The Project Management Communications Toolkit (Artech House Project Management Library)

217 Pages·2004·1.19 MB·English

by  Carl L. Pritchard

The Project Management
Communications Toolkit
DISCLAIMEROFWARRANTY
The technical descriptions, procedures, and computer programs in this book have been
developedwiththegreatestofcareandtheyhavebeenusefultotheauthorinabroadrange
of applications; however, they are provided as is, without warranty of any kind. Artech
House,Inc.andtheauthorandeditorsofthebooktitledTheProjectManagementCommu-
nicationsToolkitmakenowarranties,expressedorimplied,thattheequations,programs,
and procedures in this book or its associated software are free of error, or are consistent
with any particular standard of merchantability, or will meet your requirements for any
particularapplication.Theyshouldnotberelieduponforsolvingaproblemwhoseincor-
rectsolutioncouldresultininjurytoapersonorlossofproperty.Anyuseoftheprograms
orproceduresinsuchamannerisattheuser’sownrisk.Theeditors,author,andpublisher
disclaimallliabilityfordirect,incidental,orconsequentdamagesresultingfromuseofthe
programsorproceduresinthisbookortheassociatedsoftware.
ForalistingofrecenttitlesintheArtechHouseEffective
ProjectManagementLibrary,turntothebackofthisbook.
The Project Management
Communications Toolkit
Carl Pritchard
Artech House, Inc.
Boston (cid:127) London
www.artechhouse.com
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Pritchard,CarlL.
Theprojectmanagementcommunicationstoolkit/CarlPritchard.
p.cm. –(ArtechHouseprojectmanagementlibrary)
ISBN1-58053-747-2(alk.paper)
1. Managementinformationsystems. 2. Projectmanagement. I.Title II.Series.
T58.6.P7362004
658.4’038–dc22 2004041033
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Pritchard,Carl
Theprojectmanagementcommunicationstoolkit
1.Communicationinmanagement 2.Projectmanagement
I.Title
658.4’5
ISBN1-58053-747-2
CoverdesignbyIgorValdman
©2004ARTECHHOUSE,INC.
685CantonStreet
Norwood,MA02062
Allrightsreserved.PrintedandboundintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Nopartofthisbook
maybereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includ-
ing photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
Alltermsmentionedinthisbookthatareknowntobetrademarksorservicemarkshave
beenappropriatelycapitalized.ArtechHousecannotattesttotheaccuracyofthisinforma-
tion.Useofaterminthisbookshouldnotberegardedasaffectingthevalidityofanytrade-
markorservicemark.
InternationalStandardBookNumber:1-58053-747-2
10987654321
Contents
Preface ix
CHAPTER 1
The Nature of Project Communications 1
TheRoleoftheProjectManagerinCommunications 3
CommonCommunicationsProblemsandtheCommunicationsModel 4
SelectingtheRightTools 6
References 7
CHAPTER 2
Project Communications Technology and Media 9
Computer-BasedTechnology 9
AudioTechnologies 12
VideoTechnologies 14
TraditionalWrittenCommunicationsMedia 16
TraditionalVerbalCommunicationsMedia 17
OtherMedia 21
Conclusion 21
CHAPTER 3
Communication Tools in the Initiating Processes 23
Approvals 23
BusinessCase 25
BusinessJustification 27
CostCase 29
CostEstimate 31
CustomerRequirements 33
FeasibilityAnalysis 37
Forecasts 40
ImpactAnalysis 43
MissionStatement 45
OrganizationChart 46
PressKits 48
PressRelease 49
ProjectCharter 50
ProjectProposal 52
ProjectRequest 53
v
vi Contents
QualityPolicy 54
RiskModels 56
ScopeStatement 58
StakeholderAnalysis 59
StatementofWork 62
SystemRequirements 64
Conclusion 66
References 66
CHAPTER 4
Communications Tools in the Planning Processes 67
Blueprints/Schematics 67
Budgets 68
ChangeControlPlan 70
CommunicationsPlan 73
ComprehensiveTestPlan 75
CostBaseline 77
DataFlowDiagrams 78
DesignSpecifications 79
DevelopmentPlan:Personal/Individual 81
DevelopmentPlan:Strategic 83
DocumentControlPlan 84
GoalsandObjectives 85
HelpDeskProcedures 87
HumanResourcePlan 89
IntegratedChangeControlProcedures 90
IssueManagementPlan 91
KickoffMeetingAgenda 93
