Project Communications Management - Control Communications

This process monitors and controls communications through the entire project life cycle to ensure the information needs of the project stakeholders are met. It ensures an optimal information flow among all communication participants at any moment in time. It should be controlled to ensure that the right message is delivered to the right audience at the right time.

Let's take a look at the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of this process.

1) Project Management Plan

• Describes how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed.
• For communications it includes:
• Stakeholder communications requirements
• Reason for the distribution of the information
• Timeframe and frequency for the distribution of required information
• Individual or group responsible for communication of the information
• Individual or group receiving the information

2) Project Communications

• Comes from multiple sources and may vary in their format, level of detail, degree of formality and confidentiality. It includes:
• Deliverable status
• Schedule progress
• Costs incurred

3) Issue Log

• Use to document and monitor the resolution of issues and can be used to facilitate communications. 
• It documents who is responsible for resolving the specific issue by a target date

4) Work Performance Data

• Includes details about:
•  which communications have actually been distributed
• feedback on communications
• Survey results on communication effectiveness
• Other raw observations

5) Organizational Process Assets

• May include:
• Report templates
• Policies, standards, and procedures that define communications
• Specific communication technologies available
• Allowed communication media
• Record retention policies
• Security requirements 

6) Information Management Systems

• Set of stand tools for the project manager to capture, store and distribute information to stockholders about the project costs, schedule progress, and performance. 

7) Expert Judgement

• The experts need to advise on actions needed for intervention, actions taken and timeframe of the actions. 

8) Meetings

• Meetings help you have dialogue with the project team to determine future plans.

9) Work Performance Information

• Organizes and summarizes the performance data gathered. It provides status and progress information which is then communicated to the stakeholders.

10) Change Requests

• Control Communications may have change requests that will go through the Perform Integrated Change Control Process and results may include:
• New or revised cost estimates, activity sequences, schedule dates, resource requirements, and analysis of risk response alternatives
• Adjustments to the project management plan and documents
• Recommendations of corrective actions
• Recommendations of preventative actions

11) Project Management Plan Updates

• May include:
• Communications Management Plan 
• Stakeholder Management Plan
• Resource Management Plan

12) Project Documents Updates

• May include:
• Forecasts
• Performance reports
• Issue log

13) Organizational Process Assets Updates

• May include:
• Report formats
• Lesson learned documentation

Source: PMBOK 5th ed.