Communications Management Plan

You are in the process of disseminating information and examining a list that identifies stakeholders. You have a list of names, positions, locations and potential influences to the project. Which document are you reviewing?

A. Stakeholder Register B. Stakeholder Analysis Matrix C. Stakeholder Charter D. Stakeholder Management Plan Answer: A Initiating - Communications Management The Stakeholder Register shows identification/contact information, assessment information and classification information

As the project manager on the Willy Wanta Candy Machine Maker project, James monitors and controls project work. As he does so, he collects metrics and then compiles work performance reports each week (and sometimes more frequently as occasion demands). What is the difference between project reporting and work performance reports?

A. Both mean the same thing. B. Project reports are meant for customers while work performance reports are meant for review within the team. C. Project reports describe the overall project status and any issues encountered, while work performance reports assess variances from project objectives. D. Project reports are on a weekly frequency and work performance reports are event driven. Answer: C Executing - Communications Management Project reporting is the act of collecting and distributing project information, which is distributed to many groups of stakeholders and should be adapted to provide information at an appropriate level, format, and detail for each type of stakeholder. Work performance reports include variance or trend analysis, and predict future project performance with reference to the planned objectives.

The project manager typically spends the most amount of time performing which of the following activities?

A. Communication B. Controlling Stakeholder Engagement C. Preventing Changes D. Managing the Team Answer: A Planning - Communications Management It is believed that project managers spend 90% of their time in communicating.

The project team is in the process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder needs and requirements. This process yields which of the following results?

A. Communication Skills, Scope Statement B. Communications Management Plan C. Communication models D. Communications technology Answer: B Planning - Communications Management The Plan Communications Management process develops the appropriate approach and plan for project communications based on stakeholder needs and requirements. The Communications Management Plan is the output from the Plan Communications Management process.

You are in the planning process group of a complex project involving many stakeholders. Your objective is to map out the procedures for making needed information available to the stakeholders. On which document are you working?

A. Communications management plan B. Stakeholder Management Strategy C. Risk management plan D. Scope management plan Answer: A Planning - Communications Management The communications management plan sets forth how communications will be planned, structured, implemented, and monitored for effectiveness.

You are the project manager for a large IT company. You are working on a project to revise how month, quarter and year end calculations are made and what systems they interact with. You have many stakeholders that are at an executive level so you want to ensure that they are engaged appropriately and requirements are understood and documented. What are the inputs to Plan Communications Management?

A. Communications requirements, communications technology, and stakeholder analysis B. Project management plan, stakeholder register, communication technology and organizational process assets C. Project charter, project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets D. Communications requirements, constraints, and staffing management plan Answer: C Planning - Communications Management The inputs to the Plan Communications Management process are Project charter, project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets. Note that PMBOK states that all environmental factors serve as inputs here, as communications must be adapted (tailored) to suit the total project environment.

An ERP project is falling behind schedule. There has been confusion on the project between the team and the Project Manager. There has been major rework occurring on the first two work packages. This will result in at least a two-month delay. In a meeting with the CEO, the Project Manager is asked how the project is going. The CEO says that she had spoken with another Project Manager and heard that the project was going well. The Project Manager should respond how?

A. Confirm that the project is going well based on what the other Project Manager said B. State that the update will be in the status report due at the end of the month C. Ask the CEO where she heard those comments D. Advise that there is a two-month delay because of some rework on the project Answer: D Executing - Communications Management It is the responsibility of the Project Manager to communicate accurate status as it is known. This includes taking a proactive response to communicating status on a project regardless of a good or bad status.

You are the project manager for a defense industry company. Communication is a critically important concept for your company and industry and a top priority of your key stakeholders. Which process defines the "who, what, how, when, and why" of communications on a project?

A. Control Communications B. Plan Communications Management C. Stakeholders Communications D. Manage Communications Answer: B Planning - Communications Management The Plan Communications Management process documents who needs what information, how it will be given to them and by whom, when they will need it, and the purpose of the communication.

The WBS is the foundation for all but which of the following?

A. Define activities B. Project procurement C. Scope management D. Project communication Answer: D Planning - Communications Management The WBS is the foundation for define activities, project procurements' and scope management. The WBS may help to facilitate communications, but is not the foundation of communications.

You are managing a project which involves many different stakeholders, with varying interests and expectations from the project. Some are especially cost-conscious, while others are more interested in expediency over cost-savings. Which of the following will be most important for you to employ in order to keep all stakeholders satisfied?

