AN ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT IN

THE GHANA LAND ADMINISTRATION PROJECT PHASE II (LAPII)

i
 ABSTRACT
Failure to deliver successful projects has been at the top of the list of management
concerns for many years, and ineffective communication has been identified as one of the
main reason why most projects fail. This study was an empirical investigation into the
assessment of Project Communications Management in the Ghana Land Administration
Project Phase II (LAP II). In order to achieve the aim of the study, the following
objective were advanced; to identify the various communication channels employed in
the LAP II; to identify the challenges encountered in the management of the
communication channels; and to identify effective ways of managing the communication
channels. The research depended largely on primary data source from sixty-five
respondents using questionnaires. The target population constituted about two hundred
stakeholders of the Land Administration Project. The non-probability sampling technique
was used in this study. At the end of the study, the various communication channels
employed in LAP II in their order of ranking or magnitude of occurrence were Meetings,
Seminars/Workshops, Daily Team Briefings, Reports, E-mails, Focus Group Discussions,
Social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), Panel Discussion,
Notices/posters, Presentations, Advertisement, Brochures/newsletters, Town Hall
Meetings, Newspaper and Video Conferencing. The challenges encountered in the
management of the communication channels were: Lack of free flow of information;
Difficulties in accessing information on the internet; Delays in receiving information;
Ineffective reporting system; were perceived to be most challenging because their relative
importance index values fell above the minimum importance threshold value of 0.700.
Poor quality of printed materials, unclear communication channels and unclear
Communication Objectives were perceived not be challenging because their relative
importance index values fell short of the minimum importance threshold value of 0.700.
Lastly, the study identified some strategies that were used to effectively manage the
communication channels which include; Clear Chain of Command, Communication with
Teams, Executives and Leadership; Regular Team Briefings; Avenues for Knowledge
Sharing and documents; Use of Mobile Technology among Team Members; Bottom-up
Approach to Communication and Use of Multilingualism during workshops/seminars. It
can therefore be concluded that, in project communication management, the choice of the

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right communication channel and appropriate communication tools are key ingredients in
ensuring effective communication delivery. It is therefore recommended that project
managers/team leaders consider the design and deployment of the right communication
channels and tools for the successful implementation of their projects.

Key Words: Project, Communication channels, Management.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION..................................................................................................................i

ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................iv

LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................vii

LIST OF FIGURES..........................................................................................................viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................................x

DEDICATION....................................................................................................................xi

CHAPTER ONE................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY..............................................................................1

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM......................................................................................4

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES.............................................................................................5

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY...........................................................................6

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY......................................................................................................7

1.7 METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................7

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY............................................................................8

CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................10

LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................................10

2.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................10

2.2 COMMUNICATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT...........................................10

2.2.1 The Meaning of Communication............................................................................10

2.2.2 Importance of Effective Communication................................................................13

2.3 TYPES AND CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION............................................17

2.3.1 Types of Communication........................................................................................17

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2.3.2 Channels of Communication...................................................................................22

2.4 CHALLENGES TO PROJECT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

MANAGEMENT...............................................................................................................31

2.4.1 Challenges for the Project Manager........................................................................34

2.5 THE COMMUNICATION PLAN...........................................................................37

2.6 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................43

CHAPTER THREE.........................................................................................................44

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................................44

3.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................44

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN.................................................................................................44

3.2.1 Research Strategy......................................................................................................45

3.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................45

3.4 POPULATION............................................................................................................46

3.4.1 Sample Size...............................................................................................................46

3.4.2 Sampling Techniques Used.......................................................................................48

3.5 DATA COLLECTION................................................................................................49

3.5.1 Primary and Secondary Information.........................................................................49

3.5.2 Questionnaire Design................................................................................................50

3.6 METHOD OF ANALYSIS..........................................................................................51

3.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS.................................................................................51

CHAPTER FOUR...........................................................................................................53

DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS..............................................53

4.1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................53

4.2 PRESENTATION AND SOURCES OF DATA.........................................................53

4.3 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF RESPONDENTS.................................................53

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4.4 THE VARIOUS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS EMPLOYED ON THE LAP II
........................................................................................................................................... 55

4.4.1 The Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II............................56

4.5 CHALLENGES TO THE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS..................................58

4.5.2 Relative Importance Index (RII)...............................................................................59

4.6 WAYS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNICATION

CHANNELS......................................................................................................................60

CHAPTER FIVE.............................................................................................................65

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS........65

5.1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................65

5.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS.......................................................................................65

5.2.1 The Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II............................65

5.2.2 Challenges to the communication channels..............................................................66

5.2.3 Ways for Effective Management of the Communication Channels.........................67

5.3. OTHER FINDINGS....................................................................................................67

5.4 CONCLUSIONS..........................................................................................................68

6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................68

REFERENCES..................................................................................................................69

APPENDIX A..................................................................................................................73

APPENDIX B....................................................................................................................77

APPENDIX C....................................................................................................................78

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1: Socio demographic information of respondents...............................................54

Table 4.2: Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II...........................56
Table 4.3: Challenges to the communication channels in LAP II Project.........................58
Table 4.4: Ways for Effective Management of the Communication Channels.................62

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Communication Channels, Styles and Tools, (Koivula, 2009)..........................27

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 ABBREVIATIONS
AMA Accra Metropolitan Assembly
CSO Civil Society Organizations
GBA Ghana Bar Association
GIoP Ghana Institution of Planners
KNUST Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology
LAP Land Administration Project
MWR Ministry of Water Resources
NCCE National Commission on Civic Education
PAD Project Appraisal Document
PIM Project Implementation Manual
PMBOK Project Management Body of Knowledge
MLNR Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

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x
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Land Administration Project (LAP) is a project implemented by the Ministry of

Lands and Natural Resources aimed at implementing key policy actions and reforms

recommended in the Ghana Land Policy of 1999, to address critical issues and

constraints such as excessive conflicts, inadequate legislative frameworks and weak

institutional capacity that ultimately prevent effective land administration in the

country.

The project is expected to last between 15-25 years. The objective of the first phase of

the project (LAP I), which was implemented from 2003 to 2010, was to develop a

sustainable and well-functioning land administration system that is fair, efficient, cost

effective, decentralized and that enhances land tenure security. The first phase of the

reforms implemented involved a number of tasks that laid the foundations for the

project to achieve its goals. LAP 1 involved reviews of the statutes on land; institutional

reforms; pilots of a number of initiatives, such as customary boundary demarcation,

the establishment of customary lands secretariats, digitizing land records, and the

establishment of land courts. However, the current research is on the second phase of

the project, (LAP II), which was implemented from 2011 to 2016, designed to

consolidate and strengthen urban and rural land administration and management

systems for efficient and transparent land service delivery LAP II PIM (2011). It seeks

to secure and complete the legal and institutional reforms started in LAP I. Among

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other things, LAP II aims to enable land sector agencies to be more responsive to

clients, cut down the cost and time of doing business and provide an enabling

environment to deliver an efficient and transparent service LAP II PIM (2011).

