Assessing Communication for Quality and Timely Project Delivery

This literature review assesses the importance of communication in maintaining the quality and timely delivery of project activities. It begins by defining communication and its relevance to project management, highlighting its role in fostering a common understanding among stakeholders. The review explores project communication as a process, emphasizing the importance of gathering, interpreting, and disseminating information effectively. It discusses the essential components of communication, including the sender, medium, and receiver, and underscores the significance of feedback. Furthermore, the review delves into project lines of communication, distinguishing between formal and informal channels. It also highlights the communication foundation model, illustrating how communication supports project elements like finance, human resources, and risk management. Finally, it discusses the role of workshops and consultations in facilitating effective communication and ensuring project success. Desklib offers a variety of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to aid students in their academic pursuits.

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Assessing the Importance of Communication in Maintaining Quality and Timely Delivery
of Project Activities
Name:
Institution:

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Introduction
Scholars have speculated that communication might be the most essential element in project
management. In fact, Russell-Simons et al (2016) and Gillard (2017) strongly support the idea
that communication, together with other cornerstone areas in project management, plays a major
role in ensuring that there is a trade-off between project stakeholders and that the project is
achieved to the best quality.
Developed by Phoenicians in 3500 BC, the term communication traces its origin from a Latin
word ‘communicare’ meaning to make something common (Connolly & Reinicke 2017). Thus,
according to the author, the term communication emerged from the idea that communication
creates a common understanding. The author adds that communication mainly entails a
transmission of meaning between people in either non-verbal or verbal ways. According to Lui
(2016), the single most important element of a successful and quality project is communication
and how it occurs among project managers. Hence, from this argument, all the success and
failures of any project depends on the nature of communication that occurs before, during and
after the project, meaning that the success of a project finds its roots in effective communication.

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Review of Literature
Project Communication as a Process
Vanickova (2017), Shakar et al (2017) and Berube & Gauthier (2017) write that communication
entails the process of gathering, interpreting, and disseminating any form of information, to
anyone who might need such information. Therefore, in the context of project management,
communication emerges as the most important element and influencer of quality output because
project management is all about exchanging information (Varajao 2018).
Scholars (Bakshi 2017; Bengtson et al 2018; and Geng et al 2018) give high regard to
communication in project management so much so that it has been branded the ‘lifeblood’ of
projects. This is because, in every project, the project managers have to collaborate, collate,
integrate and share knowledge and information to achieve project objectives (Kostalova et al
2017). Thus, understanding the communication process is an imperative affair to both scholars
and project managers.
Basically, communication has three main components namely the sender/transmitter,
medium/channel, and a receiver. In this model, according to Gadekar (2017), Laursen (2018) and
Kachoka & Hokins (2017), verbal or non-verbal information flows from the sender who encodes
the message to be passed through the channel/medium to the receiver. Ideally, for
communication to be effective, all the components of the process must be effective and fully
functioning, otherwise, the information will be distorted. The sender must be able to speak or

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encode and deliver the message, while and the receiver must be effective in listening or receiving
the information (Sato 2016).
Scholars have done much study on the role of feedback in project communication. For example,
Crayon et al (2017) aver that when feedback is delayed, absent or not forthcoming, project
managers must intervene to rectify the situation. This is because the objectives and scope of any
project rely on gaining effective feedback from team members, and therefore the project may fail
is there is no feedback. Williams (2017) also argues that the process of any kind of project
requires constant proposition of ideas so that the methodologies and scope of the project can be
explained to all stakeholders. Therefore, when there is no feedback, it may be impossible to
propose, sell, or resell the project ideas.
While the project communication process has widely been given attention by scholars, Gillard
(2017) notice a paucity of research targeted at project communication planning. According to
Shakar et al (2017), understanding project communication planning is essential to every project
manager because it is only through the understanding that effective communication can be
established. In this regard, Vanickova (2017) writes that proper project communication planning
requires two basic elements namely: the communication needs of the project and the relevant
communication techniques that can be used to meet those needs. The author states further that
the main project communication needs across all kinds of projects include passing information to
the stakeholders in a timely manner and facilitating effective planning through timely delivery of
reports. Hence, when project communication is tailored to these needs, the project objective is
highly likely to be achieved in a quality manner. However, a major question that arises from this

