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10 - PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

The following equation can be used to calculate the number of communication paths, P, among a collection of
project teams, where n is the number of members in a team and N is the number of teams. An assumption is made
that each member of each project team communicates with all other members of their team, and one member of
each project team communicates with one member of each of the other project teams. 10

P 5 SUM([n (n 2 1) / 2]) 1 [N (N 2 1) / 2]

For a single team (N 5 1) the number of communications paths is P 5 n (n 2 1) / 2; that is, communication
paths within a project team increase on the order of the square of the number of team members.

Note, also, that a single team of 10 members has 45 communication paths, whereas two teams of 5 have
21 communication paths. Of course, the single point of contact for each team with the other team (i.e., the team
leader) should have sufficient bandwidth to ensure effective communication between the two teams and among
multiple teams when there are more than two project teams.

10.1.1 Plan Communications Management: Inputs

The inputs in Section 10.1.1 of the PMBOK Guide are applicable for planning software project communications.
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The following additional observation is also applicable.

Adaptive life cycles for software projects often include iteration plans and release plans for the iterations that
produce demonstrable increments of working, deliverable software. These plans communicate the agreed-upon
product content for the next iteration cycle and the content of the next iterative release (where a release may be
used for a customer demonstration or for internal review by the project team). These plans provide an important
input for planning software project communications.

10.1.1.1 Project Management Plan

See Section 10.1.1.1 of the PMBOK Guide.
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10.1.1.2 Stakeholder Register

See Section 10.1.1.2 of the PMBOK Guide.
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10.1.1.3 Enterprise Environmental Factors

See Section 10.1.1.3 of the PMBOK Guide.
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10.1.1.4 Organizational Process Assets

See Section 10.1.1.4 of the PMBOK Guide.
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©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 179
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