Excellent communication is a critical component of project success. In fact, according

to the Project Management Institute (PMI, 2013), most project failures are due to

communication issues. One out of five projects is unsuccessful due to ineffective

communications PMI (2013). The Standish Group Chaos Report (2014), an independent

international Information Technology (IT) research advisory firm listed constant

communication as one of the keys to successful Projects and the lack of it as one of the

failure factors in IT projects in its reports. Successful project communication

management is about being there for everyone, being in touch with the real

challenges of the project, understanding the real issues within the team who must

deliver the project as well as understanding the issues of the sponsors who the team

delivers the project for. Being present, visible and engaged with everyone is important –

during the good times and the challenging times. Project communication management

consists of three processes that help make sure the right messages are sent, received,

and understood by the right people. The processes included in this area have changed

over the years, but in the current version, that is the PMBOK 6 th Edition, there are three

primary project communication management processes, namely: Plan communications

management, Manage communications and Monitor communications

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Communication tools play an important role in the different phases of project

development. There are three types of different communication phases in the

development of projects. The first level is outside of the project; without the link of the

project, second at the inception stage of the project; during the specification of the

project and third inside the project; during the implementation of the project (Goozol

and Scoubreau (2003). The main goal of any communication strategy is to create

awareness or good reputation of the project so that the target groups will have better

picture about the project Goozol and Scoubreau (2003). Xu et al. (2010) argued that

communication competency plays an important role in a work place for job

performance, job satisfaction and retention of employees in projects.

Knowledge sharing is the outcome of formal and informal communication. The formal

can be by formal technology fairs, scheduled meetings or request for information.

Whereas the informal mechanism can be bench marking research and product or service

demonstration Lawson et al. (2009). This study intends to conduct an assessment of

how communication channels were managed in the LAP II. Whether the

communication plan and strategy designed for the project implementation was adhered

to and any challenges with its implementation. Lessons learned will help in the

improvement of project communication management in future projects especially in the

Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

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1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Failure to deliver successful projects has been top of the list of management concerns

for many years, and ineffective communication has been identified as one of the main

reason why most projects fail PMI (2013). The role of communication and its

significance in project management literature has been reviewed extensively, focusing

on the relationship between communication and project management. This has led to

communication being linked to the success or failure of projects.

Studies on the effect of communication management on project delivery like in the case

of Affare (2012) on the Construction Industry concluded that poor communication

resulted in project delays, project cost overrun and project abandonment. Project

communications was also shown to strongly affect the performance of professionals

within the construction industry. The hindrances to effective communication included

poor listening, poor leadership, unclear communication objectives, unclear channels of

communication, ineffective reporting system, ineffective communication between the

parties on the project, stereotyping and language difficulties.

The literature on project communications management is very vast but tend to focus

more on the management of project communication in general (Koivula, Jonna (2009);

Abudi, G. (2013); PMI(2002); Ruuska, Kai, (1996). But communication on projects is

very challenging. There are so many individuals that must communicated with from the

very beginning through to implementation and evaluation – and they all want to be

communicated with differently. Additionally, communications vary depending on the

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role we have play on the project, the stage of the project that we are in, and with whom

we are communicating. Therefore, planning the appropriate communication channels

and managing them effectively will ensure smooth information flow among all

stakeholders. In Sanders, M., and Wolf, Debra L. (2014) communication channels are

pathways with two elements: the message transmitted (or content), and the medium

used to communicate the message. Ensuring appropriate communication channels

means fitting the message content results in communicating efficiently and effectively.

However, inappropriate communication channels can result in communication

breakdowns, mistakes, loss of trust and integrity, and inefficiencies, resulting in project

issues. This study therefore focuses on assessing how communication channels were

managed during the implementation of the LAPII, which enable the author determine to

what extent it contributed to the project delivery and key lessons to be learned.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the research was to assess how communication channels were managed in

the LAP II.

The objectives of the research were:

 To identify the various communication channels employed in the LAP II.

 To identify challenges to the management of the communication channels in the

LAP II Project; and

 To identify effective ways of managing the communication channels in the LAP

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1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following are the key research questions to be investigated:

1. Is it enough to have a well-developed project communication plan?

2. Do project managers follow through or implement channels of communication

identified in the plan to manage their communication with all stakeholders?

3. What is the impact of poor communication on project management?

This study therefore seeks answers to the above research questions by using the Ghana

LAP II as a case study.

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The PMBOK which is the manual for project management has prescribed the

steps/processes to be followed in order to execute projects successfully. However,

knowledge addition in solving problems in society, especially project management

challenges is essential aspects of national development. This has become even more

important for Public Sector Institutions. Poorly managed public-sector projects cost

Ghana government a significant portion of the tax payer’s money, when projects are not

completed or abandoned, leading to initial capital investments becoming wasted, and

issues of claims settlement cropping up.

One critical factor that can contribute to successful project management is

communication. The cliché that communication is the lifeblood of every organization

cannot be overemphasized. Communication plays a very vital role in all stages of

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project management and any challenges in communication management can affect the

achievement of project goals and objectives.

This study is therefore seeking to assess the communication management practices

employed on the LAP II, identify any challenges to the communication management

practices and the lessons learned can be useful in the implementation of future

projects.

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY

This study would not consider the Ghana Land Administration Project Phase 1, which

commenced in 2003 and ended in 2010. The scope of the study would therefore be

limited to only the Phase II of the Ghana Land Administration Project from 2011 to

2016. The choice is as a result of the fact that, the Phase II is current and was meant to

build on the gains of the Phase I. Again, even though, stakeholders of the Land

Administration Project covers the whole country, concentration would be on only key

stakeholders such as the Ministry of Lands & Natural Resources, the Project

Management Secretariat, the Land Sector Agencies and their Divisions, Donor Partners

and some selected ministries who were directly involve in the project implementation.

1.7 METHODOLOGY

This study relied on both primary and secondary data sources for analysis. The primary

data source was mainly from questionnaires. Closed and open ended questionnaires

were developed and administered to the relevant stakeholders who were directly

involved in the implementation of the LAP II. They comprised of members of the

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project management unit, team leaders, land sector agencies, donor partners and

selected ministries. The open ended was to enable respondents provide specific answers

to some of the questions posed. Snowball sampling method was used to select

respondents since the project has been decommissioned.

Analysis on how communication channels were managed during the LAP II project

implementation, the compliance of the project team to the communication plan and the

determination of its effectiveness and impact on project outcomes will be done using

secondary data. Specifically, the researcher reviewed the following documents;

communication plan, LAP Implementation Manual, reports, minutes of meetings and

the Project Appraisal Document on LAP prepared by the World Bank at the end of the

Phase II. Other sources of secondary sources of data were from Journals, articles,

books, published theses, internet source etc.

Extensive literature on the research topic was reviewed to gain more insight on what has

also been done on the topic by other researchers. Descriptive statistics was used for the

analysis with the help of the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). The analysed

data were presented in tables with detailed explanations beneath them.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

Chapter 1 related to the background of the research and the research questions. It

entailed the aim, objectives, significance of the study, scope, methodology and related

activities.

