Project management is hard work. Even if you are a professional with a lot of experience or are starting new in project management, you will agree that project management is not simple. You must keep your finger on the pulse of project management basics and ensure that the project stays within the agreed-upon constraints. Many companies waste millions of dollars on project management issues every year despite access to multiple resources, tools, and training materials. This article at IT Tool Kit shares tips on managing project communications with minimum impact.
Challenges of Managing Project Communications
At inception, the project plan will be tested in multiple ways to identify questions or problems that threaten the project's outcome. While there is no project immune to risks, project managers must make a considerable amount of risk prediction to navigate project issues easily. Most project issues are related to project deliverables, such as unexpected technical difficulties, incompatibilities, bugs, or other conflicts. But during a project life cycle, issues are bound to arise concerning project schedules, resource allocation, and other factors. An issue management process is one of the essential features of project governance. The issue management process can facilitate communication and decision-making by relying on status reports throughout the project life cycle.
Issue Management
- Determine project goals and objectives.
- Identify tools to track project issues, progress, and response.
- Chalk a process to raise an issue with stakeholders.
- Draft an escalation process for unresolved issues.
- Plan for resource assignment and communication process.
Allocating the Right Resources
The issue raised must be documented, and you must assign resources based on the nature of the problem. Since you must handle most issues urgently, assigning issues to those team members who can act quickly is highly important.
Managing Project Communications
A second critical success factor for issues management is the ability to track and report "issue status" from the moment an issue is raised and assigned until they are resolved. This can be accomplished via effective communication in meetings and documenting status reports. Regular issue discussions allow everyone on the project team to analyze sources of issues, plan actions, and gain a broader perspective.
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