ICT Project Management Communication Plan

Question: Discuss about theICT Project Managementfor Communication Plan. Answer: Communication Plan The communication plan is the end result of thorough planning and internal decisions that members of a project should possess in order to arrive at the end solution that each member of the team should agree with. The plan shows how dissemination of information will flow from the source to the intended audience and the channels that the communication will pass through uninterrupted (Ahuja et al, 2010). The project at hand has many stake holders that will give it success which means that each member forms a bigger part of a team. Communication is an important aspect of any project as everything should be communicated to the other team members and since this is a team, every person should provide their thoughts and ideas which are written down then as a team we shall decide which plan is the best that we could use for the benefit of the whole group. In order to identify the major stakeholders to the project, the team will come together and do a brainstorm which is coming up with varying ideas. After brainstorming, the team has identified the stakeholders of the project as the manager that is the team leader who acts as the point of communication amongst the internal and external people. The manager represents the image of the team. A second stakeholder is the members who are important as they are the ones who come up with ideas that could be generated to become bigger projects. Without the team, it would be impossible for the group work to be successful. Other stakeholders in the communication plan include the channels of communication that will make it easier for the sender and the receiver of the information have an easy time talking and responding to the other (Bygstad Lanestedt, 2009). An individual communication plan reveals that there are different models that exist that make communication easier and efficient. I have developed the plan through personal brainstorming and settling on the ideas that work in regards to the communication plan while at the same time getting ideas from the group work. My communication plan includes the following: Installing the communication models or channels that give a platform through which communication takes place. This should make use of the latest technological advancement techniques that allow real time communication to take place. In order to make the communication plan work, there should be a clear and concise message passed between the groups of people communicating (Newell et al, 2006). Both the sender and the receiver should be ready and willing to take part in the conversation. That means that they should possess the verbal and non-verbal skills that enhance the communication process. There should be reasonable and realistic time frame that allows the processing of information and give time to give the feedback between the two people in a communication. Closure Checklist and Project Evaluation Annotated bibliography Ahuja, V., Yang, J., Shankar, R. (2010). Benchmarking framework to measure extent of ICT adoption for building project management. Journal of construction engineering and management, 136(5), 538-545. Management is one of the important skills that helps in moving the project in the right direction. Evaluation of a project at the end of the required time also gives the insights to identify the shortcomings that exist while trying to optimize on the opportunities that exist. The adoption of the ICT tools and ideas have helped in shaping the success rate of the projects while at the same time giving a map through ideas and concepts that will ensure that a project attains the level of expectations that the manager and members had from the beginning. Bygstad, B., Lanestedt, G. (2009). ICT based service innovationA challenge for project management. International Journal of Project Management, 27(3), 234-242. The authors discuss ideas on how to tackle the different steps when it comes to a project management as they give ideas that should be a checklist for the project team. The checklist they give is detailed and a team that follows the guidelines is assured of success. They also highlight the problems that a project team is likely to face while giving the solutions through suggestions on how to reduce the impact of the negative challenges that face a project. The book also gives an outline for the evaluation of a project to ensure that the team remains in the right track. Othman, M., Zain, A. M., Hamdan, A. R. (2009). A Survey on Chaotic Disruption of ICT Project Management and Planning-Triggers, Impact, Challenges, and Recommended Measures. JDCTA, 3(1), 46-50. The authors give an outline of what happens within a project and what a team should expect as they undertake their project. The book captures the relevance of team work while at the same time reflecting on the impact that team work has on the project. Challenges faced during the project are highlighted while giving solutions to the expected challenges. Closure Checklist for the Project Team The team should ensure that they follow the following steps that will act as a checklist for the project team: Ensure that there is a meeting for brainstorming Write down all ideas from team members Select on the best five ideas Expand on the ideas Separate the project activities into manageable units Report to the manager Meet again for thorough examination of the project Present it to the project manager Project evaluation The evaluation will happen after all steps of the checklist are carried out. Our projects MOV will be evaluated by the tutor after ensuring that we have tackled everything that was required. It is a confirmation that we have answered each question that was required as well as providing the relevant information and other insights to a topic that required our input (Fasanghari Roudsari, 2008). The evaluation will also be grading chances that will enable us know our score in respect to the amount of time and resources that we have invested in the project. The evaluation will also help us in knowing the strengths and weaknesses and any opportunities that we will have when tackling other projects in the future. Reflection It has been an awesome journey working all throughout the whole project belonging to a team rather than as an individual. Working with others has given me a chance to know the qualities that a team should possess in order to have a competitive advantage over the other teams and I can summarize the lessons through one aspect which is communication and being accommodative to the other members ideas. When we were able to tell each other what was on our minds, we were able to focus and work without fail. I have learnt how to be a good leader and a manager of projects such that were I to handle projects in the future, I would have a high succeed rate. It opened up my mind and focused on things that were to be of help. My understanding of the leadership qualities was made better. This is because I understood the leadership through another angle and learnt that for me to manage big organizations in the future; I should be ready and willing to learn to manage the small team work groups. As a leader, I should be focused and offer direction to the followers. I realized that when I took things seriously, everyone else became focused and when I became lenient, everyone else took the group work as a joke. Being a leader is not all about the position, but the ability to lead through example as people look beyond the physical characteristics to the character of the leader. A leader should also lead by deeds and example since people understand through actions unlike through words. Based on my experience, there are specific techniques, skills and methods that an ICT project manager requires so that they can flourish in their IT profession. The first is that they must keep learning and be in touch with the latest technological advancement tools that will aid in their career. The world keeps changing and new ideas mushroom up and more so in the current information and technology day (Othman et al, 2009). One technological aspect might be trending in one day while the next day it may become obsolete. They must be willing to learn from others as through interaction, one realizes that they do not know everything that relates to ICT. One gets insights and ideas from the others. An ICT manager should possess the skills of a leader that will make them successful like organization and communication skills that will enable them lead a team that comprises of people with different characters (Marcelino-Sdaba et al, 2014). They must also be willing to work as an individual for personal goals and personal responsibility while at the same time have the ability to work as a team. Working as a team gives one the ability to learn and does not limit to the members only but the manager as well. The project manager should also be willing to invest in technology. It means that they should be willing to have the latest discoveries in technology that will make work easier for their organization. They should be in a position to generate new ideas while improving on the existing ones that will be of benefit to their firms. They should consider the pricing despite embracing the changes. References Ahuja, V., Yang, J., Shankar, R. (2010). Benchmarking framework to measure extent of ICT adoption for building project management. Journal of construction engineering and management, 136(5), 538-545. Bygstad, B., Lanestedt, G. (2009). ICT based service innovationA challenge for project management. International Journal of Project Management, 27(3), 234-242. Fasanghari, M., Roudsari, F. H. (2008). Optimized ICT project selection utilizing fuzzy system. World Applied Sciences Journal, 4(1), 44-49. Marcelino-Sdaba, S., Prez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A. M. E., Villanueva, P. (2014). Project risk management methodology for small firms. International Journal of ProjectManagement, 32(2), 327-340. Newell, S., Bresnen, M., Edelman, L., Scarbrough, H., Swan, J. (2006). Sharing knowledgeacross projects limits to ICT-led project review practices. Management Learning, 37(2), 167-185. Othman, M., Zain, A. M., Hamdan, A. R. (2009). A Survey on Chaotic Disruption of ICT Project Management and Planning-Triggers, Impact, Challenges, and Recommended Measures. JDCTA, 3(1), 46-50.