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Chapter 2 Considered the Literature Review. This chapter discussed issues related to

the research topic by other authors. It also highlighted various commentaries and

current knowledge on the topic as a foundation to support the research.

Chapter 3 was Research Methodology. This chapter gave out step by step approach to

how the research was conducted. It introduced and broadened the reader to various

stages of the research activity. The issue of questionnaire to be developed and data

collection methods were discussed.

Chapter 4 discussed the Results of the Data Analysis. The main findings of the

research were detailed and discussed in this Chapter.

Chapter 5 was a summary of the findings and Conclusion. This chapter presented

the summary of findings and drew conclusion from the study.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter is focused on the theoretical background of this research. The chapter is

divided into five sections. The first one is the introduction to communication, several

definitions are presented and the importance of communication in project management

is explained. The next section describes the types of communication and the

communication channels, styles and tools often used. The third section focuses on the

challenges of communicating in a project environment, considering the specific

challenges of the project manager. The fourth section discusses an important aspect of

project communication success, the communication plan. Finally, a summary made by

the author about the literature review is presented in the final section of the chapter.

2.2 COMMUNICATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

2.2.1 The Meaning of Communication

Communication is an action between at least two persons, where messages are

delivered, received and reacted to among participants. In project management,

communication should be seen both as a resource and a tool Ruuska, Project

Communication (1996). As a resource, communication can be paralleled to people,

time, money and equipment. Just as the use of time and work power has to be planned

and targeted for the project, communication requires same kind of systematic resource

allocation. Project communication is also a crucial tool for the exploitation of other

resources. If you struggle with communication, you will probably struggle with the

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project as well. Communications do not only occur between individuals, but can occur

between groups or organizations Baguley (1994). Project management therefore, is a

team activity involving many different actors specialized in many different topics in

order to fulfil the project goals. To communicate is to bridge a distance of some

description, which can range from being short and simple (e.g. between two people) to

long and complex e.g. across the world Skyttner (1998).

These definitions of communication all point to the simple understanding that

communication is basically the exchange of information between people. This

interaction will be determined by the rules and norms of social behaviour, as it is people

who translate the meanings and utilize the information Gayeski (1993).

This statement proposes communication as a two-way process. That is, communication

involves the giving out of messages from one person and the receiving (including

successful understanding) of messages by another in response Torrington and Hall,

(1998). In other words, in order to be successful in communication, the source of the

information has to receive feedback about it. The receiver of the information has to give

feedback that the message has been received, understood and will resolve the issue if

not as soon as possible. The ways of communicating information can be multiple. These

are; the speech, body language, writing, electronic data or a combination of these forms.

In addition, communication can be viewed as a professional practice, where appropriate

rules and tools can be applied to enhance the utility of the information communicated,

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as much as it can be viewed as a social process of interaction between people Dainty et

al. (2006).

In his article, dealing with project communication, Ruuska (2007) lists five important

factors for project communication;

 Project communication is a supporting activity, with which it is made possible to

create an end product from the project, and transfer it to both customers and end

users.

 In order to create a positive and reliable service profile, communication

is needed for both profiling and being profiled.

 Project communication is an informative tool, which communicates to

all relative groups what is happening in the project.

 Orientation activities rely strongly on communication. This is important when

different specialists working with project are given proper orientation.

 By the social nature of people, interaction with each other is needed in order to

satisfy the social needs of human nature Ruuska (2007).

The importance of communication in project management is often personified. For

example, as a project manager, your communication skills have a major impact on how

you are able to “sell” the project for the stakeholders, how you manage expectations and

not forgetting how your communication skills result in managing the project team,

reducing unnecessary conflicts and even getting “forgiveness” because of

communicating effectively Horine (2005). For us, communication is an activity which

12
we perform constantly without putting much thought in it. This might be one reason we

often take it for granted and leave it without specific planning in project management.

Yet, time and time again, the lack of, or inadequacy of, communication is very often

listed as an area needing improvement in the assessment of finished projects (Project

Management – Communication... 2002). Project communication should be systematic,

continuous, well planned and informative in the right way. It is easy to slide aside from

the golden meaning, if the communication activities are not planned thoroughly enough;

either you give too little or too much of information. With well-constructed and

implemented communication plan, project management can engage people to work for

the project and this way, smoothen the overall project operations.

2.2.2 Importance of Effective Communication

Individuals, project teams or entire organizations cannot underestimate the importance

of effective communication. There is a lot of literature on management containing

important values on how to communicate effectively with your co-workers. Either

individually or like a team. In the industry it is tough to function properly if people do

not develop an agreed communication to reinforce the work. In the same way,

management of projects also demands effective communication networks, to enable all

the actors get involved in it. Armstrong (2001) concisely summarizes the importance of

communication in team projects:

 Achieving coordinated results – most projects function by means of the

collective actions of actors, but independent actions lead to outcomes in-

13
 congruent with the project objectives. Coordinated outcomes, therefore demand

effective communications.

 Managing change – most projects are also subject to continuous change. This, in

turn, affects their teams. Acceptance and disposition to embrace change is

possible only if the reasons for this change are well communicated.

 Motivating workforce – the degree to which an individual is motivated to work

effectively in a project is dependent upon the responsibility they have, and the

scope for achievement afforded by their role. Feelings in this regard will depend

upon the quality of communications from senior managers within their projects.

 Understanding the needs of the workforce – within team projects, to be able to

respond effectively to the needs of the employees, it is vital that managers

develop an efficient channel of communication. This two-way channel must

allow the feedback from the workforce on organizational policy in a way that

encourages an open and honest dialogue between employees at all levels, even

at the top-level managers of the team.

Noting all the benefits mentioned above, that good communication within a team that

manages a project brings, it can be said that bad communication can lead to not

understanding correctly the management decisions and lead to actions that can

negatively affect the success of the project. In the same way, managers may

misunderstand the needs of their employees. These misinterpretations imply that, the

team may not perform at full capacity and that may generate uncomfortable situations,

making them blame each other for not communicating effectively. Therefore, effective

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communication is necessary for strengthening relationships and collaboration among

employees, proposing an improvement in working conditions, among others.

Nutcache’s project management team (2019) discusses five reasons that justify the

importance of communication in project management. Effective communication relies

on verbal and non-verbal body language that transmits a message while relying on cues

for feedback. Here are the five reasons that justify the importance of communication in

project management as presented by Nutcache’s project management team (2019).

Relaying information

In Nutcache’s project management team (2019), as a project manager, you need to

ensure that the team members and the stakeholders are informed of what you expect of

them – their responsibilities and other time constraints that prevent them from

accomplishing the task on time. As the project manager, it is also your task to keep

them informed of project details and progress.

Receiving information

Again in Nutcache’s project management team (2019), in order to relay information, it

is a must that project managers regularly access the information for a given project. At

any time, there may be stakeholders who need information about the project such as the

objectives, plan, risks, customer needs, and time constraints. Adherence to a system of

regular and focused communication can prevent misunderstandings and delays that can

cause failure in any project.

