7: Contemporary Issues in Project Management

Gender and Project Management

The term gender refers to the male and female roles shaped by a society learned individually and
re-negotiated by each new generation. It encompasses the learned behavioral differences between
men and women in a given community or household, and the roles which are expressed
according to sex in women's and men's actions, tasks, and responsibilities. Male and female
roles are determined primarily by the social, cultural and economic organization of a society, and
by the prevailing religious moral and legal perceptions.
Gender Analysis
The criticality of gender issues is being increasingly recognized, particularly in developing
countries, and emphasis on gender sensitivity and inclusiveness is being called for, and its strong
integration into developmental policies, programmes and projects.
Understanding of different cultures and regions would be the first step towards identifying
genderequality issues in localities where the project is taking place. This would provide basic
conceptual guidance for incorporating the gender issues.
With the basic understanding of gender issues on a national level, the next step would be a
further look into gender -specific issues. Based on cultural, social and economic data on the
region, project proponents should be able to go further into gender roles and needs.
Project management is not a gender-specific job; it demands certain skills to be present,
regardless of sex, age or other discriminations. Females in general display a more caring manner,
can multi-task better, are accomplished listeners and being less competitive are more prepared to
share information to benefit the team. Conversely, their less aggressive negotiation style and
tendency to become emotionally involved were regarded as possible limiting factors to
progression.

What can be done to reduce Gender Biases?

Responsibilities of all project management staff in gender mainstreaming should be clearly
spelled out. Including a gender adviser on the project management team can be crucial to
ensuring gender-sensitivity of the project during implementation. However, in countries where
socio-cultural conditions make it difficult to recruit women, the lack of qualified women in
management positions creates unfavorable conditions for implementing gender-mainstreamed
programmes.
The team leader and all team members need to have a mandate (reflected in their terms of
reference) to mainstream gender concerns within their sectors and in the overall project design.
There are also indications that having women consultants on the team increases the likelihood
that rural women will be consulted and that the priorities and constraints of both women and men
will be reflected in the design. This may be particularly important in production sectors where
women play a major role (e.g. agricultural and livestock production).
Development initiatives can be significantly improved through greater awareness on the part of
government counterparts, project management and beneficiaries on gender differences and their
practical implications. Project staff and implementing organizations need to be trained on how to
address these differences in project implementation. There is an emerging consensus among
regions that efforts to increase gender awareness must take the local culture into account.
Projects can facilitate empowerment by making available information and skills that people
want, and by helping communities to break through traditional stereotypes that prevent women
from enjoying equity in decision making and access to resources. Wonderful examples do exist,
where even in highly traditional communities with severe gender inequity, men and women
together have come to realize the benefits of extending the same human rights to all members of
the community. Harmful gender taboos can be broken, but it helps to have skilled and dedicated
project facilitators.

Community Development Projects

Community development Projects struggles to address problems of social, economic, and
physical distress in low and moderate-income communities.
They do help the Indigenous people develop work and skills. Participants receive a Community
Participant Supplement (CPS) for taking part in the programme.
Purpose
The Community Development Projects seeks to establish to support community. Pacific and
ethnic groups in areas of identified need to work together in new ways, to generate their own
solutions to local issues, and to become more self-reliant and resilient. The Scheme enables
communities to work together in new ways, to be innovative and to determine their own
development priorities to achieve sustainable community outcomes.
The scheme funds communities to employ community development project workers who work
on community-driven projects over three years, enabling local people to come together, build
trust and work together to find solutions to the issues they face.
Other purposes include:

Build individual skills and capacity to take up work where opportunities arise

Provide on-the-job work experience

Provide voluntary mobility assistance

Build capacity of communities including through supporting priority projects

Build capacity of local Indigenous organizations to deliver a range of services, including

other employment services such as the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP), and

Make sure community members undertaking similar activities have the same income and
participation requirements.

