at length to find out whether your personality and work style meshes with theirs. After you've verified a contractor's technical expertise and verified that he or she has the business experience, hire a contractor whom you understand and who understands you.

o Visit a few of your contractor-to-be's former clients / sites to get an understanding of his or her work. If possible get feedback from previous clients of the contractor

o Don't let contractor start work until you have a written contract that both you and your contractor have signed.

o Realize that you are as accountable as your contractor in making sure that communication line is always open and the project is finished on time.

o Try to understand the environment your contractor works in for effective communication. For example a contractor working in an urban area has different resources than a contractor working in a rural area.

o If your relationship with your contractor goes downhill, brake before it crashes.

Communication With Labours : o Communicate in the language understood by labours.o Visual communication like pictures for safety procedure, work instructions is

more effectiveo Educate each worker and their supervisor importance of communication on-

site issues as early as possible. Plan effective action from your side at the earliest.

o Show respect and empathy while communicating with workers. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished.

o Set priorities and do not live it to labours to decide prioritization of work. Give only relevant information to execute work, do not confuse them with even a slightest information overload.

o Keep communication simple and straight, do not use technical jargon. o Welcome reasonable questions and recognize any issue raisedo Always keep the supervisor and contractor in loop for any communication

with labours. Ideally the communication should be managed by the relevant contractor

Communication With Directors & Head Officeo Results are important for management hence open communication with results

and outcomes. Make sure you can quantify what you achieved. Good effort is no excuse for lack of results.

o Be prepared to explain more. Once a listener has been provided the results, be ready to outline “the how” if asked. This helps the listener know the key steps for success. Great organizations always look for ways to replicate strong results in other departments or take them system wide. Show calculations if requested

o Clarity - keep sentences short, organize your thoughts and your information. In presentation include headings and footers with page numbers. Ensure you have correct grammar and spelling.

o Present alternatives when you are proposing a solution. Management knows there are trade-offs and want to have an intelligent discussion about them. Never go in with just one way to do something.

o Be honest -Don’t cover up bad news. A very large portion of projects (over 60%) fail due to people suppressing the truth about project issues. Don’t bring a problem without some possible solutions – show you’ve thought about it. Also, give an executive a “heads-up” when there’s an issue so they aren’t blind-sided. You don’t want them to hear about it through someone else!

10.1 Plan Communications ManagementCommunications planning involves determining the information needs of the stakeholders and devising an appropriate communication plan. The plan should address who needs what information, when they need it, how they will get it, and who will give it to them.Communication should be effective (information in the format and at the right time) and efficient (providing only the information needed; avoiding information overload).

The communication plan identifies who needs what information, when they need the information and how that information is provided. In developing the communication plan; consider how to tell the project story throughout the project life cycle. Communicate the health of the project; accomplishments, upcoming challenges, significant changes, and budget and schedule status.Early on establish a protocol for actively managing the project; maintaining good relationships across functional boundaries, and with consultants, contractors, outside agencies, etc. is critical to the project’s success. Stress the importance of timely change management and communicating project information openly, clearly, concisely, and timely.As an element of the Project Management Plan, develop a project specific communication plan that addresses the appropriate key points listed below.Please note that :

Review office policies and procedures for external and internal communications; including document management policies, procedures or tools. Document any project specific procedures.

Describe how decisions are made (Operating Guidelines) and how those decisions are communicated internally and externally.

Document how project information (i.e. schedule, budget, risk, change) is communicated with stakeholders, executives, the public, other agencies, specialty groups, consultants, contractors, etc.

Describe the frequency of updates and method of communication (email, phone, web, etc.).

Develop an internal/external contact list and identify who is responsible for maintaining the list. A contact list created in a database or spreadsheet that includes major deliverables or contacts is easily sorted to identify who needs what information.

External Communication Identify external stakeholders who need to be involved in project communication and

identify communication needs. Identify methods for external project communications; such as the web pages or

reports, etc. Develop key messages or a basic overview of the project including the benefits and

other messages important through the life of the project or phase. They may appear on project web pages, email alerts, newsletters, press releases, etc.

Com. ID

Who; identify agencies, stakeholders, businesses, the public, etc.

What event or information will be provided?

When will the information be provided?

With what frequency?

Responsible Party

Exa

mp

le

Customers / apartment owners

Project web page

Immediately Updated monthly or after significant milestones

Mr. ABC

Exa

mp

le

Bidding contractors Bidding meet March 12 One time Ms. XYZ

Internal CommunicationOperating Guidelines

Develop a method for capturing lessons learned. Identify the time, frequency and location of project team meetings. Identify who is responsible for setting the agenda, taking notes and identifying who

should attend.Team Protocol

Identify key decision makers and authority levels by position. Identify specialty groups and others who are involved in the project. Determine the

need for an Internal Scope of Work agreement. Document communication methods with specialty groups, HQ, consultants,

contractors, etc. Including how services are secured and agreed upon milestones, this may be addressed in the Scope of Work agreement.