MilestoneList 96
PerformanceBaseline 97
ProjectCustomerPresentations 98
ProjectPlan 100
ProjectSchedule 102
QualityManagementPlan 104
QualityMetrics 106
ResourcesPlan 107
ResponsibilityMatrix 108
RiskManagementPlan 110
RiskMitigationPlan(RiskResponsePlan) 113
ScheduleBaseline 114
ScheduleManagementPlan 115
ScopeDocument 116
ScopeManagementPlan 118
TaskList 119
TeamCharter 121
TestingPlan 122
Contents vii
Work Breakdown Structure 124
Conclusion 126
References 126
CHAPTER 5
Communications Tools in the Executing Processes 127
Acceptance Test Plan Results 127
Action Item Register 129
Change Control Form 130
Change Control Record 132
Change Requests and the Change Request Log 132
Data Dictionaries 134
Effort Statement 135
E-Mail/E-Mail Protocol 135
Gantt Chart 137
Memoranda 138
Planning Meeting Agenda 139
Presentations 141
Problem Resolution 143
Prototype 144
Risk Assessment Form 145
Risk Log 147
Technical Documents 148
Telephone Logs 149
Work Results 150
Conclusion 151
Reference 152
CHAPTER 6
Communications Tools in the Controlling Processes 153
Control Book 153
Dashboard Report 155
Earned Value Analysi s 156
Issues List 159
Meeting Minutes 160
Performance Reports 162
Progress Report 163
Recovery Plan 169
RYG Tool 171
Status Meeting Agenda 172
Status Reports 174
Summary Reports 175
Team Report 177
Variance Report 179
Conclusion 180
Reference 180
viii Contents
CHAPTER 7
Communications Tools in the Closing Processes 181
As-BuiltDrawings 181
CloseoutMeetingAgenda/KeyReviewMeetingAgenda 182
FinalReport 185
FinalVarianceAnalysis 187
FormalAcceptanceDocument 188
LessonsLearnedReport 189
PhaseCloseouts 191
ProjectArchives 192
UserAcceptanceDocuments 193
Conclusion 195
CHAPTER 8
Implementing Communications Tools 197
StakeholderConsiderations 197
OrganizationalConsiderations 198
VerbalCommunication 198
EvaluatingCommunicationsEffectiveness 199
About the Author 201
Index 203
Preface
“What’sariskplanlooklike?”
“Haveyoueverhostedacloseoutmeetingbefore?”
Thosearethequestionsthatstudentshaveputtometimeandagain,andtheimpe-
tus behind this book. All too often, managers in general and project managers
specificallyarecalledontogenerateforms,formats,andapproachesthatarealien
to them. They surf, borrow, and steal what they can, but they are not necessarily
gettingthefullunderstandingofhow,why,andwhentheapproachesaretobeused.
This book serves as a compendium of classic approaches organized accordingly
to the Project Management Institute’s Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledgeprocesses.
Also, as technology evolves, new approaches that may have been avant-garde
just a few years ago are rapidly becoming more commonplace. Those have been
addressedhereaswell.Eachapproachiscoupledwithatool,template,orprocess,
andadescriptionofwhatitis,howitisused,whenitisbestapplied,andtheconsid-
erationsthatmaybetakenintoaccountinusingit.
TherealdrivingforcebehindthistextwasBobWysocki,arespectedcolleague
workingtoadvancetheliteraturebaseinprojectmanagement.Heprovidedexten-
sive up-front insight on what the book should and should not include and how to
structureitforeaseofuse.MythanksalsotoDelaineCampbellforhergiftedinsight
oncontent,arrangement,andprojectmanagementpractice.
I also wish to thank Artech House and their team of professionals for their
directcontributionstomakingthisabetterbook.ChristineDaniele,MarkWalsh,
andJudiStonewereinvaluableininitiatingtheprojectandensuringthatitgotoff
the ground successfully. Editors Barbara Lovenvirth and Rebecca Allendorf, very
patientsouls,challengedtheworkasappropriateandprovidedfreshsetsofeyesto
scourthecontent.Theycontributedsignificantlyinrenderingeffectiveprofessional
guidance.
Mythankstoyou,thereader,aswell,foryourinvestmentoftime,effort,and
moneyinpurchasingthistext.Ifyouhavesuggestions,contributions,orinsightson
how to improve this or similar works in the future, I welcome them. My office
[email protected].
ix