Change in situation

All projects are fluid and the project manager needs to prepare for the challenges that he

will face from the start until the project completion or end. To ensure effective

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communication throughout the whole project and team, a communication plan needs to

be developed at start – planning stage. The communication plan will contain the type of

communication required during specific meetings, who needs to be communicated with,

the frequency of communication needed, and the needs to be communicated Nutcache’s

project management team (2019)

Discussing problems

Nutcache’s project management team (2019), also stated that in terms of project

problems, the fish bone diagram is essential in solving the causes for every problem.

The importance of communication in project management cannot be debated upon.

However, communication comes in various forms. Apart from a fish bone diagram, one

can also discuss other topics through info-graphics, linear/bar graphs, pie chart, comics,

etc.

Bridging the language gap

Similarly, in Nutcache’s project management team (2019), the language gap in project

management lies in the distance that hinders the understanding of the business benefits.

The challenges of using language to deliver information that is often unclear and filled

with project management jargon raises the importance of project communication.

Communication may mean being able to speak, listen and be listened to. It can also be

called interaction. Therefore, in project management, there is a need for the team to

understand the long-term goal of the business, so that they know how they have

contributed to it and learn how they can make an impact. Project success depends on

effective communication and this is the importance of communication in any project.

Improving communication maximizes success and minimizes risk. In addition, if a

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project manager can develop effective communication with his/her stakeholders; this

may mean more projects for him/her and the team.

2.3 TYPES AND CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

2.3.1 Types of Communication

Michael Campell, PMP (2009) discussed the different types of communication that

you will need to be familiar with if you want to successfully manage your project.

Project communication has many different facets that the project manager needs to be

able to handle.

Here are some examples of the wide range of communication skills needed as

discussed in Michael Campell, PMP (2009):

 From describing the project vision to assigning daily tasks

 From working with executives to working with the project team

 From negotiating project scope with clients to negotiating contracts with

vendors

 From large group presentations to individual performance reviews

To get a better feel of the communication skills a project manager needs, Michael

Campell, PMP (2009) gave a detailed account of some of the different aspects of

communication in a project environment.

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2.3.1.1 Different Types of Communication in Projects

In Michael Campell, PMP (2009), there are many perspectives to project

communication. He discussed four types of communication aspects project managers

need to be aware of as...

 Project Perspective

 Organizational Perspective

 Formality Perspective

 Channel Perspective

In his publication “Communication Skills for Project Managers”, Michael Campell,

PMP (2009) discussed the details of the four types of communication as presented

below.

Project Perspective

From a project perspective, communication can be looked at as either internal or

external.

Internal communication is the communication that takes place between project team

members. Generally, this type of communication is "raw." It may involve a lot of back-

and-forth discussion as plans or issues are worked out.

External communication is communication between project team members and the

other project stakeholders. Examples include communication with internal and external

customers, other projects, and the media. Generally, this type of communication is

cleaned up or otherwise prepared before being presented or sent to the receiving party.

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Organizational Perspective

In Michael Campell, PMP (2009), communication from an organizational perspective

can be categorized as vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. This perspective takes into

account the way organizations are structured.

Vertical communication is the upward and downward communication flow that

happens between different hierarchical levels of the organization. An example of

upward communication is when a project team member provides the project manager

with a status update of his assigned tasks. An example of downward communication is

when the project manager shares the project goals with the project team.

Horizontal communication refers to communication between people at the same

organizational level. An example of horizontal communication is when project team

members discuss project topics with each other.

Diagonal communication takes place between different functional divisions of the

organization. Diagonal communication has become more important as matrix and

project-based organizations become more common. To be effective in these types of

organizations, a project manager has to be familiar with the different functions and

managers within the organization, and then plan his communications accordingly.

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Formality Perspective

Another way to look at project communication is whether it is formal or informal.

Some examples of formal communication include reports, presentations, and media

releases. This type of communication is usually planned and takes some time and effort

to prepare.

Informal communication includes emails and ad-hoc discussions. Informal

communication has increased as many projects start to use social networking.

Many people do not put much thought into their informal communications. However,

effective project managers realize this type of communication is just as important as

formal communication. Whether formal or informal, you need to make sure you

communicate with a purpose and that you put some thought into how you communicate

in order to get the results you want.

Channel Perspective

Under this perspective, Michael Campell, PMP (2009), suggests that project managers

also need to give consideration to the communication channel they will use to deliver

their message.

This perspective deals with how your message will be communicated;

 Verbal or Non-Verbal

 Written or Oral

 Face-to-Face or via Telephone

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There are many types of communication media you can use. These are just a few

examples of the ways you can communicate your message.

Some of the factors to take into account when deciding what channel to use are;

 Purpose of the communication

 Audience

 Type of information

Effective communication skills are the foundation of a project manager's success.

Understanding the different types of communication is important for making sure your

project communication is successful.

2.3.1.2 The Nature of Formal and Informal Communication

Theorists have long recognized that, organizations make use of communication methods

varying in formality, and that, they deploy these different methods for tasks varying in

uncertainty. However, matching the informality of the methods with the uncertainty of

the task leads to better organizational outcomes. At both the organizational and the

small group levels, the coordination of activity is the production-oriented task that has

been examined in detail. Coordination is the activity of directing individuals' efforts

towards achieving common and explicitly recognized goals Blau and Scott (1962). As

Van de Ven, Delbecq, and Koenig (1976) describe it, "coordination means integrating

or linking together different parts of an organization to accomplish a collective set of

tasks". Explicit coordination is necessary in part because individuals within an

organization have only partially overlapping goals. Thus, one of the aims of

coordination is to ensure that the disparate individuals come to share the same goals.

21
But even if these aims were achieved, and their goals were identical, the input-output

dependencies among individuals require that their efforts be sequenced and interrelated

efficiently. Informal communication is a loosely defined concept and it’s often treated

as the residual category in organizational theory. According to this perspective,

informal communication is that which remains when rules and hierarchies, ways of

coordinating activities, are eliminated. More positively, informal communication is the

type that is spontaneous, interactive and rich. Coordination by feedback March and

Simon (1958), through organismic communication networks Tushman and Nadler,

(1978), or by clan mechanisms Ouchi (1980) are alternate ways of describing

coordination by informal communication. The essence of these informal communication

systems is their lack of pre-specification. That is, information is not pre-packaged and

shipped intact to a recipient while courses of action are not pre-computed and executed

without modification. Rather, information is often exchanged interactively, through

meetings and conversations, while courses of action are worked out in the context of the

circumstances into which the actions must fit.

2.3.2 Channels of Communication

Communication runs through different channels, in various styles and by using different

tools to be delivered. Now we will have a bit closer discussion about all above

mentioned factors.

At the top level of how communication moves from one place to another, we are

dealing with communication channels. Charvat (2002) suggests that there are three main

upper level channels of communication in project management. These are namely,

22
upward, lateral and downward channels. The upward channel is about communicating

to the senior executives and these messages highlight the issues, risks and exceptions.

The downward channel communicates to the project team, providing a direction.

