Telecommunications Project Management Information and Communication Management

Communications Management Ensure project data collected, processed, and made available Authorization and access privileges Contribution to current and future projects Focus on internal communication

Goal of Communication Management Facilitate the dissemination of information Ensure team cohesion Build a historical database Importance based on innovation type Direction and control in sustaining innovations Knowledge sharing, team cohesion, risk mitigation and uncertainty reduction in disruptive innovations

Dissemination of Information Info must be disseminated in a timely manner to improve coordination among parallel activities Without systematic policy for communication – project info exposed to misinterpretations due to many factors

Example of Ineffective Dissemination Mars Climate Orbiter Miscommunication between Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin JPL expressed navigation data in metric units Lockheed Martin assumed English units Resulted in failure

Information Dissemination Objectives 1.Improve the exchange and sharing of pertinent data among the project team members. 2.Spread the knowledge to all who need it so that it is not confined to a small group. 3.Convert local knowledge to more general principles that can be used in the current and future projects. 4.Abstract the knowledge gained during the project implementation to be a source of competitive advantage.

Team Cohesion Success of virtual teams is dependent upon efficient exchange of information – even across large geographical areas

Historical Database Easy way to establish a methodology Competitive advantage for similar projects More important with varying team members or distributed team members

Communication and Outsourcing Reasons to Outsource 24 hour call center Reduce time to market by distributing work according to competence level Supply missing expertise Migrate labor-intensive functions at lower cost Customer care functions closer to end-user

Outsourcing Communication Complications Disclosure of trade secrets Loss of expertise unless a systematic method for acquisition of knowledge in place Frequent face-to-face meetings for coordination and conflict resolution

Communication Plan More complex the organization – more formal the communication plan Type of data to be acquired, when and by whom Classification of documents in terms of confidentiality Access and security policy Architecture for storage, distribution, and archival Technical aspects of access Three factors Audience Circumstances Nature of Information

Communication Plan Factors Audience Material presentation based on audience Corporate managers interested in project risks Project team focused on tactical aspects Support organizations (HR, legal) – assist in execution of duties

Communication Plan Factors Circumstances Plan for both normal operations as well as exceptions (emergencies and escalations) Nature of Information Standardized template

Communication Channels One-on-one Meetings Meetings Telephony and teleconferencing Intranets and project portals

Evaluation of the Communication Processes Objective measures Time interval between issue raised and issue resolved Idle time due to lack of predecessor completion Frequency of reworks due to info not arriving on time Percentage of missing documentation Existence of single points of failure

Evaluation of the Communication Process Subjective measures Internal surveys of team members attitudes Prevalence of rumors and leaks Rumors – People do not have the info needed so they guess Leaks Deliberate – Team is not cohesive Careless – Confidentiality policy not well communicated

Signs of Communication Problems 1.Many acronyms for different concepts or imprecise vocabulary 2.Lack of understanding of scope change 3.Overlap of responsibilities 4.Incomplete, missing or inconsistent documentation 5.Process Inefficiencies Meetings canceled due to lack of attendance Meetings expand beyond scope to complete work Frequent interruptions of ongoing activities due to last-minute changes

Barriers to Successful Communication Communication plan not adapted to organizational design Specialized vocabulary not explained properly Inadequate security policy – too lax or too restrictive Lack of agreement on what is useful and what is not Information chatter