Everything there is to know about Project Communication

Effective project managers spend around 90% of their time communicating, according to PMP training. There are no misconceptions; only communication errors exist. Project managers communicate utilizing a variety of methods to get their point through. The message might be sent to a single person, a small group of team leaders, project sponsors, or the entire team. To avoid communication failures, it is vital for project managers to get the information through correctly the first time.

The triple constraints, or scope, timeline, and money, are three critical components of projects. The project manager's major task throughout the planning process is to determine the project scope using the work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS is made up of a hierarchical numbering system and a brief description of each node. The WBS is a tool that helps stakeholders communicate more effectively. At the level of technical scope management and delivery, the WBS dictionary provides the entire information (inputs, outputs, assumptions) of each WBS work package. The primary project deliverables and project activities are decomposed or subdivided into smaller, more manageable components by project managers and their teams. After completing the Project Plan, WBS, and WBS dictionary, the technical scope baseline is completely communicated and configuration maintained.

The detailed timetable follows the WBS dictionary activities in a semi-synchronous manner. A detailed schedule represents the technical scope and is developed through a series of iterative procedures that break down the WBS into smaller sub-activities. The WBS's reporting level 3 is where control accounts are created. At WBS level 4, cost accounts are formed, and technical scope is regulated and provided according to the WBS lexicon. The techniques for developing schedules are

• activity definition,
• activity duration estimation,
• activity dependencies,
• activity resource assignments,
• critical path review,
• resource-loaded network (RLN) acceptance.

These activities are carried out by project technical specialists in conjunction with project controls to achieve a bought-in, acceptable, realistic, and formal plan, as taught in PMP training. Before creating the timeline baseline, the project manager must accept the RLN.

To accomplish costing and performance indicators, the RLN is put into an earned value budget tool like Deltek Cobra. The scope has been defined, communicated, gradually elaborated, and rationally assigned resources to accomplish goals up to this stage. The WBS level 4 basis of estimating (BOE) justification is collected throughout this procedure, and technical scope is regulated and supplied. A BOE's major purpose is to document the reasoning behind the generation of WBS level 4 estimates, such as the methods and procedures utilized to build time and cost estimates for the deliverables described in the WBS vocabulary. Project controls gather cost data, which are subsequently applied to the time estimations given by the RLN's technical specialists. The RLN is used in earned value performance measurement approaches.

• 0/100 for 160hrs or less sub-activities,
• 50/50 for 160+hrs to max 320hrs sub-activities,
• interim milestones for 320+hrs using steps and corresponding finish dates to compute weighted % complete of sub-activities,
• % Complete for agile sprints that are substantiated by the overall deliverable requirements complete, and
• LOE for a level of effort sub-activates.

The first project expenses are calculated when these actions are completed. Technical experts and the project manager then apply the contingency reserve to key route activities, resulting in the project budget and cost baseline. The cost baseline for high likelihood high impact risk occurrences is included in the management reserve.

The technical baseline, schedule baseline, and cost baseline are all combined into one performance measuring baseline by the project manager (PMB). The PMB is used by the project manager to convey project status and permissible baseline variance to all stakeholders. The PMB may show the road to project completion, but it is the project manager's capacity to recognize that there are no misunderstandings; only communication breakdowns keep the project on track.

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Richard Pierce An expert in Pmi and Iiba Certifications.