The fundamental mission is to build community leadership and empower low-income people to
take charge of their future. Despite great adversity, the field of community development has
matured and grown tremendously over the years.
The intent is to provide community development practitioners, educators, researchers, and the
general public with a body of materials that will foster a better understanding of the impact and
importance of the community development movement in the contemporary societies.

Project sustainability
Sustainability can be defined as the ability of a project to maintain its operations, services and
benefits during its projected life time. However, the issue of sustainability should also be seen
within time and changing social, economic and political contexts. A project that is seen as worth
sustaining today, may not be so in future. Thus that sustainability concerns itself with:

Level of continuation of delivery of project goods and services

Changes stimulated / caused by the project

New initiatives caused by the project

Dimensions of project sustainability

There are several dimensions to project sustainability. Depending on the nature of a sector or a
project each of these dimensions has the capacity to influence project sustainability in one or
way or another. These dimensions are listed below.

Continued operation and maintenance of project facilities - i.e., has the project received
necessary support (both budgetary and institutional) to enable it to maintain required
level of facilities? (Logistics Dimension)

Continued flow of net benefits - i.e., (for economic sector projects) has all the cost and
benefits under varying conditions weighted properly and does the project guarantee an
acceptable level of financial and economic return? (Economic Dimension)

Continued community participation (in projects where active community participation is

crucial for both stimulating new actions as well as for cost recovery) - i.e., has the project
involved the community? Has it succeeded in maintaining a desirable level of
participation of the community in the project activities? (Community Dimension)

Equitable sharing and distribution of project benefits - i.e., has the project incorporated
mechanisms that guarantee equitable access to and distribution of project benefits on a
continuous basis? (Equity Dimension)

Institutional stability - i.e. has the project considered adequately the institutional
requirements and thus made provisions so that management support to project operations
continue, during the life of the project? (Institutional Dimension)

Maintenance of environmental stability - i.e., has the project considered environmental

implications so that negative impacts on environment are either avoided or mitigated
during the life of the project? (Environmental Dimension)

Consideration of all these dimensions are Key to sustainability of projects. Weakening of any
one of these has the potential to jeopardize the sustainability of the entire project, in the long run.
Strategies to enhance project sustainability
a. Quality of project design- A project should be designed to meet specific needs and constraints
of the target population. Undertake an in-depth assessment of the needs of the target groups and
involve them in the needs assessment
b. Safeguard the innovative components of your project during its implementation and at the
same time ensure that the innovation is acceptable by the government
c. Ensure continuous and well-balanced involvement of each partner throughout the projects life
(in order to avoid risks of partners dropping-out or, on the contrary, becoming over-involved).
d. Promote prospects of new related projects between consortium members/project stakeholders
e. Make provision for involvement of target groups in project activities
f. At project design, identify precisely which activities need to be sustainable and try to estimate
their cost. Go further and identify beforehand precisely which actors (private, public) could help
you to finance the project after the current funding and try to obtain some kind of formal
agreement for future support.
g. Anticipate possible ways to continue the most expensive activities with reduced costs
Donor and Project Management in Developing Countries
Donors are a very important stakeholder in any charitable project. Their interests, guidelines and
conditions need to be met for good relations with the project management and team. In most
developing countries like Kenya, most community based projects are funded by donors. Any
developing country should put efforts to improve aid management and donor harmonization in
by both the government and development partners. The attempts at improving aid effectiveness
in developing countries appear to be largely donor-driven with minimal evidence of active