Central issues here are pending tasks, scheduled tasks, dates, and general team

briefings. Communication running through downward channel requires delegation skills

in particular Charvat (2002) In this case we can apply the idea of downward channel for

the end users as well, since we have to consider the project management operations as a

part of change management. The end users (such as sales clerks and conductors) are

affected by the outputs of the project and the upcoming change.

Last of the channels, lateral channel, is directed towards clients, vendors and functional

managers. This communication deals in negotiations for resources, budgets, and time

allocations. This requires diplomacy and tact alongside of the interaction.

Communication plan is one tool to be mentioned in this context, although it also links

all three channels together in one plan Charvat (2002). In this case, we could sum up the

lateral channel as external communications.

It is important for the project manager, or other person responsible for communication,

to identify each channel level and adjust the appropriate communication styles and tools

for each situation and message. By identifying the channels first, it is later easier to

conduct the communication, since basic framework is already done. The starting point

is to know your audience. A skill to be able to take the audience's perspective is a nice

23
feature to have, and can be more than beneficial when implementing project

communication.

2.3.2.1 Styles and tools for the communication channels

Once you know which channel of project communication you are operating in, you can

start to figure out the suitable communication style and tool to deliver the message

Keyton (2011). Even though you now know your audience, there can still be differences

on how people adopt information. Here, we call the way people adopt the message as

communication style.

According Keyton (2011). The communication tool on the other hand, stands for the

form in which the message is delivered. For example, a meeting or an e-mail.

Sometimes the tool to be chosen for delivering the message can be critical. If a wrong

kind of tool is used for wrapping the message, it might imply to the recipient that the

sender has a lack of interest to inform people, is arrogant in nature, or just hasty. For

example, if the person receiving the message considers it to have a high influence on his

or her work, but it was communicated using an impersonal tool (e.g. a note on a

billboard), it might evoke the feeling that the management is neglectful and does not

care for the personnel even that much, to deliver this kind of important message in

person. This results in low motivation later to adopt the change and work in the changed

operational environment.

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Even though there can be diversities among your audience (determined by the channel)

in the way people absorb information or in which form they wish to receive it, yet some

outlines can be made. There are five different communication styles to be identified

here: readers, listeners, exchangers, manipulators and viewers Ghattas and McKee

(2001). Next, we will concentrate on each style and how they could be input to the three

different channels (by Charvati, presented in part 4.2) and which tools would be best to

use (see also figure 1).

Upward channel

From the different communication styles, the reader is probably one of the most

common and can be seen in nearly every channel, but this one is emphasized especially

in the upward channel of project communication. Readers prefer to receive their

messages in printed form and require often very detailed information instead of brief

summaries. Tools to be used for readers are different reports and e-mail updates Ghattas

and McKee (2001).

Another style very often reflected in the upward channel is the listener. This style of

person wishes to hear the message him/herself and preferably the short version of the

pig picture. It is often related to busy situation, where the message has to be delivered

fast and concisely. Communication tools preferred by the listeners include e.g. face-to-

face reviews and telephone conversations. Ghattas and McKee (2001).

The third style, exchanger, occurs probably the least in this channel, but, it is good to be

noticed as well. The exchangers adopt the messages best through a dialogue, processing

25
the received information and thinking up while talking. Meetings, conference calls and

instant messaging are common tools for exchangers Ghattas and McKee (2001).

Downward channel

Like stated before, the downward channel consists of the project teams and in addition,

the end users. This group of people most often consists of the styles of exchanger

(presented in previous section), manipulators and viewers. Of course, the most common

style of a reader also exists in this channel. The manipulator is a type of person who

requires a practical approach into the messages. He or she understands the information

best when the message is in concrete form, and also prefer delivering it forward as a

physical problem, instead of verbally describing it, or putting it down in words Ghattas

and McKee (2001).

In a way, the manipulator is very close to the style of a viewer, who then again wishes

to receive the information in the form of drawings, videos, charts, models and diagrams.

This group is the most far away from the style of a reader, and requires a visual message

to best receive the intended information. The communication tools to be used for the

downward channel audience include e.g. minutes, verbal exchange, project plan,

presentations and briefs Ghattas and McKee (2001).

Lateral channel

The lateral communication channel is targeted to deliver messages for clients, vendors

and functional managers, so in most parts to external parties. We could state that based

on the target audience, the most common styles represented here are the reader and

26
exchanger styles. For the nature of being in the external audience, the form of the

message is often either in written form or delivered through meetings.

The tools to deliver messages in the lateral channel are very often statements of work,

contracts of different kinds, e-mails and communication plan Charvat (2002)

Figure 1: Communication Channels, Styles and Tools, (Koivula, 2009)

2.3.2.2 Approaches to Communication

In this section we will build a categorization of views on communication and will use

these views to define a model of communication approaches that are involved in

communication management. At the same time this is a rather impossible job, as there

27
are numerous theories of communication, making it is hard to specify the parameters in

which to look for theories of communication. The first demarcation we could use is that,

communication management is on human communication and not on biological or

telecommunication. Because it is complex, human communication is difficult to define,

hence Littlejohn (1992) advised not to seek for a single definition, but rather look at the

various concepts behind the term Dance (1970). According to Rosengren (2000), a key

aspect of all human communication is meaning, which he explained as the “whole way

in which we understand, explain, feel about and react towards a given phenomenon.”

This concept of meaning is directed toward “the way individuals make sense of their

world through their communicative behaviors” Putnam (1983), and this point of view

begs the question.

There are different types of approaches to communication or communication methods

that are used in project management and these include interactive, push and pull

communication. All of these methods allow the project team leader to get the message

across the organization as well as extract response from the stakeholders effectively. A

project fraught with communication problems leads to delays, misunderstandings,

frustration, workplace conflicts and a mismatch in stakeholder expectations. Hence,

employing effective communication methods are necessary to ensure project success.

The PMBOK 4th edition categorizes methods of communication into:

 Interactive Communication

 Push Communication

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  Pull Communication

Interactive Communication

This is an example of an effective communication method. For Interactive

communication, all stakeholders involved in the communication can respond to each

other in real-time. Some examples of interactive communication include face-to-face

meetings, video conferencing, phone calls, and messenger chats. These methods of

communication are often used in projects and are more effective than other methods of

communication. Within interactive communication, face-to-face meetings are the most

effective because they enable you to view the body language and facial expressions of

the communicating stakeholders. More often than not, you should favor interactive

communication. For example, suppose you need to brainstorm to gather requirements

for a project. You could send an email to all stakeholders for their inputs and then

consolidate the inputs. You could then resend the inputs to the stakeholders. This form

of brainstorming is highly ineffective and unproductive. In this case, it is much better to

get all stakeholders in a room and brainstorm together. However, it is not always the

case that you would have the opportunity to use interactive communication. In addition,

there are scenarios where interactive communication is actually not suitable.