Identify a document management (including email) protocol for sharing, storing and archiving project documents. For example; project documents will be stored in a common project folder on the office “g” drive. Identify a responsible party.

Reporting

Identify required reports, such as the confidence report and construction status reports. Other examples include quarterly reports, monthly progress payments, consultant invoice reports, etc.

Identify who is responsible for ensuring the reports are prepared and distributed on time. Identify how often the project management plan is updated, who is responsible for

updating it, and how updates will be distributed or posted. For active projects, the PMP and progress reports are updated, at a minimum, monthly.

The following example identifies the deliverables and internal communication needs of the project manager, project team, and/or Region/Organization Management.

Com. ID

What, identify the deliverable.

How will the information be provided?

When will the information be provided?

With what frequency?

Party responsible for delivery.

Exa

mp

le

Building progress report

pdf via email

1st Of Every Month

Monthly Mr. DEF

Exa

mp

le

Project Schedule

pdf Project status meetings

Monthly Ms. PQR

10.1.1 Inputs

10.1.1.1 Project Management Plan : Provides information on how other management plans will be used to execute, monitor & control the project.

10.1.1.2 Stakeholder Register : Provides information needed to plan the communication with project stakeholders.

10.1.1.3 EEFs : The structure of an organization will have a major effect on the project’s communication requirements.

10.1.1.4 OPAs : In particular, lessons learned and historical information from previous similar projects.

10.1.2 Tools & Techniques

10.1.2.1 Communication Requirements Analysis : Determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. The requirements depend on the type and format of information as well as the value of that information. Project manager should consider the number of potential communication channels or paths ( n(n-1)/2 where n is number of stakeholders) as an indicator of complexity. . The sources of information to identify and define communication requirements are:

Organization charts and stakeholder relationships The specific departments and functional specialties involved The number of people and locations Internal vs. external information needs Stakeholder information (who are they and what concerns do they have)

10.1.2.2 Communication Technology :Analysis of the factors which affect the choice of communication technology.

Urgency of the need Current technology already in use (Is it sufficient) Sensitivity and confidentiality of the information Length of the project (wilt available technology change during the project?) Project environment (For instance, a virtual team might depend on more advanced

technologies.)

10.1.2.3 Communication Models : Used to facilitate communications and the exchange of information.

Encode: A sender encodes translates thoughts into a message in the language understood by others

Transmit message : Sender sends the information using communication channel Decode: A receiver translates the information into a meaningful thought or idea Acknowledge : Upon receipt the receiver may signal receipt of the message Feedback / Response : After decoding the message, the receiver encodes thoughts

or ideas into a message and transmits this message to the original sender Medium: The method used to convey the message (voice, telephone, letter, memo,

email, and so on). Noise: Anything that might interfere with the transmission, receipt, or

understanding of the message (technical jargon, language, distance, lack of background information, etc.).

Project managers spend as much as 90% of their time acquiring and communicating information! Senders and receivers each have important and specific responsibilities during the communication process. Receipt of a message does not necessarily mean that agreement or understanding has occurred.The sender is responsible for:

Making The Information Clear, Unambiguous, And Complete Confirming The receiver's understanding

The receiver is responsible for: Making sure the entire message was received Confirming the message was understood correctly. Active listening is a relevant

skill here, that is, paraphrasing to check for understanding.Other notes for communication model:

Formal communication is best handled in writing. Advantages of verbal communication include: fast, immediate feedback (ability to

clarify), and supports the brainstorming needed to solve complex problems. Effective listening includes:

o Asking for clarificationo Repeating what you heard {seeking confirmation}o Watching body language (non-verbal clues)o Maintaining eye contact

10.1.2.4 Communication Methods : Used to share information among project stakeholders. Interactive communication: Two or more parties at the same time, multi-directional.

Quick, efficient way to exchange information. Push Communication: Information sent to specific people or groups (letters, memos,

reports, email, fax, blog, press release). It does not ensure that information was received and/or understood.

Pull Communication: Used for large volumes of information and/or large audiences (intranet sites, e-learning, lessons learned).

10.1.2.5 Meetings : Used to update and communicate project information, and to respond to requests from various project stakeholders.