government leadership in the process. All donors should commit to respecting the leadership of
partner countries and helping to strengthen their capacity to exercise it.
Developing Countries Policy Framework on National Development
The framework for strengthening donor coordination, partnership, national ownership of the
development process, and managing the external resources for development must be assessed
and reinforced by strengthening the governments mechanism for monitoring aid delivery and
project outputs.
Of importance to most developing countries population is the harmonization of donor practices
and procedures as well as the alignment of donor priorities and processes to the maximum extent
possible with national priorities and processes to minimize transactions costs and increase the
effectiveness of aid.
All involved stakeholders must develop their capacity to measure project outcomes and the
effectiveness of donor- funded projects. Challenges and bottlenecks, as well as successes, in
implementing any projects must be documented to facilitate the dissemination and sustained
application of best practices.
Contemporary debates on donor management have resulted in the consensus that aid
disbursement, reporting and other practices among donors should be aligned and harmonized to
the maximum extent possible to improve aid delivery and effectiveness.
However, such efforts at alignment and harmonization must be made taking into consideration
the national context of the beneficiary country. The development assistance works best when it is
fully aligned with national priorities and needs. The commitment
made by the donors and partner countries reflects the realization that the management of
development assistance must be reformed if poverty and inequality are to be reduced, growth
increased, national capacity developed, and most development goals are to be achieved.
Harmonization and alignment refers to the harmonization of donor practices and the increasing
alignment of donor priorities with national development priorities and strengthened national
systems for planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. The

implementation of a large number of uncoordinated donor activities undermines the effectiveness

of development assistance. Harmonization and alignment are not ends in themselves, but tools to
strengthen aid effectiveness directed toward poverty reduction, economic growth, and the
achievement of the goals.
Fundamental Principles of Partnership in Developing Countries
Some of the areas that developing countries like Kenya need to improve and strengthen are:
i.

Enhancing the accountability of donors and partner countries to their respective citizens
and legislatures for their development policies, strategies, and performance. These
accountability should drive to positive development results

ii.

Eliminating the duplication of efforts and rationalizing donor activities to make them as
cost-effective as possible.

iii.

Reforming and simplifying donor policies and procedures to encourage collaborative

behavior and progressive alignment with the priorities, systems, and procedures of
partner countries.

iv.

Alignment: Donors basing their overall support on the national development strategies,
institutions, and procedures of the partner countries.

v.

Harmonization : making the actions of donors more harmonized, transparent, and

collectively effective

vi.

Ensure that the government actively engages its citizens in formulating its development
projects

Challenges of monitoring and evaluation in developing countries

a. Our home-grown M&E systems risk remaining underdeveloped even as we embrace
donor driven approaches
b. Lack of deliberate planning to reflect on M&E results
c. Lack of appreciation on the value added in respect to M&E
d. The tendency to put in place M&E mechanisms long after the project implementation has
commenced

e. Too many data collection tools due to the challenge of vertical/parallel programs
f. Lack of continuous data quality assurance hence low quality data
g. Information dissemination not prioritized by implementing institutions-reporting to
donors is easily considered good enough effort
h. Duplication/scaling-up of interventions which are not evidence based-this often leads to
wastage of the limited resources and stagnation of performance indicators
i. Formative/needs assessments usually done in hurry often using weak research designs
and in most cases, the involvement of the target beneficiaries is minimal
j. Inadequate number of competent experts to formulate and implement strong and
appropriate project/program impact assessment
k. Lack of competent staff in implementing institutions who can provide competent
oversight for the often out-sourced project evaluation services

3.

Project Environmental Impact Assessment in Kenya

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a critical examination of the effects of a project on

the environment. An EIA identifies both negative and positive impacts of any development
activity or project, how it affects people, their property and the environment. EIA also identifies
measures to mitigate the negative impacts, while maximizing on the positive ones.
The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact
assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical,
social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken
and commitments made." After an EIA, the precautionary and polluter pays principles may be
applied to prevent, limit, or require strict liability or insurance coverage to a project, based on its
likely harms. Environmental impact assessments are sometimes controversial.

