Guide to Stakeholder Communication as per PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition
Stakeholder communication is a crucial aspect of successful project management. It refers to the interaction with and dissemination of information to project stakeholders. It aims at keeping stakeholders informed about the project's progress, issues, and risks.
Importance: Effective stakeholder communication helps in achieving project goals by fostering understanding, mitigating conflicts, and facilitating decision-making processes. It promotes transparency, aligns stakeholder expectations, and enhances stakeholder engagement.
Concept: It includes creating a communication plan, facilitating stakeholder interactions, managing information, and aligning communication with stakeholder expectations. Tools such as stakeholder registers and communication matrices are commonly used. PMBOK Guide 7th Edition advocates for principles over processes, and thus, stakeholder communication focuses on flexibility, adaptability, and effectiveness over rigid procedures.
How it works: A communication management plan that details what, when, how, where, and to whom the project information should be disseminated, is devised. This plan is carried out, monitored, and adjusted as the project proceeds. It also incorporates feedback mechanisms to measure effectiveness and understand stakeholder perceptions.
Answering questions on stakeholder communication in exams can be tricky, especially due to the emphasis on principles over processes.
Exam tips:
- Understand the core concept of stakeholder communication, the tools used, and the importance of flexibility.
- Answer the questions keeping in mind the principle-centered approach advocated by PMBOK Guide 7th Edition.
- Consider identifying key stakeholders, their communication preferences, and the content of the communication while answering questions.
- Focus on the importance of two-way communication, with feedback being integral for success.
- Understand that stakeholder communication is not a one-time process but a continuous one, adjusting based on changing project needs and stakeholder expectations.