Page 185 -

10 - PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

10 10

10

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Most of the material in Section 10 of the PMBOK Guide is applicable to communications management for
®
software projects. This section of the Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide presents additional considerations
®
for managing software project communications.

According to Section 10 of the PMBOK Guide, Project Communications Management includes the processes
®
that are required to ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval,
management, control, monitoring, and the ultimate disposition of project information. This section of the Software
Extension to the PMBOK Guide addresses project communication for software projects by addressing issues that
®
are important for managing software project communication and that merit guidance beyond that provided in the
PMBOK Guide.
®
The role of project communication is a primary consideration for software projects, because software is developed
by teams of individuals who engage in closely coordinated, intellectual problem-solving activities. With no physical
product to reference, effective communication is paramount for keeping team members productively engaged and
stakeholders informed. Software teams reduce complexity and enhance communication through a combination of
communication approaches that include visual displays, colocation (when possible), and an emphasis on face-to-face
communication.
Figure 10-1 provides an overview of Software Project Communication Management; it is an adaptation of
Figure 10-1 in the PMBOK Guide.
®

10.1 Plan Communications Management

The inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs in Section 10.1 of the PMBOK Guide are applicable to planning
®
communications management for software projects, with the following additional considerations.

Software projects often exhibit high rates of change to accommodate changing and emerging requirements and
shifting priorities. Frequent and productive communication among team members is important and can be achieved
through planning meetings, daily stand-up meetings, frequent demonstrations of progress, and retrospective
meetings. These approaches are typically, but not exclusively, applied to software projects that use adaptive project
life cycles. Adaptive life cycles and the related communication techniques used may create confusion among
stakeholders who are not familiar with them. In this case, the software project managers should plan extra time
to explain the project life cycle processes. Meetings should be planned to ensure that all stakeholders understand
project operations, team and other stakeholder communication protocols, and stakeholder involvement in the
communication processes.

©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 177
®