10.1.3 Outputs

10.1.3.1 Communications Management Plan : Describes how communications will be planned, structured, monitored and controlled. This plan documents how information will be handled and provides the following:

Stakeholder requirements Information to be communicated Purpose (the reason the information is needed) Senders and receivers Format, medium, and technology Frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) plus start/end dates Escalation process Method for updating the communication plan Glossary of common terms

10.1.3.2 Project Documents Updates: Which includes project schedule, stakeholder register

10.2 Manage CommunicationsThis is the process of creating, colleting, distributing , storing, retrieving and distribution of information. Project stakeholders should get timely information by: Implementing the communications management plan and Responding to unplanned requests for information. Information distribution requires effective use of the following aspects of

communication:

o Sender-receiver models: Feedback loops and barrierso Choice of media: Written vs. oral, formal vs. informal, face to face vs. emailo Writing style: Active vs. passive voice, word choice, and sentence structureo Presentation techniques: Body language and visual aidso Meeting management techniques: Use of agendas and managing conflicto Facilitation techniques: Building consensus and overcoming obstacles

10.2.1 Inputs

10.2.1.1 Communications Management Plan : This gives guidelines for how communications will be managed. It is the output of process 10.1 Plan Communications Management

10.2.1.2 Work Performance Reports : Information on the status and performance of the project.

10.2.1.3 EEFs : Which includes organizational culture, government and industry standards, project management information system

10.2.1.4 OPAs : Which includes policies and guidelines, templates, historical information, lessons learned 10.2.2 Tools & Techniques

10.2.2.1 Communication Technology: Choice should be appropriate for information being communicated. This is also a tool & technique of process 10.1 Plan Communications Management.

10.2.2.2 Communication Models : This tool ensures that communications are both efficient and effective. This is also a tool & technique of process 10.1 Plan Communications Management.

10.2.2.3 Communication Methods : This tool ensures the communications have been received and understood, which enables proper response and feedback. This is also a tool & technique of process Plan Communications Management.

10.2.2.4 Information Management Systems : These systems manage the following types of information:

Hard-copy documents Electronic communications Electronic project management tools

10.2.2.5 Performance Reporting : This takes the work performance on the project, including the past (progress reports), present (status), and future (forecasts).

10.2.3 Outputs

10.2.3.1 Project Communications : These can include the following: Performance reports Status of deliverables (scope) Schedule progress (time) Costs incurred (cost)

10.2.3.2 Project Management Plan Updates : Provides information on the following: Project baselines Communications management Stakeholder management

10.2.3. 3 Project Documents Updates : Which includes issue logs, project schedule and project funding requirements

10.2.3.4 OPAs Updates : Various OPAs can be updated in the course of managing communications which includes stakeholder notifications, project reports, project

presentations, project records, feedback from stakeholders and lessons learned documentation.

10.3 Control CommunicationsThis is the process of monitoring and controlling communications throughout the project life cycle. Reporting includes three major categories:

Status reports (where the project now stands; analyzes variances) Progress reports (what the team has accomplished; list of deliverable completed or

partially completed) Forecasting (predicting future status; earned value measures such as EAC, ETC, and

VAC)

10.3.1 Inputs

10.3.1.1 Project Management Plan : This includes stakeholder communication requirements, which answer the questions of who, what, when, where and why with regards to communications.

10.3.1.2 Project Communications : These are communications regarding the status of the project, including the triple constraints of scope, time and cost:

Status of deliverables Progress according to schedule Costs incurred

10.3.1.3 Issue Log : This documents and monitors ongoing issues on the project. It is an output of process 13.3. used for document and monitor resolution of issues.

10.3.1.4 Work Performance Data: Compares the performance on the project to the performance baseline.

10.3.1.5 OPAs : Which includes policies and guidelines for communication, report templates , specific communication technology, record retention policy and information security requirements 10.3.2 Tools & Techniques

10.3.2.1 Information Management Systems : Software packages (e.g., Microsoft Project) for storing and distributing information on the project.

10.3.2.2 Expert Judgment : This is used for assessing the impact of project communications, and for taking actions based on the contents of those communications.

10.3.2.3 Meetings : This means face-to-face communications with the relevant stakeholders.

10.3.3 Outputs 10.3.3.1 Work Performance Information : Summary of work performance data, giving the progress on the project.

10.3.3.2 Change Requests : The process may result in requests for changes on the project which are then sent to the process Perform Integrated Change Control.

10.3.3.3 Project Management Plan Updates : The process may result in changes to the Communications Management Plan, and possibly even the Stakeholders and Human Resources Management Plan.

10.3.3.4 Product Documents Updates : Which includes forecasts, performance reports and issue logs

10.3.3.5 OPAs Updates : Which includes reporting formats and lessons learned