Push Communication

Push communication is one of the effective communication methods in which

information is distributed without any feedback from the recipients. For example, you

may send meeting notes to people after a brainstorming workshop. Similarly, you may

29
"push" information in the form of a report to project stakeholders in the Keep Satisfied

or Keep Informed quadrants of the Power/Interest grid. Organizations use push

communication to notify shareholders through a press release. These methods of

communication are commonly found in projects and organizations. Suppose, you need

to communicate a bug fix to a software developer, who may have left for the day, and

are not available through a mobile phone. This can be done through email or voicemail

because both are effective communication methods and are examples of push

communication.

Pull Communication

The last effective communication method is pull communication. This method of

communication is best for a large audience that needs to access information at their

discretion. In a large project, suppose you have conducted a training for a set of

developers. After the training, to enable developers to access the training material again,

you can upload the slides and other supporting content material via a corporate intranet.

Similarly, after a project ends, you may want to provide access to project artefacts, such

as the precedence diagram and decision trees used to other people in the organization to

use in their projects. As this information will only be accessed when the need arises, it

makes pull communication one of the most appropriate methods of communication.

Fernandez and Fernandez, (2008) studied Agile Project Management, Agilism versus

Traditional Approaches. In their research, corporations have been changing from a

hierarchical approach to project management to being more collaborative as knowledge

work has grown in importance. In the center of increased globalization is the need for

30
project managers to have flexibility in a project system in order to be able to adjust

constantly to emerging challenges and opportunities.

2.4 CHALLENGES TO PROJECT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

MANAGEMENT

Naturally, there are some obstacles and challenges related to communication activities.

Actually, communicating properly and extensively is a challenging task. But once you

are a little aware of what kind of challenges you might run into, it is far easier to tackle

them down, one by one. Next we will take a closer look of some of the most common

obstacles which exist in project communication in particular. Mr. Kailash Awati has

listed three main obstacles to project communication in his article “Obstacles to Project

Communication” (2008). These obstacles are named as political, cultural and linguistic

challenges.

Political aspect

According to Awati, the political obstacle appears because of vested interests and power

games, which can get in the way of communication. This exists especially at the higher

levels of the organization, usually just above the one where the project itself is being

planned and executed. In large organizations it is very important to take into

consideration the different hierarchical levels and their representatives, in order to

assure that the message becomes presented and handled in the correct manner. Stepping

on one's toes or getting lost in one's vested interests may harm the entity or even twist

the outcome. Sometimes it is simply not possible to please every party and

compromises are required. Awati recommends as a solution to recognize the main

31
political players well in advance, and to see some special effort in order to gain their

trust, and to get them to work in favor of the project. He also addresses the importance

of dealing with the arising problems in the particular level they generate, instead of

taking the problematic issues up in the hierarchy right away. This way you promote

cooperation at all levels and avoid stepping on anyone's toes.

Cultural aspect

According to Awati, the cultural obstacle arises from both organizational cultural

differences and differences in geographically distributed project teams. In this study we

will concentrate on a domestic point of view, contemplating on the cross-organizational

factors inside the company and among the external partner operators.

It is stated in the article by Awati, that the organization values and cultures, which both

have an impact of their own to communication, can greatly vary from one to another

between and even inside organizations. Independently operating departments can have

different expectations and customs when it comes to communication and interaction. On

one side, we might have a very open, flat hierarchical communication where anyone can

state their opinion, and on the other side we might have very conservative, position

related pecking order, where you have to know the customs in order to communicate

"correctly".

In such cases Awati recommends the project managers taking the role of an

intermediate, facilitating communication between parties. This requires a certain level

of understanding of the divergences inside the organization, in order that the project

32
managers can effectively operate as an intermediate and guarantee smooth interaction

and exchange of communication.

Linguistic aspect

When tackling the linguistic obstacle, Mr. Awati's article underlines especially the

specialized terminology which is used by different departments inside an organization.

Different terms can vary greatly depending on which department is using them, e.g.

from the Marketing department to IT and so on.

Terms used in such documents, that are distributed broadly around organization and

even for outside operators, should be united in meaning or at least, should be explained

in the context where they are used. Completely new terms might be born along the

project, which then should later be embedded into the working community. In such

cases the new term should be well in advance defined and recorded, and later correctly

used in the right context.

Personal aspect

Of course, all the previous mentioned aspects have an impact of their own when it

comes to communication challenges, but, in addition to those we cannot disregard the

challenges we are facing at the very personal level of communication. All past

experience, assumptions and expectations affect how the intended message translates

into a perception of a single person Horine (2005). This basically means that whatever

the learning styles and filters (culture, attitude, values and benefits) of a person are, they

transform the past experience and assumptions to how the message will be received and

33
how well it will be understood by the person. Also the communication skills and even

the current state, whether physical, emotional, self-concept or noise, affects the

resulting perception of the intended message. The person being responsible for the

project communication must be aware of and able to control these different challenges,

in order to deliver effective communications.

2.4.1 Challenges for the Project Manager

It can be said that, the success or failure of the project relies on the skills of managers.

The effort made by a manager has a direct impact on the satisfaction of the rest of the

project team members. Pinto (1991) argues that, one of its most important roles is to

ensure there is job satisfaction of other members and create positive relationships

between workers and managers. These tasks present a challenge, of leadership and

communication capacity, for the project manager, who has to ensure that his team is

satisfied to obtain the best results from each of the members and thus meet the

objectives Pettit et al. (1997). In addition to these tasks, the project manager has to

make decisions in accordance with the interests of the company for which he works.

Therefore, the project manager is one of the most important actors for the correct

delivery of the project. In fact, its role is to try to please all the parties involved,

balancing their decisions. By working within a group that you have probably never

worked with, the difficulty of your work is capital. According to Emmitt and Gorse

(2003), surprisingly little research has been done on the interaction between the project

34
manager and the other actors involved. However, Turner (1998) defines a series of

leadership qualities that the project manager must possess:

 Results orientation and problem solving ability: Project managers must be

intelligent and capable of analyzing and solving the complex situations that arise

in order to reach the desired objectives.

 Energy an initiative: Project managers must be able to work under

pressure, while at the same time solving difficulties with initiative.

 Self-assurance: Project managers need to have confidence in themselves.

They should not seem overbearing, but self-assured to convey the necessary

confidence to the rest of the team.

 Negotiating ability: Project managers must be able to overcome negotiation to a

possible lack of authority. They also have to negotiate with investors and lower

their expectations if necessary.

 Perspective: Project managers, should look beyond the team and beyond how

they influence the organization of the company. They must be able to see

beyond the immediate activities of the construction, in order to anticipate

changes during the project and be able to anticipate problems to solve them

in time.

 Communication: Another key characteristic of project managers is that

they must be able to communicate clearly. They must be able to

communicate effectively at all levels, from the investors to the fellows in

the team. This

35
 interaction with the different members requires different communication skills

that are very important.

It can be deduced from these skills that communication is linked to good leadership.

Leadership qualities have a special significance in project-based sectors, as the project

manager is a single integrative source of responsibility Partington (2003). The leader

must effectively communicate the vision of what the organization is trying to achieve

Thompson and McHugh (2002). Project managers who try to solve complex situations

that will arise during the lifetime of the project must apply these leadership skills. These

situations can be given at different levels, and according to Turner (1998), the levels are

as follows:

 The Integrative level: At this level, the objectives of the projects are defined

together with the risks that are agreed to assume. It also defines the resources to

use and the restrictions.

