The document discusses various aspects of project communications and management. It provides guidance on: 1) Preparing reports and presentations throughout the project while focusing on factual data and including soft data carefully. 2) Seeking a middle ground in reports between providing too little or too much information. 3) Customizing reports for different audiences and including a summary with additional details in descending order of value. 4) Conducting efficient meetings, distributing minutes, and archiving project information for current and future use.

1. Project Management
Part 4

2. Manage Communications
“The process of creating, collecting, gathering,
distributing, storing, retrieving, and the ultimate
disposition of project information in accordance
with the communications management plan.”
(PMBOK 10.2)
 Prepare reports and presentations as required
throughout your project.
 Confine formal reporting to factual “hard data.”
 Include “soft data” rarely, and with care.
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

3. Written Reports
One extreme:
“Need to know:”
• No information
• No motivation
• Creates chaos
Another extreme:
Everything you know:
• Information overload
• No one reads it all
• Creates chaos
It’s best to seek the middle:
• Start with a summary
• Keep reporting brief
• Tell the truth

4. Reporting Types
• Text and data-oriented for your project team and others
needing detail.
• Analysis and graphical reports for sponsors, managers,
and high-level stakeholders.
• For all reports, begin with a summary. Include
additional data in order of descending value
• Generally, customize project reports by cutting, not
rewriting.
3.3-5

5. Effective Communications
• Hold efficient meetings.
• Use informal communications.
• Maintain an information archive as part of
your PMIS.

6. Efficient Meetings
3.3-7
• Always use an agenda. At project status meetings, limit
discussion to project status.
• Start on time. End on time (or early). Keep it short.
• Invite people who need to participate, and get their
commitment to attend.
• Record what happens during meetings, and distribute
minutes.

7. Archive Project Information
3.3-11
Throughout your project, collect:
• Project charter and definition documents
• Project plans, charts, and diagrams
• Status reports, change and issue logs, project
messages, and presentations
Provide current information for the project team
in your PMIS, online whenever possible.

8. Manage Project Team
“The process of tracking team member
performance, providing feedback, resolving issues,
and managing changes to optimize project
performance.” (PMBOK 9.4)
Throughout the project:
• Build teamwork
• Develop contributors
• Track and address performance issues
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

9. Build Project Teamwork
Team-Development Model—Dr. Bruce Tuckman
• Forming: Team initiates with few relationships and is
merely a “list of names” on the project roster.
• Storming: Conflicts may arise as contributors (including
the project leader) struggle for position.
• Norming: Roles and responsibilities are defined and
accepted.
• Performing: Mutual trust builds respect and strong
relationships enable project progress.
• (Adjourning: Team disbands at project end.)

10. Develop Project Contributors
Review your responsibility analysis and resource
assignment matrix for gaps and problems.
• Develop plans for training to meet skills
requirements.
• Identify mentoring opportunities within your team.
• Use leaning opportunities to build teamwork and
contributor motivation.

11. Manage Performance Issues
When collecting status and noting variances, follow
up with all owners responsible for significant
activity slippage. Discuss:
• Responsibilities of accountable activity owners
• Root cause(s) for the delay or excessive cost
• Potential options for resolution
• Plans for corrective action and commitment to next
steps
• Escalation (when required, or in response to persistent
problems)

12. Manage Stakeholder Engagement
“The process of communicating and working with
stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations,
address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate
stakeholder engagement in project activities
throughout the project life cycle.” (PMBOK 13.3)
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

13. Control Stakeholder Engagement
“The process of monitoring overall project
stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies
and plans for engaging stakeholders.” (PMBOK 13.4)
For key stakeholders, periodically:
• Revalidate project objectives and expectations.
• Meet to discuss and validate the effectiveness of
your reporting.
• Probe for changes and evolving needs.
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

14. Conduct Project Reviews
For projects longer than about six months:
• Examine plans and other data about twice per year
• Take a longer view
• Revalidate the project
• Motivate the team

15. Schedule Reviews
Conduct a project review:
• At life cycle checkpoints, phase gates, major
milestones, or completion of a development
iteration
• Following a significant project change or
baseline reset
• When key team members leave
• After business reorganization
• At least every three to six months

16. Purpose of a Review
3.4-4
Periodic ‘maintenance’ for lengthy projects:
• Look forward in the project.
• Identify new risks and overlooked activities.
• Detect changes.
• Recognize contributions.

17. Review the Project
Allocate time for review.
Assemble the project team.
Prepare and use an agenda.
• Plan and analyze future work
• Update decisions
• Improve processes
• Revalidate assumptions
Capture decisions and action items in writing.

18. Follow-up and Project Adjustments
After each review:
• Document the results.
• Apply your change management process.
• Present findings and make recommendations to your
project sponsor and key stakeholders.
• Revisit the project baseline, if necessary.
• Update project plans.
• Thank and reward your team members

19. Validate Scope
“The process of formalizing acceptance of the
completed project deliverables.” (PMBOK 5.5)
Although scope verification is done at the end of a project
(or phase/iteration), success depends on earlier work. As
you approach completion, validate:
• Requirements for each project deliverable
• Tests and acceptance criteria
• Who will be responsible for evaluating results and
formally accepting project deliverables
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

20. Close Project (or Phase)
The process of finalizing all activities across all of
the Project Management Process Groups to
formally complete the project or phase.” (PMBOK 4.6)
•Verify scope and obtain project sign-off.
•Recognize accomplishments.
•Send a final project report to communicate that the
project is done.
•Assess Lessons Learned.
•Archive project data.
©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

21. Obtain Project Sign-off
Within your team, verify that all project deliverables at least
meet all agreed-upon acceptance criteria.
Present your project results to the individual stakeholders
who will evaluate them, and request formal sign-off.
If there are issues, work to resolve them promptly, through:
• Fixing the problems
• Negotiating scope changes consistent with delivered results
(If issues persist, propose project baseline changes for
additional effort or budget needed to obtain sign-off.)

22. Recognize Accomplishments
• Thank project team members in person, or at least in
writing, for their contributions to the project’s success.
• Praise people publicly (as culturally appropriate).
• Reward people using available recognition programs.
• Celebrate success. Schedule similar events for global
teams

23. Send a Final Project Report
A final project report is similar to a typical status
report, with particular attention to:
• Project completion and success.
• Significant results.
• Recognition for the work done by specific
contributors.
• Final project statistics and other metrics.
Let people know you are done!

24. Assess Lessons Learned
• Prepare for a post-project retrospective analysis
meeting.
• Capture key project learnings from all
contributors.
• Document your findings and follow up on
recommendations.

25. Prepare for Retrospective Analysis
• Schedule a meeting with your team to capture
lessons learned, face-to-face if possible.
• Set an agenda in advance. Strive to:
• Allocate sufficient time to discuss the project.
• Include all aspects and phases of the project.
• End with final thoughts.
• Distribute the agenda and encourage
participants to prepare thoughts in advance.

26. Capture Key Project Learnings
• Ensure that needed project data is available.
• List positive results first.
• Then, list desirable changes (not “negatives”).
• Focus on processes, avoid blamestorming.”
• Select a small number of items for attention
and formulate recommendations.

27. Document and Follow Up
• Document your lessons learned.
• Share your findings and recommendations
with your peers, sponsor and stakeholders.
• Commit resources to improvement. (Plan - Do
- Check – Act)

28. Archive Project Data
At project end, collect and save in your PMIS:
• Project plans, presentations, and documents
• Status reports, metrics, logs, and charts
• Significant project communications
• Final test results and project reports
• Sign-offs and approvals
• Lessons learned

29. Thank You
hkbhadraa@gmail.com