Ch7. Communications Management and Reporting

Communications Management

It’s often said that 90% of a PM’s job is communication. Effective communication is central to project success.

Communication Channels Formula

Number of channels = n × (n-1) / 2

Where n = number of project participants.

5 team members → 5×4/2 = 10 channels Add one person (n=6) → 6×5/2 = 15 channels

Exam insight: Communication complexity grows much faster than team size. This is why Scrum limits development teams to 3–9 people — small teams maintain manageable communication overhead.

Communication Methods

Interactive: Meetings, calls, video conferences — when immediate feedback is needed.

Push: Email, memos, reports — when the receiver needs time to digest the information.

Pull: Portals, shared drives, wikis — when stakeholders need access on demand.

Performance Reporting

Work performance data: Raw measurements (% complete, actual costs).

Work performance information: Analyzed data (EVM metrics, CPI, SPI).

Work performance reports: Synthesized reporting for stakeholders (dashboards, status reports).

Issue Log

Tracks problems that have occurred and their resolution status.

Issue ID	Description	Priority	Owner	Target Date	Status
001	DB performance degradation	High	J. Smith	05/15	In progress

Lessons Learned

Document what was learned during the project for future use.

Collected continuously throughout the project (not just at close)
Includes both positive (what worked) and negative (what to improve)
Stored as organizational process assets

Key Concept Cards

Channel Formula ★★★★★ : n(n-1)/2. Communication complexity grows disproportionately with team size. The mathematical case for small teams.

Interactive vs Push vs Pull ★★★★☆ : Match method to situation. Complex issues=interactive, regular updates=push, reference materials=pull.

Lessons Learned ★★★★☆ : Collected throughout the project, not just at close. Become organizational process assets for future projects.

Practice Quiz

Q1. A project team grows from 6 to 10 members. How many additional communication channels are created?

6 members: 6×5/2 = 15 channels. 10 members: 10×9/2 = 45 channels. That’s 30 additional channels — a 200% increase in channels from a 67% increase in headcount. This illustrates why large team growth dramatically increases communication overhead.

Q2. A sponsor requests weekly project status updates via email. What communication method is this?

Push communication. Information is proactively sent to specific recipients without them having to request it. Since it’s not interactive, there’s no immediate feedback channel — complex issues requiring discussion still need a meeting (interactive). Weekly email status reports are appropriate for regular informational updates.