 The Strategic or Administrative level: At this level, the short-term objectives are

defined, that is, the milestones that are wanted to achieve as the project

progresses. It also decides the agenda and the calendar that helps to manage the

project day by day.

 The Tactical or Operational level: This level defines all the activities necessary

to achieve the milestones previously defined, with the responsibilities of all the

parties involved and their tasks. Each of these levels of management defines a

number of challenges for the construction project manager.

36
In relation to communication, at the first level, the manager should focus on

communicating the vision of the project and ensuring that they have all the necessary

and adequate resources to achieve the objectives. At the second level, the manager

should emphasize on communicating that, the stated objectives are possible and make

clear the boundaries that define the project. The last level is more focused on the

individual tasks. So the manager should focus on convincing all participants that, they

have a key role in the project as a whole. The ability of the manager to move between

these levels and be able to use correctly different communicative functions, define him

as a key role and one of the most demanded in the project management world.

2.5 THE COMMUNICATION PLAN

In the previous chapters, we have already few times mentioned the communication plan,

but not opened the concept any further. What is communication plan? Why do we need

a communication plan? Whose is it to take care of, to create and supervise? As a project

manager, you do not want to run into feedback, where the key words are random,

unplanned, poor timing and vague message. Communication plan can be seen as a tool

to fight against such words.

What is a communication plan?

Communication plan gathers communication related activities, goals, tools, audiences

and timetables together in one place. It sets a framework for the communication tasks

and gives a concrete conception or otherwise of an abstract activity. By this, I mean that

communication can take place everywhere and all the time, without planning,

organizing or recording of such activity. In a communication plan this kind of "abstract"

37
activity is put in a concrete form, where it is needed to be planned, processed,

organized, implemented, and recorded.

In his article, Communication plans are key to project success (2000), Mr. Rick

Freedman points out that, the communication plan should be divided into project

communication and constituent communication. He sees that, part of project

communication deals more with interaction activities needed for delivering quality

engagement, whereas the constituent communication is focusing particularly on clients

and stakeholders. In a way we could discuss the project communication as internal and

constituent communication as external activity, which both need to be addressed but

dealt with in different manners.

In addition, Holtz (2004) addresses the two distinct communication plans: general and

special communication plan. According to Holtz, engagement to both plans by the

people responsible for communication is required, since the general plan serves the

communication activities throughout the organization, while the special plan

concentrates on a specific field. In our case, we are discussing the special

communication plan in the light of project communication channel management. The

essence of the project communication is the project plan, which should be remembered

to be revised, reviewed and revisited throughout the project Freedman (2000) – basic

rule of project management.

38
Why do we need a communication plan?

Since communication takes place everywhere and all the time both consciously and

unconsciously, we need a helping tool to track and control this activity. The central

purpose of the communication plan is to share the essential information for the target

audience at the correct time Kaushik (2009). But it is important to remember that, the

communication plan is not just a one-time-thing to get over with and leave it in the

corner where no-one will take a look at. Just like the project plan, the communication

plan should be visited, revised, and reviewed from time to time. This is because the

communication plan offers you afterwards information about your level of success in

communication.

Mayhall (2009) addresses the four important activities related to creating and

implementing a communication plan. Firstly, you need to describe the predominant

situation and the needs for communication, which is called the research phase. Next,

you ought to analyze the targets and objectives for your communication and determine

the target audience together with the tactics to be used. Thirdly, you implement your

communication plan, which is the phase of communicating. Finally, you face the stage

of evaluation: How did you achieve the goals and objectives determined in the

beginning? Determine the level of success based on the results. This final phase

constitutes one of the areas of this research, to determine the extent to which the LAP II

project communication plan was implemented.

39
So, in addition to the fact that the communication plan is a sort of a road map for your

communication activities, it also provides indicators of your success. Since it is often

difficult to find proper and useful barometers, use the work already done in

communication plan to evaluate your work and get the best use out of it.

What is included to the plan?

You do not necessarily need any complex programs to create your communication plan,

for example, Excel works just fine for that. But, what is important to understand are the

various parts of the plan and their purposes.

Environment

As already discussed, you should start by defining the environment, including the

organizational culture that you operate in, and aim to understand it Newton (2007).

When you know your environment you work in, you are able to alter the methods and

nature of your communication to suite the situation best. Particularly in cases where

external consultants are used in order to help your communication activities, it is

important that central people inside the organization are tied to the work as well Newton

(2007). Close operation with the staff is required so that the message outcomes are in

correct form for the organization in question.

Goals

The environment analysis is more or less the background work for the communication

plan and the next parts are actual elements of your communication plan. First, you have

the overall goals and vision, towards which the project is targeted, so next you should

identify goals for each and every message you list in your communication plan. Even

though a goal may not easily be measurable, you can still tell whether or not it was

40
successfully achieved, later when you evaluate the overall success in the project Holz

(2004).

Key messages

The message you intend to deliver forward is a key element in your communication

plan. Based on the message, you determine the target audience, primal goal to be

achieved with the message and other relevant things, which are presented in following

parts. Sources for the messages can be various, from project plans to project outcomes,

or status reports Newton (2007).

Audience

Know your audience. That is the basic rule when preparing a presentation and can just

as well be applied in your communication planning. Your audience is versatile, even if

the message would be targeted just internally for the staff. But the nature of the message

somewhat changes, when the target audience is top managers and not the front-line

workers. It is recommended to segment your audience, after which it is easier to revise

the message to suit the needs of the target audience – what do they find relevant and

how would they wish to receive the message Holtz (2004). Already, the factor whether

the message is intended to be communicated externally or internally effects on the final

message. It is also important to notice that the communication is not just a one-way

road, in addition, you delivering the message to the audience you have defined, it is also

the audience you expect to give feedback and they expect you to listen Newton (2007).

41
Communication activities

The communication activities are basically the means through which you get your

message delivered and achieve the set goals. The communication activity can also be

considered as a strategy Holtz (2004). In addition, the activities might also include some

additional supporting material, which needs to be taken into consideration when

implementing the actual message. For example, taking into account what would people

need or want to know in advance, which interest groups should be tied to the message

and how they should be consulted about it, or how feedback will eventually be

collected, are all points to consider in your list of activities Newton (2007).

Timing and media

We have earlier addressed the importance of timing and also discussed the different

tools to use for communication. So, now that you know what your message is, to whom

your message is targeted, and what the related activities in doing so are, when deciding

the point in time when to deliver the message, one core factor is the project plan and

possible set milestones of a project They often give a nice guideline for your

communication plan, but are not dominant alone Newton (2007, 197-198).

What you need to do, is to evaluate the suitable level of media to be used for each key

message and target audience you have in your communication plan. Consideration also

about how people would expect to receive such information is in place, since it may

affect the reception or reaction to the message.

42
2.6 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

The objectives of the literature review were to understand communication in the context

of project. To identify the communication types, channels and challenges in projects

and to see how these challenges can be tackled. To achieve these objectives, a large

number of articles on communication in project management have been studied. Those

most relevant have finally been used to explain the current situation of communication

in the project management.