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body of literature is that what is the process of achieving effective project communication plan?
Who should be involved in project communication plan? This study will delve into these issues
to identify the role of various stakeholders in project communication planning and how it can be
successfully achieved.
Project Lines of Communication
Russell-Simons et al (2016) and Gillard (2017) agree that for a project to be successfully
achieved, stakeholders and project managers must agree on an effective project communication
plan, especially in complex projects. However, as argued by Vanickova (2017), this plan may be
largely ineffective if there is no detailed definition of the project lines of communication.
Determining the lines of communication and information management methods is a fundamental
practice at the beginning of every project. On that note, Russell-Simons et al (2016), Gillard
(2017) and Shakar et al (2017) propose two most effective lines of communication: informal
communication and formal communication.
Formal communication occurs in three main directions namely: downward communication,
upward communication, and horizontal communication (Connolly & Reinicke 2017). According
to Russell-Simons et al (2016), downward communication is where information flows from top
to the bottom levels of the project management team. The main purpose of downward
communication is to pass information about policies, goals, and strategies to subordinates (Lui
2016). Upward communication involves the supply of information to the upper levels of the

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project management team in a bid to disseminate information about what is happening at the
subordinate levels, while horizontal communication entails the exchange of information between
persons of the same hierarchical ranks for coordination purposes (Berube & Gauthier 2017).
Noteworthy, a project may also involve diagonal communication which is the exchange
information between persons of different levels of the project team; as well as external
communication which is the passing of information to people who are not part of the project
team (Connolly & Reinicke 2017).
On the other hand, projects also largely involve informal communication usually through
rumours, grapevine, phatic communication and social groups (Shakar et al 2017). Gillard (2017)
also argue that informal communication may consist of true or false information and may
emanate from anyone, towards any direction. Grapevine normally means to communicate
information that is relevant to the team members’ needs, while phatic communication entails the
use of words to deliver information about how one feels and rather than meaning (Lui 2016). All
in all, it is important to note that informal communication often emerges without any influence
from the project managers although they may largely influence the manager’s effectiveness.
From a sheer organizational project point of view, communication is regarded as a core
competency that enables project managers to connect with every other member of the project
team to communicate actions, goals, and strategies (Connolly & Reinicke 2017). According to
the author, delivering quality projects becomes almost impossible when these components

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(goals, strategies, and objectives) are not communicated because otherwise, the project would
result in unnecessary risks and jeopardized budgets.
Studies by Russell-Simons et al (2016) indicate that meeting project timeline, goals and budgets
are essential to an organization’s survival. As organizations the urgent need to enhance project
success emerges, the face other complex problems such as the need to embrace innovation,
expansion of global priorities and financial constraints (Lui 2016). However, as the author argues
further, tackling these problems becomes a lot easier in the presence of effective communication.
Research by Towers Watson, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Forbes indicate that most
organizations are aware of the importance of communication in delivering quality and successful
projects (Shakar et al 2017). However, according to Vanickova (2017), what still remains unclear
how much of the impact effective communication has on project quality and outcome. Little
research also exists on the impact of project communication on the timely delivery of projects
(Connolly & Reinicke 2017). Nonetheless, in an attempt to evaluate the essential role played by
communication on project success, various scholars deliver interesting insights that are worth
noting.
For instance, according to Gillard (2017), for every amount of money spent on projects, several
other amounts are at risk of wastage. Research by Varajao (2018) reveals that 56% of project
finances are at risk of waste in the absence of effective communication. However, despite these
speculated risk, research revealed that many organizations are currently still not making enough
efforts to effectively communicate important project information especially the information