A. Earned Value Management B. Rewards and Recognition C. Interpersonal skills D. Team building exercises Answer: C Executing - Communications Management Interpersonal skills, are sometimes called soft skills, and are critical to successful project management. They involve tailoring your approach to suit different personalities and interests among stakeholders. Because you must keep all stakeholders happy despite their differing interests, these skills will be especially important.

A Project Manager has been assigned to manage a project to develop a low-priced laptop for a company that does not have this expertise. The project is three weeks behind schedule and under budget. After calculating the estimate at completion (EAC), the Project Manager finds that the project will be $454,589 under budget, but is expected to take four weeks longer than expected. What should the Project Manager do?

A. Implement Gold Plating to make up for the difference B. Bill the customer the total approved contracted amount C. Report the current baseline project status and budget to the customer D. Report the actual project status and budget to the customer Answer: D Executing - Communications Management Professional and social responsibility require that a Project Manager report accurate and truthful information for services provided. The time delay should be reported candidly.

You are the project manager for an upcoming global release of a new social media platform. As you develop your Communications Management Plan, you want to consider all possible communications methods, technologies, and types that would suit the needs of the many kinds of stakeholders impacted by this product, particularly formal marketing elements such as press releases. All the following statements about communication are accurate except for which one?

A. Informal communications include briefings for project stakeholders B. Formal communication include project reports C. External communications could include talking with the customer, media, public etc. D. Communication with peers is often called horizontal communication Answer: A Executing - Communications Management Briefings held for project stakeholders should be done in a formal manner, whether via a formal written report or a formal verbal presentation. Better examples for informal include emails, social media and websites.

You are managing a project in which the team members are geographically dispersed, which makes communicating more difficult. Adding to this difficulty is the very complex nature of the project work and the problems being encountered. Which of the following modes of communication would be the most appropriate in this scenario?

A. Informal written B. Formal written C. Formal verbal D. Informal verbal Answer: B Planning - Communications Management Communications regarding complex problems across a dispersed team is best done with formal written methods. Informal writings such as email run the risk that the key information could be misconstrued, or that the email would be missed, etc.

You are replacing the current project manager on a project where communication with the client has been challenging. The project manager emails you a document, without a subject line in the email or a descriptive title. When you open the document you see it is in a table format with a list of names, contact details and locations. There is also a column for influence and impact. You are most likely looking at which of the following?

A. Issue Log B. Risk Register C. Stakeholder Register D. WBS Answer: C Initiating - Communications Management Influence and impact will be found in a Stakeholder Register since those columns document the power and interest of the stakeholders. A Risk Register will show Impact and Probability (not influence). The Issues Log, while it may contain names and contact details of team members, would not show influence. WBS will not contain any information pertaining to stakeholders or team members.

You have led an extensive requirements gathering effort over the past month for your latest project. To accomplish this, you engaged multiple stakeholders and subject matter experts, with whom you have retained communications. Today, as the scope, cost, and schedule start to take shape, you want to streamline communications across the project knowing that you must get the right information to the right people consistently and effectively. Which of the following is typically not used to help determine the Communications Requirements for a project?

A. Logistics of how many persons will be involved with the project and at which locations B. Internal and external information needs C. Organizational charts D. WBS Answer: D Planning - Communications Management Choice D, the WBS, is not used to determine the Communications Requirements for a project. The rest of the answer choices include things that are used. Other things that are used to determine the Communications Requirements for a project include: 1) project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationships; 2) disciplines, departments, and specialties involved in the project; 3) stakeholder information from the stakeholder register and the stakeholder management strategy.

In order to speed up a project, you made a decision to fast-track a phase currently performed with five team members and another one which was planned to begin in four weeks time with another five team members. Which of the following activities should you do first?

A. Make sure that all exit criteria of the consecutive phase have been met to ensure the flow of communications in a team situation which is more complex by a factor of 2. B. Make sure that all entry criteria of the previous phase have been met by planning and performing a phase gate meeting to assess technical aptness. C. Make sure that all exit criteria of the previous phase have been met by planning and performing a phase gate meeting to assess technical performance. D. Re-structure your team and delegate tasks in order to ensure the efficient flow of communications, given that more people are now involved in the simultaneous performance of the two tasks. Answer: D Planning - Communications Management The number of communication lines has increased drastically with the combination of the two phases and the people working on them, and you must therefore take steps to ensure the team continues to communicate efficiently.

