In the defining stage of a project the emphasis is on developing understand- ing through many different types of communication. The purpose of the project has to be clarified and agreed by the sponsors and key stakeholders.
There may be a need for wide consultation if the project is likely to have implications for different groups of people.
Consultation cannot take place unless some basic information is supplied, even if this is in the form of a broad proposal and some options to consider.
As feedback is received, the ideas can be refined and options both deleted and added. The information that is developing about the project has to be defined in a similar process to the process of defining the project itself. For the purposes of managing the project this information is recorded in the form of plans, but when information is to be shared it has to be prepared in a form that can be understood by those for whom it is intended.
Whether the project is small or large and complex, the information that is used in it needs to be of a high quality. Good information is:
࿖ relevant (it is the information needed for the purpose);
࿖ clear (presented in clear language and format);
࿖ accurate (without mistakes and not misleading);
࿖ complete (as much as is needed with nothing missing);
࿖ timely (up-to-date information sent and received at an appropriate and helpful time);
࿖ appropriate (the right information sent and received by the right people).
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Remember, however, that sending out information is only part of the com- munication process, and that many who receive information will respond and react in some way. Be prepared to interact with anyone to whom you send information.
Example 11.2 Effective meetings
Effective communication involves giving information, collecting in- formation and listening to people. To ensure the smooth running of your project, you might need any or all of the following:
࿖ formal recorded meetings that run to a schedule appropriate to the project;
࿖ meetings with your sponsor (which might be on a one-to-one basis);
࿖ progress meetings with the project team or teams;
࿖ individual meetings on a one-to-one basis with team members;
࿖ problem-solving meetings arranged when particular issues need to be resolved.
Meetings need a clear purpose and focus, and the formal ones should be recorded on project schedules. They should be time-limited and given proper priority in diaries so that time is not wasted waiting for inputs from key people. Meetings will only be respected if they are managed, to avoid waste of time and effort.
Your stakeholders will expect to receive reports at regular intervals whether formally or informally. So you need to ask yourself:
࿖ Who needs to be informed?
࿖ About what?
࿖ How often?
࿖ By what means?
Meetings will not always be the best means for conveying informa- tion, but they will almost certainly be needed from time to time to ensure that there is shared understanding of any issues that arise dur- ing the progress of the project.
During implementation of a project, information is needed continuously to monitor and control progress. Formal reports about the project status are Communications 131
often used to inform the monitoring process. Formal reviews are often held so that an overview of progress is regularly considered. Most projects need some system of reporting that provides regular and up to date information about what tasks have been completed and any problems that have arisen.
These are often called project status reports.
Example 11.3
Project status reports
Project status reports are regular formal reports. You can decide how often these are necessary depending on the size and nature of the project, but they are usually produced weekly, monthly or quarterly.
Reports may even be required hourly if a problem is causing serious concern and has the potential to seriously delay progress. Daily re- ports might be necessary if there are implications for arranging work for the following day. Consider the degree of risk involved as a guide for deciding the frequency of reporting. The key issue is how quickly the project could get out of control and the time it would take to im- plement contingency plans. Also, the project sponsor might have a preference about the frequency of reports and review meetings.
To write the report you will need information from members of the project team about completion of tasks and key stages and any delays or difficulties anticipated. If there will be a number of project status reports a standard report form is helpful. This might include:
࿖ the project title;
࿖ the key stage or task covered by the report;
࿖ the name of the person responsible for this key stage or task;
࿖ the date of the report;
࿖ actual progress reported against planned progress towards project
‘milestones’;
࿖ explanation of any delay or any remedial action taken;
࿖ any anticipated concerns or any issues awaiting resolution;
࿖ the milestones due in the next reporting period and the date of the next report.
Once you have set up a system for regular reporting you will probably have to make sure that it happens, at least in the early stages. Be pre- pared to chase up reports and to insist that they are necessary and must be presented on time.
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In the closing stages of the project, information concerns completion of all the objectives and arrangements for handing over all the deliverables. The project activities have to be closed, with all the appropriate documentation com- pleted. Most projects have an evaluation in the closing stage or after com- pletion, and those carrying out the evaluation will often require information from all of the previous stages of the project.
Reporting often raises issues for those who receive the reports. You may want to consider that people often react with questions at the level of detail that you have offered. If you limit what you offer to target the key concerns from each perspective, you are likely to reduce the extent to which you have to smooth anxiety or deal with misunderstandings!
Example 11.4 Overview and detail
A junior training manager who worked in a large staff training centre said:
I was asked to make a presentation about the introduction of the new IT programme to our chief executive and I was very worried that he would ask me to explain why I had allowed the project to fall so far behind schedule. When they were fitting the new IT equipment into the old training suite they had found asbestos in one of the ceilings and had immediately stopped work and called in specialists to remove it. This had, of course, delayed everything. In fact, all that the CEO wanted to know was whether we were going to keep to the revised schedule now. He was very pleased to hear that we had rescheduled the programme and re-booked the clients who had been affected by the delay.
It made me realize that in reporting at that level I had to give an overview and show that we could stand back from problems and look ahead to make sure that we achieved the main outcomes as well as possible.
If you are managing a project, you will be responsible for providing regular progress reports to stakeholders, whether as written reports or as oral reports and presentations at meetings. The information gained from internal project reports will be helpful in compiling reports, but you will probably want to present different types of reports to stakeholders with different types of con- cerns. For example, the project sponsor may be most concerned with the overall progress against goals, but stakeholders concerned with one group of project objectives may only want to see reports about that concern. Some Communications 133
stakeholders will only have an interest in the overview and the implications for their organization.
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
What key questions do you think your stakeholders would want you to answer when you prepare a report about the progress of your project?
Your stakeholders will probably have different priorities, depending upon their own particular interests. Very often questions include:
Is the project on schedule?
Is it within the allocated budget?
Have the milestones been achieved?
If not, what action has been taken to correct the situation?
There may be other questions that are appropriate, including ones about whether problems have been identified and solved, whether the experience so far has any implications for future plans, whether any additional resource is required or whether there is any need for revisions to the overall plan.
In many projects it is important to provide information not only to stake- holders but also to the general public. There is often interest in projects from external sources, and information may have to be provided to the news media and to public interest bodies. Again, you can ask yourself what they will want to know. There is likely to be more interest in whether the project will present any sort of disruption or change, and if so, what the benefits will be.
In considering the timing of information releases it is also important to consider what preparation is necessary to deal with reactions and responses.
Large and powerful organizations can appear to be concealing planned changes if they do not offer information about plans until it is very obvious to everyone that changes are in progress. If it is possible, it is usually helpful to prepare information, perhaps in the form of press releases, to give to local community and media representatives. Sometimes a public meeting is appre- ciated so that anyone with concerns can raise them at an early stage. Remem- ber that the staff of any organization involved in the project are likely to be the best ambassadors, but they may give out a very poor impression if they 134 Managing projects in human resources
are not well informed and able to answer queries from those outside the organization.