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regarding strategic initiatives and their importance within all levels of the project organization
(Lui 2016). Yet, as Vanickova (2017) argues, it is impossible to execute project plans if
managers are not able to effectively communicate.
The Communication Foundation Model
Bakshi (2017), Gillard (2017) and Russell-Simons et al (2016) indicate that effective
communication promotes quality projects by allowing project stakeholders to be high performers
(performance defined by delivery of projects on budget, on time and with achieved project
goals). For instance, Bakshi (2017) found that projects managed through effective
communication are 14 times less exposed to losing project finances, through waste, than those
managed in poor communication. Nonetheless, Gillard (2017) claim that project managers have
to communicate effectively regarding time, costs, quality and scope as the main elements of
successful projects. Time has a huge influence on cost, while cost also needs to be
communicated to clients or project sponsors, stakeholders, and functionaries. It means that for
projects to be completed on time there must be an effective communication of costs and other
essential elements to relevant project stakeholders. According to Vanickova (2017), this
relationship means that communication is the foundation upon which all elements of the project
(finance, human resource, risks, environment, and compliance) rest, so much so thus without
communication, projects cannot be delivered to the required quality and within the required time.
The following figure illustrates the speculated relationship between communication and project
quality and timely completion:

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Fig 1: The Communication Foundation Model
Importance of Workshops and Consultation in Delivering of Quality Projects
Research by Geng et al (2018) found that most project managers recognize the fact that poor
communication contributes to poor project results. According to the study, 9 out of 10 project
managers opine that effective communication before, during and after the project is critical to the
success of projects. Nonetheless, according to Gillard (2017), they also know that factors such as
inappropriate understanding of the importance of communication among project team members
and improper language used to deliver project related information as some of the major barriers

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to effective information in projects. In an attempt to eliminate these barriers, project managers
have always used workshops and consultations as a key strategy.
During the project duration, there is a need for information generation and sharing among all
stakeholders and proponents of the projects, an activity which is mostly done by the project
managers (Connolly & Reinicke 2017). However, according to Gillard (2017), stakeholders can
also independently generate information and share them with other project proponents through
various communication channels. More importantly, in community-based projects, sharing of
such information helps in understanding the objectives, rationale and the expected outcomes
which promotes the introduction of new interventions.
Yet, all these initiatives can only be facilitated through the training, workshops and consultation
sessions (Lui 2016). For example, according to the author, agricultural extension projects can
easily be coordinated if both the project managers and the involved group are able to hold
frequent workshops and consultations for effective guidance on the various agricultural practices
that promote crop productivity. Russell-Simons et al (2016) also claim that workshops delivered
through various media have proven to be effective in gaining support from external stakeholders
to facilitate timely project completion because, through those workshops, project managers are
able to rally support from the public and private sector organizations. Vanickova (2017) cites an
example of an agricultural extension project in the Philippines where managers developed a
communication plan to attract contributions from the government and participation from the
public by generating high-level public interest. According to the author, the plan was effective in

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creating partnerships, collaboration, and consultation between external and internal stakeholders
and led to a quality and timely achievement of the project objectives.
Hence, the use of oral, written and electronic communication during projects emerge as an
essential ingredient to successful projects. Equally, communication strategies such as workshops
and consultations play a big role in facilitating successful project communication. However,
what are the impacts of effective communication on project quality and timely completion? This
study aims to explore some of the possible answers to these questions.
Research Aim
The study, therefore, aims to identify the importance of communication in quality and timely
delivery of project activities.
Research Objectives
i. To explore the effectiveness of communication in identifying quality delivery of projects
ii. To explore the effectiveness of timely delivery of projects
Research Strategy
The study will take the systematic literature review methodology. According to Smith (2010),
systematic literature review refers to the collection of data from previous research studies on the
current area being studied. Therefore, there will be a collection of data from peer-reviewed
journal articles retrieved from online databases such as EBSCO and Proquest. As recommended
by Bernard (2011), the retrieval of journal articles will be followed by extraction of data by

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identification of major themes emanating from the selected journal articles. Data analysis will be
conducted through thematic data analysis technique, which entails the identification of major
themes from the journal articles and using them to answer the research question.
Resource Requirements
Being a literature review report, this study will take the form of a desktop research. hence, as
recommended by Groat & Wang (2013), the study will require a computer set, internet, note
taking materials, and data storage devices. The researcher may also need to be enlightened on
how to conduct thematic data analysis and a method of data analysis.