pm11a

MP11 Communication, Negotiation, Conflict 1. Introduction Communication is a core issue in projects. Many project 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 emphasizes 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 student through real situations. The communication in general and intercultural aspect of communication in particular is typical case in EuroMPM given to the international orientation of the students. This offers opportunity to experience the complexities of communication 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, and Intercultural communication and others. The knowledge about communication, negotiation, and conflict management has great practical considerations for the future project managers. Finally international standards on communication in projects - the knowledge areas on 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 for the knowledge, skills and competence levels. The objectives are to make the students able 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, ...

4. Parameters ECTS: 3 Hours of study in total: 90 Weekly hours per semester: 2 Contact hours: 30 Self study hours: 60 Course characteristics: compulsory Course frequency: every year - winter 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: 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 Teaching staff: Prof. Dr. Peter Reusch, Muhammad Khushnood

5. Learning outcomes 5.1 Knowledge •	They can explain Communication, Negotiation, and Conflict Management terms and related concepts. •	The students can describe core issues of communication in project management. •	They can 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. •	They can describe the communication tools and communication methods. •	They can explain communication models and advance concepts. •	They can explain concepts of conflict management. •	They can explain strategies to cope conflict in projects. •	They can describe the approaches to negotiation. 5.2 Skills •	They are able to use communication concepts in project management. •	They are able to apply communication standards to project communication. •	They are able to implement communication tools and methods in projects like Project fact sheet, filing system, WBS, OBS, and performance reporting. •	They can detect conflicts in project management. •	They can apply conflict resolving strategies in project situations like avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising... •	They can implement negotiation methods to resolve conflicts.

5.3 Competence - attitude •	They are able to design and implement communication concepts. •	They are able to construct and implement communication plan for projects. •	They are able to devise communication methods relevant to the project context and stakeholders needs. •	They are able to resolve conflicts in teams and projects. •	They are able to create negotiation plans and implement these according to situations.

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: MP03: Standards and Mainstreams For communication there are standards like PMBOK, PMI Guide to Program Management, that are discussed in MP03 and are continued in MP11. MP04: Project Planning Communication is embedded in project planning. MP05: Project Control Communication is embedded in project control. MP06: Team management Team members shape communication - communication is developed and used for team members. MP07: Project Organization The development of a project organization includes the development of communication. MP08: Managing Quality Quality management principles and processes shape communication. MP09: Managing Risk Communication is embedded in risk management. MP10: Project Economics Costs of communication have to be considered in project economics. MP12: Social competencies - social responsibility Communication is the core social competency to better cater the social responsibility to the organization and community. MP13: Change Management Communication is important to prepare and implement changes. The impact of changes has to be considered and communicated. MP15: Intercultural Communication 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. MP16: Information and Knowledge Management Information and knowledge management support communication. MP17: Project Finance Communication needs financial resources. MP19: Program and Portfolio Management Communication is harmonized within programs. MP20: Safety, Health and the Environment Communications supports safety, health and the environmental protection.

8. References: Most course materials are available in ILIAS and additional web portals (BME, eCl@ss, ... ) - 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. ...