Project communication

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Under Project communication of structured information exchange within the project organization as well as the project-related communication between the project team and stakeholders understood (involved and affected). It is used to provide target group-specific information , e.g. B. about the goals, progress and responsibilities of a project . Informal project-related communication is the subject of project communication insofar as it has to define and provide its framework conditions (communication instruments, guidelines, etc.).

The project communication should ensure the involvement and motivation of the stakeholders of the project and align the actions of the stakeholders towards a common goal. Professional project communication ensures that all target groups receive the information relevant to them at the right time and in the right form. It is effective when the transfer of information has the intended effect.

Project communication goals

Among other things, the project pursues the following goals with project communication:

  • Ensure the flow of information between those involved in the project
  • Establish involvement and motivation of users and those affected
  • Create target group-oriented messages, media and feedback opportunities
  • Get users enthusiastic about the project and the expected results in good time
  • Gaining attention and recognition for the project from employees and management
  • Warm up users for the transition to new / changed processes and systems
  • Prepare project participants and users for their tasks

Project communication tasks

The most important tasks of project communication are:

  • Identify the stakeholders and determine the communication needs
  • Overall conception of the project communication
  • Definition and provision of communication infrastructure, channels and instruments (e.g. templates)
  • Definition and monitoring of communication rules and standards
  • Conception and implementation of communication for individual sub-areas or stakeholder (groups)
  • Consulting / training project team in communication matters

Conception of project communication

Some crucial elements of a project communication concept are:

  • Stakeholder analysis (stakeholders and their communication needs)
  • Environment analysis (e.g. project goals, deadlines, means / resources, guidelines, relevant specialist departments / acceptance bodies)
  • Communication goals, strategy
  • Organization of project communication (integration into the project organization, communication standards, team rules, processes, feedback and possibilities for influencing target groups)
  • Messages , communication media / instruments, communication measures
  • Implementation planning (action planning, budget planning, etc.)

Project communication and stakeholder groups

The division of project communication into sub-areas according to stakeholder groups - stakeholders with similar information needs - allows efficient yet differentiated communication and the transfer of their support to different project units.

Members of the project organization (client, sponsors and last but not least the project team members themselves) are important addressees of project communication. You are z. B. Changes to the project order, organizational chart or planning, and to provide periodic information on project status, progress, risks and costs. Communication within the project team also knows structured elements, such as the process and the logging of a regular project meeting.

Affected business units are primarily interested in possible consequences for their organizational unit , e. B. the effects on future resource requirements or operating costs. Their management must also be informed of any side effects of the changeover - such as business interruptions.

The users of the products, processes and / or services provided by the project are the focus of project communication in many projects. On the one hand, you are to be informed about innovations and changes, and possibly also to be instructed (user training). On the other hand, it has to be conveyed which active user support the project depends on.

The employees of support units (help desk, house maintenance etc.) look after the users. The support staff need detailed information on products (e.g. technical manuals) and operating processes. Information about the project is also important, including for project planning (e.g. when will changes be made in which region, in which building, for which users?).

Specialist units, control bodies, suppliers etc. do not form a homogeneous group, they have a need for information that has to be defined in each individual case. Approval committees write the project z. B. often prescribes which information is to be provided in which form. Suppliers, in turn, need specific information, which is compiled in a specification sheet, for example. These stakeholders are usually looked after individually and not as a group.

The general public, i.e. H. Interested parties not involved and not affected (e.g. employees of the departments not affected by the project) form the last group to be taken into account in project communication. You will receive a set of basic information (project goal and scope, implementation date, etc.), which is also used as an introduction to informing everyone else, i.e. H. can serve all those directly affected. This basic information is gladly presented on the homepage of the project website .

Integration of project communication

Project communication is one of the most important tasks of the project manager. In larger projects, sub-areas are transferred to staff units and / or sub-projects. Project reporting to the steering committee is often done by a project office , while a separate sub-project is sometimes created for communication with users.

Differentiation from project marketing

The project marketing is a tool for presentation and advertising presentation of the project. It aims to influence the project environment in terms of project success. Project communication is broader and is based on the will to involve the affected target groups through dialogue and influence.

See also

literature

  • Morozzi, Daniel (2018). Project Communication - A Handbook for Practice. Zurich: vdf Hochschulverlag AG at the ETH Zurich ISBN 978-3-7281-3840-8
  • Nagel, Katja (2012). Professional project communication: With six case studies from different industries. Vienna, Linde Verlag Wien Ges.mbH ISBN 978-3-7143-0230-1

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ business-wissen.de Shop - Preview of 'Project Communication Chapter 088' in the 'Management Manual'
  2. ↑ Bohinc, Tomas. (2014). Communication in the project - inform quickly, effectively and result-oriented. Offenbach: Gabal. ISBN 978-3-86936-558-9
  3. ^ Morozzi, Daniel (2018). Project Communication - A Handbook for Practice. Zurich: vdf Hochschulverlag AG at the ETH Zurich. ISBN 978-3-7281-3840-8

Web links

  • Project communication created in the course of a project work in the course "Project work project management" at the JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences in Graz