EIA is basically a preventive process. It seeks to minimize adverse impacts on the environment
and reduces risks. If a proper EIA is carried out, then the safety of the environment can be
properly managed at all stages of a project- planning, design, construction, operation, monitoring
and evaluation as well as decommissioning.
EIA, What for?
Environmental Impact Assessment is a management tool for officials and managers who make
important decisions about major development projects. The goal of an EIA is to ensure that
decisions on proposed projects and activities are environmentally sustainable. The
Environmental Impact Assessment should have the following objectives:
Predict environmental impact of projects
Find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts
Shape project to suit local environment
Present the predictions and options to the decision-makers

Why an EIA?
EIA is conducted in order to:o Identify impact of a project on the environment
o Predict likely changes on the environment as a result of the development
o Evaluate the impacts of the various alternatives on the project
o Propose mitigation measures for the significant negative impacts of the project on the project
on the environment.
o Generate baseline data for monitoring and evaluating impacts, including mitigation measures
during the project cycle.

o Highlights environment issues with a view to guiding policy makers, planners, stake holders
and government agencies to make environmentally and economically sustainable decisions
Which Projects Require EIA?
The projects to be subjected to EIA are specified in the second schedule of EMCA 1999, and
include:
1 General:o An activity out of character with its surrounding ;
o Any structure of a scale not in keeping with its surrounding
o Major changes in land use.
2 Urban development including:o Designation of new townships;
o Establishment or expansion of recreation areas ;
o Establishment or expansion of recreational townships in mountains areas, national parks and
games reserves;
o Shopping centers and complexes.
3 Transportation includingo All major roads;
o All roads in scenic, wooden or mountainous areas and wetlands;
o Railway lines;
o Airports and airfields;
o Oil and gas pipelines;
o Water transport

4 Dams, rivers and water resources includingo Storage dams, barrage and piers;
o Flood control schemes
o Drilling for the purpose of utilizing ground water resources including geothermal energy.
5. Aerial spraying
6. Mining, including quarrying and open-cast extraction of:o precious metals
o Gemstones;
o Metalliferous ores;
o Coal;
o Phosphates;
o Limestone and dolomite;
o Stone and slate
o Aggregates, sand and gravel;
o Clay;
o Exploitation for the petroleum in any form;
o Extracting alluvial gold with use of mercury
6. Mining, including quarrying and open-cast extraction of
a) Precious metals;
b) Gemstones;
c) Metalliferous ores;

d) Coal;
e) Phosphates;
f) Limestone and dolomite;
g) Stone and slate;
h) Aggregates, sand and gravel;
i) Clay;
j) Exploitation for the production of petroleum in any form;
k) Extracting alluvial gold with use of mercury.
7. Forestry related activities including
a) Timber harvesting;
b) Clearance of forest areas;
c) Reforestation and afforestation.
8. Agriculture including
a) Large-scale agriculture;
b) Use of pesticide;
c) Introduction of new crops and animals;
d) Use of fertilizers;
e) Irrigation.
9. Processing and manufacturing industries including:a) Mineral processing, reduction of ores and minerals;
b) Smelting and refining of ores and minerals;

d) Brick and earthware manufacture;

e) Cement works and lime processing;
f) Glass works;
g) Fertilizer manufacture or processing;
h) Explosive plants;
i) Oil refineries and petro-chemical works;
j) Tanning and dressing of hides and skins;
k) Abattoirs and meat-processing plants;
l) Chemical works and process plants;
m) Brewing and malting;
n) Bulk grain processing plants;
o) Fish-processing plants;
p) Pulp and paper mills;
q) Food-processing plants;
r) Plants for the manufacture or assembly of motor vehicles;
s) Plants for the construction or repair of aircraft or railway equipment;
t) Plants for the manufacture of tanks, reservoirs and sheet-metal containers;
u) Plants for the manufacture of coal briquettes;
v) Plant for manufacturing batteries;
10. Elect rical infrastructure including
a) Electricity generation stations;

b) Electrical transmission lines;

c) Electrical sub-stations;
d) pumped-storage schemes.
11. Management of hydrocarbons including:the storage of natural gas and combustible or explosive fuels.
12. Waste disposal including
a) Sites for hazardous waste disposal;
b) Sewage disposal works;
c) Works involving major atmospheric emissions;
d) Works emitting offensive odours;
e) Sites for solid waste disposal.
13. Natural conservation areas including
a) Creation of national parks, game reserves and buffer zones;
b) Establishment of wilderness areas;
c) Formulation or modification of forest management policies;
d) Formulation or modification of water catchment management policies;
e) Policies for the management of ecosystems, especially by use of fire;
f) Commercial exploitation of natural fauna and flora;
g) Introduction of alien species of fauna and flora into ecosystems.
14. Nuclear Reactors.