Which of the following processes enables an efficient and effective information flow between the project team and stakeholders?

A. Manage Stakeholders B. Manage Stakeholders Engagement C. Manage Communications D. Communications planning Answer: C Executing - Communications Management The correct answer is C. The benefit of Manage Communications process is that it enables an efficient and effective information flow between the project team and the stakeholders.

Which of the following determines the list, content, and methods of information distribution on a project?

A. Manage communications process B. Communication planning C. Performance reporting D. Contract administration Answer: B Executing - Communications Management A) The manage communication process enables an efficient and effective communications flow between project stakeholders. Thus, choice A is incorrect. B) Communication planning involves identifying the information distribution structure that includes the recipients of information, information content for each recipient, and methods of information distribution. C) Performance reporting involves collecting and disseminating performance information to provide stakeholders information on performance relative to the project objectives. Thus, choice C is incorrect. D) Contract administration involves managing a procurement contract. Thus, choice D is incorrect

A project manager is about to hold a meeting with stakeholders related to the status of a large project for building a new highway. The highway project is running behind schedule and over budget, and the project manager must deliver the message to the stakeholders. What kind of communication type does this meeting represent?

A. Nonverbal B. Interactive Communication C. Informal D. Formal Answer: D Executing - Communications Management Formal meetings (both regular and ad hoc), their agendas and minutes are considered formal communication. Note that "interactive" communication is not a communication "type," but rather a communication "method."

Analyzing which of the following will determine the information needs of the project stakeholders?

A. Organizational policies B. Communication requirements C. HR policies D. Application area of the project Answer: B Planning - Communications Management Analysis of communication requirements determines the information needs of the project stakeholders. These requirements are defined by assessing their desire along with the value of the information.

You have created a communications management plan to identify, analyze and document the needs and expectations of stakeholders. This communications management plan is:

A. Plan Stakeholder Management process B. An output of the Manage Communications process C. A subsidiary of the project management plan D. A subsidiary of the strategic management plan Answer: C Planning - Communications Management The stakeholders' needs and expectations are identified, analyzed and documented in the communications management plan, which is a subsidiary of the project management plan.

You are providing a performance report to the stakeholders which covers various aspects of the project performance to date. You have included in this report an estimate of what you think the total costs incurred will be when the project is complete. This is an example of which of the following?

A. Progress reporting B. Budgeting C. Cost control D. Forecasting Answer: D Executing - Communications Management Forecasting looks ahead to estimate things like how much money will be spent, when the project will be complete, etc., and is an integral part of performance reporting.

You are in the process of preparing performance reports, and your stakeholders are very demanding. They are especially picky about what information is provided, as they only want the key information and do not want to be overwhelmed with granular details. To which of the following should you refer in preparing the reports, to ensure you meet their needs?

A. Project management plan B. Communications management plan C. Project reports D. Project records Answer: B Planning - Communications Management The communications management plan provides a description of the information to be distributed, including the format, content and the level of detail for project performance reports, which will ensure the key information is communicated without the reports being unwieldy for the stakeholders.

Your newest project is in the Planning process group. You've just published the document that describes who will receive copies of future project information, how it should be distributed, and who will prepare it. Which of the following plans does this describe?

A. Scope management plan B. Communications management plan C. Communication register D. Project charter Answer: B Planning - Communications Management The communication management plan documents what information will be distributed, how it will be distributed, to whom, by whom, and the timing of the distribution. Answer A is incorrect because the question is not talking about scope. Answer choice C is not correct because that is a made-up term. Answer choice D is not correct because the question states we are in the planning phase, and in any event, the Charter would not contain such information.

You are creating, collecting and distributing information in this process. With whom are you communicating when you perform the manage communications process?

A. Senior management B. Project team C. Stakeholders D. Project sponsor Answer: C Executing - Communications Management Manage communications goes beyond the distribution of relevant information and seeks to ensure that information being communicated to project stakeholders has been appropriately generated, as well as received and understood by all project stakeholders.

You are planning your schedule for a large project and you know that you want to hold regularly scheduled status meetings to keep the sponsor and key stakeholders apprised of the project progress. All of the following are true regarding status meetings except for which one?

A. Status meetings are an example of interactive communication. B. Status meetings should be held every day to ensure nothing is missed. C. Status meetings are a way to formally exchange information and update the stakeholders on the project status. D. Status meetings should be held throughout the project at regularly scheduled intervals. Answer: B Planning - Communications Management Of the answer options listed, B is the best. Status meetings are considered interactive communication as they involve two or more parties performing multi-directional exchange of information.

