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Information Distribution involves making information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner. Information distribution includes implementing the communications management plan, as well as responding to unexpected requests for information.
.1 Communications Management Plan
Described in Section 10.1.3.1.
.1 Communications Skills
Communications skills are part of general management skills and are used to exchange information. General management skills related to communications include ensuring that the right persons get the right information at the right time, as defined in the communications management plan. General management skills also include the art of managing stakeholder requirements.
As part of the communications process, the sender is responsible for making the information clear and complete so that the receiver can receive it correctly, and for confirming that it is properly understood. The receiver is responsible for making sure that the information is received in its entirety and understood correctly. Communicating has many dimensions:
Written and oral, listening, and speaking
Internal (within the project) and external (customer, the media, the public)
Formal (reports, briefings) and informal (memos, ad hoc conversations)
Vertical (up and down the organization) and horizontal (with peers).
.2 Information Gathering and Retrieval Systems
Information can be gathered and retrieved through a variety of media including manual filing systems, electronic databases, project management software, and systems that allow access to technical documentation, such as engineering drawings, design specifications, and test plans.
.3 Information Distribution Methods
Information Distribution is information collection, sharing, and distribution to project stakeholders in a timely manner across the project life cycle. Project information can be distributed using a variety of methods, including:
Project meetings, hard-copy document distribution, manual filing systems, and shared-access electronic databases
Electronic communication and conferencing tools, such as e-mail, fax, voice mail, telephone, video and Web conferencing, and Web publishing
Electronic tools for project management, such as Web interfaces to scheduling and project management software, meeting and virtual office support software, portals, and collaborative work management tools.
.4 Lessons Learned Process
A lessons learned session focuses on identifying project successes and project failures, and includes recommendations to improve future performance on projects. During the project life cycle, the project team and key stakeholders identify lessons learned concerning the technical, managerial, and process aspects of the project. The lessons learned are compiled, formalized, and stored through the project's duration.
The focus of lessons learned meetings can vary. In some cases, the focus is on strong technical or product development processes, while in other cases, the focus is on the processes that aided or hindered performance of the work. Teams can gather information more frequently if they feel that the increased quantity of data merits the additional investment of time and money. Lessons learned provide future project teams with the information that can increase effectiveness and efficiency of project management. In addition, phase-end lessons learned sessions provide a good team-building exercise. Project managers have a professional obligation to conduct lessons learned sessions for all projects with key internal and external stakeholders, particularly if the project yielded less than desirable results. Some specific results from lessons learned include:
Update of the lessons learned knowledge base
Input to knowledge management system
Updated corporate policies, procedures, and processes
Improved business skills
Overall product and service improvements
Updates to the risk management plan.
.1 Organizational Process Assets (Updates)
Lessons learned documentation. Documentation includes the causes of issues, reasoning behind the corrective action chosen, and other types of lessons learned about Information Distribution. Lessons learned are documented so that they become part of the historical database for both this project and the performing organization.
Project records. Project records can include correspondence, memos, and documents describing the project. This information should, to the extent possible and appropriate, be maintained in an organized fashion. Project team members can also maintain records in a project notebook.
Project reports. Formal and informal project reports detail project status, and include lessons learned, issues logs, project closure reports, and outputs from other Knowledge Areas (Chapters 4-12).
Project presentations. The project team provides information formally or informally to any or all of the project stakeholders. The information is relevant to the needs of the audience, and the method of presentation is appropriate.
Feedback from stakeholders. Information received from stakeholders concerning project operations can be distributed and used to modify or improve future performance of the project.
Stakeholder notifications. Information may be provided to stakeholders about resolved issues, approved changes, and general project status.
.2 Requested Changes
Changes to the Information Distribution process should trigger changes to the project management plan and the communications management plan. Requested changes (additions, modifications, revisions) to the project management plan and its subsidiary plans are reviewed, and the disposition is managed through the Integrated Change Control process (Section 4.6).
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