15. Major developments in biotechnology including the introduction and testing of genetically
modified organisms.
When should the EAI be done?
EIA is part of the project development process and is usually done at the initial stages of the
project development. It is a decision making tool and should guide whether a project should be
implemented, abandoned or modified prior to implementation.
EAI as a legal requirement
a) A proponent or investor shall not implement a project likely to have a negative environmental
impact, or for which an EIA is required by the Environmental Management and Coordination
Act or regulations issued under it unless an EIA has been concluded and approved in accordance
with the law.

b) No licensing authority under any law in force in Kenya shall issue a trading, commercial or
development permit or license for any project for which an EIA is required or for a project/
activity likely to have cumulative significant negative environmental impacts unless the
applicant produces an EIA license issued by the Authority.
Issues to be considered in an EAI
1. Ecological considerations, including:
a) Biological diversity
b) Sustainable use
c) Ecosystem maintenance
2. Social considerations
a) Economic impacts
b) Social cohesion or disruption

c) Effect on human health

d) Immigration or emigration
e) Communication roads opened up, closed, rerouted
f) Effect on culture and objects of cultural value
3. Landscape
a) Views opened up or closed
b) Visual impacts
c) Compatibility with surrounding area
d) Amenity opened up or closed e.g. recreation possibilities
4. Land uses, including:
a) Effect of proposal on current land uses and land use potentials in the project area
b) Effects of proposal on surrounding land uses and land use potentials
c) Possibility of multiple uses.
5. Water
a) Water sources (quantity and quality) rivers, springs, lakes, underground water, and oceans.
b) Drainage patterns / drainage systems.
Who administers and EAI?
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is mandated by the Environmental
Management and Coordination Act EMCA) no 8 of 1999 to administer the EIA.

Who pays for the EAI?

The project proponent pays for the entire EIA process.
The fee payable to NEMA is 0.1% of the project cost.
How does the public participate in an EAI?
The law requires that during the EIA process a proponent shall in consultation with the Authority
seek the views of persons who may be affected by the project or activity through posters,
newspapers and radio; hold at least three public meetings with the affected parties and
communities.
The public participates by either submitting written or by making oral comments. Such
comments are considered in reviewing the EIA Study Report.
Steps in an EAI process
The key elements in the EIA process include: 1) Development and submission of a Project Report for projects or activities which are not likely
to have significant environmental impacts or those for which no EIA study is required. However,
if the Authority considers that an EIA study is required, then the ensuing EIA process is as
follows:
a) Scoping and drawing-up of Terms of Reference (TOR) for the study for approval by the
Authority.
c) Gathering of baseline information through investigation/ research and subsequent submission
of EIA Study Report to the Authority.
d) Review of EIA Study Report by the Authority and relevant lead agencies.
2) Decision on EIA Study Report includes approval, approval with conditions or rejection.
3) Appeals
4) Implementation of project.

5) Monitoring the project

6) Auditing the project
Upon completion of the EAI, what next?
Thereafter, an Annual Environmental Audit (EA) Study Report will be done on the project.
It is Your Responsibility to Implement Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Notwithstanding any licence, permit or approval granted under any written law, any person who
commences, proceeds with, executes or conducts any project without approval granted under the
Act (EMCA) or regulations issued under the Act commits an offence and on conviction is liable
to the penalty prescribed under the Act.

Topic 8: Project Communication

Communication involves exchange of information. The sender is responsible for making the
information clear, unambiguous and complete so that the receiver can receive it correctly. The
receiver is responsible for making sure that the information is received in its entirety and
understood correctly. Communication has many dimensions;

Written and oral, listening and speaking

Internal (within the project) and external (to the customer, media, public, etc.)

Formal (reports, briefings, etc.) and informal (memos, ad hoc conversations, etc.)

