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level: 10 - Project Communications Management Terms

Questions and Answers List

level questions: 10 - Project Communications Management Terms

Question	Answer
The receiver signals that the message has been received. An acknowledgment shows receipt of the message, but not necessarily agreement with the message.	Acknowledgment
The receiver confirms that the message is being received through feedback, questions, prompts for clarity, and other signs of confirmation.	Active listening
The best modality to use when communicating that is relevant to the information being communicated.	Choice of media
Anything that the project management team believes to be true but hasn’t proven to be true. For example, the project management team may assume that all of the project team can be reached via cell phone, but parts of the world, as of this writing, don’t have a cell signal.	Communication assumptions
Anything that prohibits communication from occurring.	Communication barrier
N(N – 1)/2, where N represents the number of identified stakeholders. This formula reveals the total number of communication channels within a project.	Communication channels formula
Anything that limits the project management team’s options. When it comes to communication constraints, geographical locales, incompatible communications software, and even limited communications technology can constrain the project team.	Communication constraints
A project management subsidiary plan that defines the stakeholders who need specific information, the person who will supply the information, the schedule for the information to be supplied, and the approved modality to provide the information.	Communications management plan
The device that decodes a message as it is being received.	Decoder
The receiver is involved in the listening experience by paying attention to visual cues from the speaker and paralingual characteristics, and by asking relevant questions.	Effective listening
The device that encodes the message being sent.	Encoder
The sender confirms that the receiver understands the message by directly asking for a response, questions for clarification, or other confirmation.	Feedback
Stakeholders are mapped on a grid based on their influence over the project in relation to their influence over the project execution.	Influence/impact grid
A software package that allows the project management team to present the project’s health through graphics, spreadsheets, and text. (Think of Microsoft Project.)	Information presentation tools
A system to quickly and effectively store, archive, and access project information.	Information retrieval system
This is the most common and most effective approach to communication. It’s where two or more people exchange information. Consider status meetings, ad-hoc meetings, phone calls, and videoconferences.	Interactive communication
This is documentation of what did and did not work in the project implementation. Lessons learned documentation is created throughout the project by the entire project team. When lessons learned sessions are completed, they’re available to be used and applied by the entire organization. They are now part of the organizational process assets.	Lessons learned
The device or technology that transports a message.	Medium
Anything that interferes with or disrupts a message.	Noise
Facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language are nonverbal cues that contribute to a message. Approximately 55 percent of communication is nonverbal.	Nonverbal
The pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender’s voice affecting the message being sent.	Paralingual
A report that depicts how well a project is performing. Often, the performance report is based on earned value management and may include cost or schedule variance reports.	Performance report
Presentations are useful in providing information to customers, management, the project team, and other stakeholders.	Project presentations
All the business of the project communications is also part of the organizational process assets. This includes e-mails, memos, letters, and faxes.	Project records
Reports are formal communications on project activities, their status, and conditions.	Project reports
This approach pulls the information from a central repository, like a database of information. Pull communications are good for large groups of stakeholders who want to access project information at their discretion. Consider a project web site where stakeholders can periodically drop by for a quick update on the project status.	Pull communication
This approach pushes the information from the sender to the receiver without any real acknowledgment that the information was really received or understood. Consider letters, faxes, voicemail messages, e-mails, and other communications modalities that the sender packages and sends to receivers through some intermediary network.	Push communication
The person who receives the message.	Receiver
The person who is sending the message.	Sender
Feedback loops and barriers to communications.	Sender–receiver models
Notices to the stakeholders about resolved issues, approved changes, and the overall health of the project.	Stakeholder notifications
A regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the status of the project and its progress toward completing the project scope statement.	Status review meeting
A system to record the actual time to complete project activities.	Time reporting system