You are interviewing candidates for the position of project manager in your company. What is the most important characteristic you should be looking for?

A. Technical knowledge about the business B. Negotiating and convincing skills C. Communication skills D. Experience in your organization Answer: C Executing - Communications Management Communication skills are the most important trait in a project manager, and it is estimated that a project manager will spend 90% of her time communicating with others.

Who should attend status meetings?

A. The project team B. The people designated in the communication management plan C. The people designated in the stakeholder register D. Stakeholders Answer: B Planning - Communications Management Answer B is correct. The people listed in the communication management plan will attend status meetings.

As you consider which communication technologies to leverage for your project, you want to ensure you conform to the standards set forth by your company while ensuring effective communications. Which of the following means that communication has occurred?

A. The transfer of knowledge from one person to another B. The outputting of knowledge C. The acquisition of knowledge D. The transmission of words Answer: A Planning - Communications Management The transfer of knowledge from one person (or group) to another person (or group) is evidence that communication has occurred. Appropriate communications methods should be chosen in order to ensure that knowledge is effectively and efficiently transferred throughout a project.

Your project team is located in four geographic regions. What best describes this situation?

A. This is a contingency and will require ad-hoc conversations B. This is a conflict and you can force or direct formal reports to resolve the conflict C. This is a stakeholder issue, dealt with in Stakeholder Management D. This is an example of a project communication constraint Answer: D Planning - Communications Management A) This is not a contingency, therefor A is incorrect. B) There is no indication from the question that there is conflict, therefore B is incorrect. C) An issue is a point or matter in question or dispute and there is no indication that this is an issue, therefore C is incorrect. D) Team members not being located together can be a communications constraint since it is tougher to communicate under such circumstances. Remember a constraint is anything that limits the project team's options on a project.

Your project team works from multiple countries, and your project work is done from several different locations. You use tools like web conferencing and e-mail to distribute information to the team. Which of the following is true?

A. This question describes the staffing management plan from the Acquire Resources process and communication skills from the Manage Communications process. B. This question describes resource availability from the Develop Team process and information management systems methods from the Manage Communications process. C. This question describes virtual teams from the Acquire Project Team process and project management information systems from the Manage Communications process. D. This question describes project team assignments from the Develop Team process and communication skills from the Manage Communications process. Answer: C Executing - Communications Management Virtual teams are teams that don't work in the same location or have the same hours but all share the goals of the project and have a role in the project. The web conferencing and e-mail references describe the project management information systems and electronic communications management (e-mail, fax, and voice mail; audo, video and web conferencing; and websites and web publishing) of the Manage Communications process.

You are creating a Communications Management Plan for your project. Which of the following items is not a relevant consideration from an information-distribution standpoint?

A. Timing of communications B. Total project investment C. Level of detail included D. The recipient's need for such information Answer: B Planning - Communications Management A, C and D are all important considerations when outlining a communications approach, while the level of investment for the project should generally not impact the communications approach.

You are a project manager for a small non-profit education company. You are currently managing a project to provide communication resources to educators in Guam. Communication is critically important to your overall project success. Communication technology and communication requirements analysis are best described as which of the following?

A. Tools and Technique of Plan Communications Management B. Outputs from Plan Communications Management C. Inputs to Manage Communications D. Inputs to Identify Stakeholders Answer: A Planning - Communications Management Communication requirements analysis, communication technology, communication models, communication methods, and meetings are tools and technique of the Plan Communications Management process.

You are holding a weekly status meeting with stakeholders and are going through the to-do list and a list of actions items from the previous meeting. Some of the stakeholders are completely unaware of these actions items and start raising concern about how they suddenly appeared. Upon further questioning you realize that these stakeholders were absent during the last meeting due to scheduling conflicts. Which of these statements would best describe what should have been done to prevent this misunderstanding?

A. You should have updated the Work Breakdown Structure with the follow-up tasks from the last meeting. B. You should have sent out an agenda prior to the meeting to clearly point out what the action items were from the previous meeting. C. You should have sent out meeting minutes after the last meeting to all stakeholders that were invited (whether or not they attended). D. You should have briefed the stakeholders that did not attend the last meeting just prior to the start of this meeting Answer: C Executing - Communications Management As part of effective communication, the project manager should always send out meeting minutes after a meeting to prevent occurrences such as this. That way anyone not in attendance will have an understanding of what was discussed so there are no surprises.