Vertical (up and down the organization) and horizontal (with peers)

Project communications management includes the processes required to ensure timely and
appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage and ultimate disposition of the project
information. It provides critical links among people, ideas, and information that are necessary for
success. Everyone involved in the project must be prepared to send and receive communications
in the project language and must understand how the communications they are involved in as
individuals affect the project as whole. There are four major processes in communication;
i)

Communication planning- determining the information and communication needs of

the stakeholders: who needs what information, when will they need it and how will it
be given

ii)

Information distribution- making needed information available to project

stakeholders in a timely manner

iii)

Performance reporting- collecting and disseminating performance information. This

includes status reporting, progress measurement and forecasting

iv)

Administrative closure- generating, gathering and disseminating information to

formalize phase or project completion

Although the processes are presented here as discrete elements with well-defined interfaces, in
practice, they may overlap and interact in different ways. These four processes are discussed in
detail below. Each process has inputs, tools/techniques needed to accomplish the process and
outputs of the process.
(i) Communication Planning
This process is often tightly linked with organizational planning since the projects
organizational structure will have a major effect on the projects communications
requirements.
Inputs;

Communications requirements- this sum of the information requirements of the

project stakeholders. Requirements are defined by combining the type and format of
information required with an analysis of the value of that information. Project
resources should be expended only on communicating information which contributes
to success or where lack of communication can lead to failure. Information typically
required to determine project communications requirements includes;
o Project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationships
o Disciplines, departments and specialties involved in the project
o Logistics of how many individuals will be involved with the project and at
which locations
o External information needs (e.g. communicating with media)

Communication technology. The technologies or methods used to transfer information

back and forth among project elements can vary significantly; from brief
conversations to extended meetings, from simple written documents to immediately
accessible on-line schedules and data bases. Communications technology factors
which may affect the project include;

o The immediacy of need for information-is project success dependent on

having frequently updated information available at a moments notice, or
would regularly written reports suffice
o The availability of technology are the systems that are already in place
appropriate or do projects needs warrant change?
o The expected project staffing-are the communications systems proposed
compatible with the experience and expertise of the project participants or will
extensive training and learning be required
o The length of the project- is the available technology likely to change before
the project is over in a manner that would warrant adopting new technology?

Constraints- e.g. when a project is performed under contract, there are always
specific contractual obligations affecting communications planning

Assumptions- these are the factors that, for planning purposes will be considered to be
true, real or certain.

Tools and Techniques;

Stakeholder analysis

Outputs

Communications management plan- a communications management plan provides for;

o A collection and filing structure which details what methods will be used to
gather and store various types of information. Procedures should also cover
collecting and disseminating updates and corrections to previously distributed
materials
o A distribution structure which details to whom information (technical
documentation, schedule, etc) will flow, and what methods (written reports,
meetings, etc) will be used to distribute various types of information. This

structure must be compatible with the responsibilities and reporting relationships

described by the project organization chart
o A description of information to be distributed , including format, content, level of
detail and conventions/definitions
o Production schedules showing when each type of information will be produced
o Methods for accessing information between scheduled communications
o A method of updating and refining the communications management plan as
project progresses and develops
How to Create a Communication Plan
Step 1: Situation Analysis
The first step to take when creating a Communications Plan is to perform a Situation Analysis.
This is a fancy term for researching your existing communications environment. Review the
performance of all communications within your project and identify the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats. Then identify any lessons learned from past communications
exercises, so that the same mistakes made in the past are not repeated here.
Step 2: Communications Objectives
Once you have identified what your communications strengths are and where you need to
improve. You are now ready to set out your communications objectives. List the top three
objectives that you want to achieve from your project communications. For instance, you might
want to inform stakeholders of the project progress, boost management buy-in or improve your
team productivity.
Step 3: Communications Guidelines
Then set out your communications guidelines for controlling communications within your
project. For example, you may decide that:

All messages will be distributed through pre-defined channels

All critical communications will be pre-approved by management

All communications will be tailored, based on stakeholders needs

Step 4: Target Audience

Now define exactly who it is that your team will formally communicate with. Remember, formal
communications are a method for controlling the messages sent out by your team. They promote
a single consistent view of your project to a specified audience so that "everyone has the same
version of the truth".

