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Communication and Collaboration in Project Management - Introduction

February 17, 2010 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Communications Management, Project Management for Beginners

Communication and Collaboration in Project Management - Introduction (#32 in the Hut Introduction to Project Management)
By JISC infoNet

Projects rely on effective communications - a project is no place for individuals to decide what, when and how, without reference to anyone else. We have already touched on this topic in related sections on Stakeholder Management and Reporting and Meetings.

The basic functions of communication and collaboration in projects are:

  • giving information to those who need it
  • coordinating, stimulating and facilitating of action
  • supporting change and influencing the attitudes and behaviour of stakeholder groups
  • encouraging and facilitating feedback and two-way information flow

The main audiences for communication in projects are:

  • members of the Project Team and others directly involved in project activities
  • members of the Project Board and others (e.g. Programme Manager/Office) involved in managing, steering, co-ordinating, controlling funds or involved in changing business processes
  • the remainder of the organisation’s management and workforce (including end-users and anyone affected by the outputs from the project)
  • external stakeholders such as students, suppliers, partners, funding bodies, regulatory bodies etc.

Communication management is a proactive attempt to manage the expectations and requirements of all stakeholder groups including the project itself. It must address the fundamental questions:

  • what information needs to flow both into and out of the project?
  • who needs what information?
  • when will the information be required?
  • in what format and by which channel will the information be provided?
  • who will be responsible for ensuring the information is provided?

Collaboration is something that is less actively managed as a matter of routine but is an area that is of critical importance to the kinds of projects we undertake in the sector.

JISC infoNet aims to be the UK’s leading advisory service for managers in the post-compulsory education sector promoting the effective strategic planning, implementation and management of information and learning technology.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 and is filed under Communications Management, Project Management for Beginners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 person has left a comment

This is a great article - and it fits with everything we believe in at OnePlace. Project Management can increase success greater by incorporating successful communication in an online team collaboration system. These team collaboration solutions keep team members connected, and all communication happens around the tasks and projects themselves, keeping everything organized. We love that you recognized this fact here.

Dana wrote on February 17, 2010 - 11:23 am | Visit Link

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