mp11a

1. Introduction
Communication is a core issue in projects. Many projects fail because of a lack in communication. Project, as sequence of inter-related activities, is to be accomplished by utilizing limited resources that must be orchestrated with the effective use of communication.

This course puts emphasize on the communication aspect of projects, including concepts of communication, tools to manage project management knowledge areas and project management process groups, organizational communication, communication audit, negotiation and conflict management, and tools and models of communication.

This course includes case studies and game activities to develop skills and competences of students through real situations. Communication in general as well as intercultural aspects of communication in particular is the typical case in EuroMPM, given the international orientation of the students. This offers the opportunity to experience the complexities of communication in order to explore and develop skills to cope with conflict resolution, problem solving, decision making, team work, and leadership.

The course is also well integrated within the framework of EuroMPM courses. The course is linked to courses on Standards, Quality Management, Risk Management, Planning and Control, Team management, Social competencies, Information and Knowledge Management, Intercultural communication and others. Knowledge about communication, negotiation, and conflict management has great practical considerations for future project managers.

Finally international standards for communication in projects - the knowledge areas of communication in PMBOK and in the PMI Guide on Program Management shape the course. The learning out-comes within framework of European Qualification Framework (EQF) are defined and documented regarding knowledge, skills, and competence levels. The objectives are to enable students to explain concepts of communication, negotiation, and conflict management and to consider recent developments. At skills level, they will be able to detect, develop and apply tools and techniques for communication planning. The students will also develop competence to analyze and develop new concepts for communication and conflict management. They understand the connections to other areas of project management.

2. Course Structure

 * Introduction to Communication, Negotiation and Conflict Management
 * Communication Concepts and Models
 * Project Communication Management: Tools and Methods
 * Project Communication Tools to Manage Project Management Knowledge Areas
 * Project Communication Tools to Manage Project Lifecycle Processes
 * Negotiation: Basic concepts, intercultural negotiation
 * Conflicts: Types of conflicts, Strategies to solve and manage conflicts

3. Case Studies
Several case studies are available to determine needs for communication, to select appropriate means of communication, etc.

4. Parameters
ECTS: 3 Hours of study in total: 90 Weekly hours per semester: 2 Course characteristics: compulsory Course frequency: every year - summer semester Maximal capacity: 15 students Course admittance prerequisites: no special requirements Skills trained in this course: professional, methodological, and personal skills Assessment of the course: Teaching staff: Prof. Dr. Peter Reusch, Muhammad Khushnood
 * Contact hours: 30
 * Self study hours: 60
 * 75% contributions within the course (group work on case study, individual paper on research topic)
 * 25% written or oral examination at the end of the course

5. Learning outcomes

 * 5.1 Knowledge**

The students can
 * explain Communication, Negotiation, and Conflict Management terms and related concepts.
 * describe core issues of communication in project management.
 * explain communication according project management standards: knowledge area of communication in PMBOK and in the Guide to Program Management processes to plan and run communication in projects.
 * describe the communication tools and communication methods.
 * explain communication models and advance concepts.
 * explain concepts of conflict management.
 * explain strategies to cope conflict in projects.
 * describe the approaches to negotiation.


 * 5.2 Skills**

The students are able to
 * use communication concepts in project management
 * apply communication standards to project communication
 * implement communication tools and methods in projects like Project fact sheet, filing system, WBS, OBS, and performance reporting
 * detect conflicts in project management
 * apply conflict resolving strategies in project situations like avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, ...
 * implement negotiation methods to resolve conflicts

in a given context in the course.


 * 5.3 Competence - attitude**

They are able to
 * design and implement communication concepts
 * construct and implement communication plan for projects
 * devise communication methods relevant to the project context and stakeholders' needs
 * resolve conflicts in teams and projects
 * create negotiation plans and implement these according to situations

in a new context / project.


 * 5.4 On scaling outcomes**

The assessment of learning outcomes is based upon the following core perspectives:
 * Completeness – regarding communication, negotiation and conflict management in projects
 * Analysis – analyze communication needs and requirements
 * Analysis – analyze communication influences on performance through negotiation and conflict management.
 * Analysis - Analyze competences of communication, negotiation and conflict management in given projects or organization
 * Analysis - detect conflicts in a given project/organization (basic conflicts - hidden conflicts)
 * Concept building - development of communication concept, communication analysis, planning, conflict management through negotiation
 * Problem solving – solve the communication problems detect (basic and advance solution)
 * Tools – apply tools for communication WBS, Gantt Chart, Scatter Chart, CPM (Basic and Advance)
 * Tools – apply tools Mind maps, spreadsheets, email, net meeting, skyping, video conferencing, blogging, running websites,…
 * Linking – relating communication to all project management knowledge areas and process groups (of project lifecycle)

6. Teaching and training methods:

 * Lectures introducing concepts, methods and tools
 * Group work to practice concepts and methods, to develop skills and to work on case studies
 * Home work to add individual contributions
 * Presentations to communicate results

7. Course mapping
This course is linked to other courses of the study program in the following way:

MP01a shows the need for communication.
 * MP01a: Projects: Concept, Types, Cases, Context and Organization**

MP02a shows the need of communication in life cycles and with respect to stakeholders.
 * MP02a: Life cycle Concepts, Maturity Models, Customer Relation Ship, Stakeholder Management**

Communication is embedded in project planning.
 * MP03a: Project Planning**

Communication is embedded in risk management.
 * MP04a: Managing Risk**

Costs of communication have to be considered in project economics.
 * MP05a: Project Economics**

Communication is embedded in project control.
 * MP06a: Project Control**

Team members shape communication - communication is developed and used for team members.
 * MP07a: Team management**

The development of a project organization includes the development of communication.
 * MP08a: Project Organization**

For communication there are standards like PMBOK, PMI Guide to Program Management, that are discussed in MP03 and are continued in MP11.
 * MP09a: Standards and Mainstreams**

Quality management principles and processes shape communication.
 * MP10a: Managing Quality**

With globalization, cultural diversity has been a common phenomenon that needs to be properly attended so as to handle the conflicts and issue because of cultural differences.
 * MP12a: Intercultural Communication**

Information and knowledge management support communication.
 * MP14a: Information and Knowledge Management**

Communication needs financial resources.
 * MP15a: Project Finance**

MP11 prepares communicational issues in the context of contracts and procurement.
 * MP16a: Legal Aspects in Project Management: Contracts, Procurement, and further Issues**

Communication is important to prepare and implement changes. The impact of changes has to be considered and communicated.
 * MP17a: Change Management**

Communication is harmonized within programs.
 * MP18a: Program and Portfolio Management**

Communication is the core social competency to better cater the social responsibility to the organization and community.
 * MP19a: Social competencies - social responsibility**

Communication supports safety, health and the environmental protection.
 * MP20a: Safety, Health and the Environment**

8. References:
Most course materials are available in ILIAS and additional web portals - a few books to mention here:

1. PMI: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge - PMBOK® - 4th edition 2008, ISBN 1933890665. 2. PMI: The Standard for Program Management, 2nd edition 2008, ISBN1933890524. 3. Harold Kerzner: Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, John Wiley & Sons 10th edition 2009, ISBN0470278706. 4. Dow, W. and Taylor, B. (2008). Project Management Communication Bible. Indiana: Wiley.