Step 5: Stakeholder Needs

Each target audience group will have their own needs. These stakeholders will require
information that is specific to their role in the project. For instance, a Project Sponsor will need
to be informed of high priority risks and issues, whereas a Quality Reviewer might need to be
notified of the current status of project deliverables.
Step 6: Key Messages
Then list the key messages that need to be sent to each Stakeholder. Key messages may include
project status, project issues, project risks, project deliverables or project resources. The next
step is to define how you will deliver each message to them, through a delivery channel.
Step 7: Delivery Channels
There are a huge variety of ways in which you can deliver your key messages to stakeholders
(e.g. emails, newsletters, meetings, conferences). For each stakeholder, identify the channel that
you will use to deliver your key messages.
Step 8: Communications Schedule
Create the schedule of communications events, activities and actions that are required to deliver
the right messages to the right people at the right time throughout the project. Create a detailed
schedule of events and for each item listed, specify the timeframes for completion and any
dependencies on other events in the schedule.
Step 9: Communications Events
For each event listed in your schedule, describe it in depth. Make sure that you define the
purpose of the event, how it will take place and when it should occur.
Step 10: Communications Matrix
Once you have listed the events and described them in detail, you need to identify who will
manage them and who will review their effectiveness. Create a Communications Matrix which
lists for each event who is accountable for the event, who will take part and who will review its

success.
(ii) Information distribution
Information distribution involves making needed information available to project stakeholders in
a timely manner. It includes implementing the communications management plan as well as
responding to unexpected requests for information
Inputs;
o Work results
o Communications management plan
o Project plan
Tools and Techniques;
o Communication skills
o Information retrieval systems
o Information distribution systems
Outputs;
o Project records- this may include correspondence, memos, reports and documents
describing the project. This information should be maintained in an organized manner.
(iii) Performance reporting
This involves collecting and disseminating performance information in order to provide
stakeholders with information about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives.
Inputs;
o Project plan
o Work results
o Other project records

Tools and Techniques;

o Performance reviews
o Variance analysis
o Earned value analysis
o Information distribution tools and techniques
Outputs;
o Performance reports
o Change requests
(iv) Administrative closure
Administrative closure consists of verifying and documenting project results to formalize
acceptance of the product of the project by the sponsor, client or customer. It includes collection
of project records, ensuring that they reflect final specifications, analysis of project success and
effectiveness and archiving such information for future use.
Inputs;
o Performance measurement documentation
o Documentation of the product of the project
Tools and Techniques;
o Performance reporting tools and techniques
Outputs;
o Project archives- a complete set of indexed project records should be prepared for
archiving by the appropriate parties
o Formal acceptance- documentation that the client or sponsor has accepted the product of
the project (or phase) should be prepared and distributed

o Lessons learnt
Advantages of Effective Communication

Increased efficiency i.e. by updating people on what is happening within the project enables
then to handle challenges and risks more effectively

Better and increased responsiveness from the project team

Enhances innovation through constant sharing of ideas

Saves time

Enhances effective resource mobilization

Ways to improve communication

Communication can be improved through the following ways;
Keep the message simple - use numerous short messages rather than one long message and keep
the message to a single topic (especially in email)
Write down as much as possible - written communication can be examined many times to
improve understanding
Communicate messages through a number of different media - different people learn in different
ways. Try using at least visual, auditory and activity-based methods of communication to capture
as many people as possible.
Repeat key messages frequently - advertising does this well - repeat the message to maximize the
likelihood that a person will hear it when they are most open to it.
Explain why decisions are made - giving people context with their information helps them to
process it in a way that is easy for them.
Hold regular, focused team meetings - take every opportunity to listen and understand how
others communicate.
Ask questions and encourage feedback - if people dont understand you, find out why and fix it.