1. 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

2. 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 labour
force, 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 are
not 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,

3.  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

4. 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.

5. 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 effective
o 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 raised
o 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 Office
o 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!

6. 10.1 Plan Communications Management
Communications 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.

7.  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.
Co
m.
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
Example
Customers / apartment
owners
Project web
page
Immediately Updated
monthly or
after
significant
milestones
Mr. ABC
Exampl
e
Bidding contractors Bidding meet March 12 One time Ms. XYZ
Internal Communication
Operating 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

8.  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.
Co
m.
ID
What,
identify the
deliverable.
How will
the
informatio
n be
provided?
When will
the
informatio
n be
provided?
With what
frequency?
Party
responsible
for
delivery.
Exampl
e
Building
progress
report
pdf via
email
1st Of Every
Month
Monthly Mr. DEF
Exampl
e
Project
Schedule
pdf Project
status
meetings
Monthly Ms. PQR

9. 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. 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

11.  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 clarification
o 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 Communications
This 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.

12.  Information distribution requires effective use of the following aspects of
communication:
o Sender-receiver models: Feedback loops and barriers
o Choice of media: Written vs. oral, formal vs. informal, face to face vs. email
o Writing style: Active vs. passive voice, word choice, and sentence structure
o Presentation techniques: Body language and visual aids
o Meeting management techniques: Use of agendas and managing conflict
o Facilitation techniques: Building consensus and overcoming obstacles
10.2.1 Inputs

13. 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

14. 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 Communications
This 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)

15. 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

16. 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