The literature review begun with a first section that introduced communication in the

project environment. Communication has been defined and the importance of effective

communication has been explained. In the next section, an analysis of communication

within the context of project management was carried out – the types and channels of

communication. The third section discussed the communication challenges and

problems that can arise in projects. The last section of the literature review explained

the meaning and importance of a project plan to the success of every project.

43
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter is focused on the theoretical background of this research, which is an

assessment of project communications management in the Ghana Land Administration

Project Phase II.

It further explains the research design, data collection and analysis methods used to

address the problem and answer the key research questions raised. The methodology

underpinning this research is quantitative which uses quantitative data and employ the

use of statistics in the analysis and also ensure the subjective participation of the

researcher.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design use survey in the form of standardized questionnaires. A survey

study was deemed appropriate for this research for three reasons:

 Survey research involved data collection from a group, generalizing the

result of study to predict the attitude of the population of interest;

 The survey questionnaire may be structured to elicit information from the

population of interest in a systematic and unbiased manner; and

 They permit statistical analysis of data and generalization to a larger population,

which makes them suitable for this research.

However, surveys questionnaires also have some limitations and problems which are

related to missing data and complexities in the analyses.

44
3.2.1 Research Strategy

A quantitative strategy was adopted in answering the questions because the quantitative

research follows a deductive approach in relation to theory and is concerned with the

design measurement and sampling Naoum (2002). This method is best suitable for this

study as it enables the answering of the research questions using the collection of

quantitative data and statistically analyzing the data. Quantitative research is also

objective in nature and based on testing a hypothesis or theory composed of variables

Naoum (2002). Frechtling and Sharp (1997) as cited by Naoum (2002), characterized

the common data collection techniques used in quantitative research as questionnaires,

tests and existing databases. Hard and reliable data are often collected in quantitative

research and, therefore, emphasizes on quantification. The samples collected are often

large and representative. This means that quantitative research results can be

generalized to a larger population within acceptable error limits. The question which

this research sorts to address is how communication channels were managed within the

LAP II.

3.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is the specific procedure or techniques used identify process and

analyse information about research questions. It provides tools for doing research and

obtaining useful information. The research methodology adopted for this research is

quantitative research. It incorporates the process of the study, which is, conceptualizing

and observing the problem under study, measuring variables and verifying existing

processes, data collection and analysis, and generalization of the results.

45
3.4 POPULATION

The target population consist of the following: Management and staff, stakeholders,

made up of the six land sector agencies and their divisions such as the Lands

Commission – Public and Vested Lands Management Division, Survey and Mapping

Division, Land Registration Division, Land Valuation Division – Town and Country

Planning Department, Survey Department and the Office of the Administrator of Stool

Lands, and Team members.

Government and Public Institutions (external stakeholders) like Ministry of Food and

Agriculture; Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development (MLGRD); Ministry of

Women and Children’s Affairs (MWCA); Ministry of Water Resources, Works and

Housing (MWRWH); Legal Aid Board; AMA; Judicial System; Parliament and the

National Commission on Civic Education.

Other project stakeholders, also (external): Traditional Authorities, Professional

bodies such as Ghana Bar Association (GBA); Ghana Institute of Surveyors (GIS);

Ghana Institution of Planners (GhIP); Educational Institutions such as the College of

Architect, KNUST; Civil Society Organizations and Non-governmental organizations

interested in land management and Donor partners.

3.4.1 Sample Size

According to Glenn (1992) there are several approaches used in determining the sample

size. These include using a census for small populations, imitating a sample size of

46
similar studies, using published tables, and lastly applying formulas to calculate a

sample size. For this study the first and the latter were applied. The study assumed a

margin of error of 5% according to Creswell (2009) which determines the sample size

as shown below. The sample size was determined using the formula by Kish (1965)

𝑛= 𝑛1
𝑛1
1+ ⁄
𝑁
2
𝑛1 = 𝑠
𝛼2

𝑠2 = 𝑝(1 − 𝑝)

Where, 𝑛 is the sample size

𝑵 is total population which in this research, 𝑵 = 200 which is population which

comprises of the total number of stakeholders of the Ghana Land Administration Project

Phase II, 𝒔 is maximum standard deviation in the population elements 𝒑 is proportion of

the population elements that belong to the defined category, 𝒑 = 0.5, 𝑎 is standard error

of the sampling distribution, 𝑎 = 0.05 with 95% confidence interval

By computation,

𝑠2 = 𝑝(1 − 𝑝) = 0.5(1 − 0.5) = 0.25

𝛼2 = (0.05)2 = 0.0025

2 0.25
𝑛1 = 𝑠 = = 100
2 0.0025
𝛼
𝑛1 100
𝑛= 1 = = 66.667 ≈ 67
1 + 𝑛 ⁄𝑁 1 + 100⁄200

47
The sample size formulae used above, provides the minimum number of responses to be

obtained. From previous works done, researchers such as Cochran (1963), and Israel

48
(1992) commonly add 10% to the sample size to compensate for persons the researcher

is unable to contact. Therefore, approximately, 7 which represent 10% of 67 would be

added to the sample size. Thus a total of seventy-four (74) questionnaires were

personally sent to the various stakeholders of the Ghana Land Administration Project

Phase II.

3.4.2 Sampling Techniques Used

The study recognized the wide and varied stakeholders of the Ghana Land

Administration Project which included, land sector agencies, land owners and users,

government and public institutions, Traditional Authorities, Academia, civil society

organizations, non-governmental organizations, development partners amongst others.

However, this study is focused on only key stakeholders who were directly involved in

the project planning and implementation. Those are the Ministry of Lands and Natural

Resource, Land Administration Project Secretariat, Land Sector Agencies and the

Divisions and selected Ministries.

The purpose of sampling is to gain information about the population by observing only

a small proportion, i.e. the sample size. The research seeks to assess how

communication channels were managed on the LAP II.

Sampling technique is the process of obtaining samples from a given population Kothari

(2004). The non-probability sampling technique was used in this study. In non-

probability sampling, the decision as to whether a particular element is included in the

49
sample or not, is governed by chance alone. The technique not give all the individuals

in the population equal chance of being selected.

This was because the researcher required certain categories of respondents. In addition,

the researcher reviewed the following documents; communication plan, LAP

Implementation Manual, and the Project Appraisal Document on LAP prepared by the

World Bank in order to gain a better understanding of the whole project and how the

communication channels were managed during the project implementation. Snowball

sampling technique, which is an example of a non - probability technique was employed

in the identification of the respondents for the study due to the different types of

professionals who are working with the project organization. This sample technique was

initially used to contact few potential respondents who are then asked to give names of

persons or organizations with the characteristics sought. The researcher also sought the

assistance of the project secretariat in determining the size of the population.

3.5 DATA COLLECTION

3.5.1 Primary and Secondary Information

Primary data is obtained through first hand exploration like experimental and survey

researches Kothari (2004). It involves the invitation of your sample to complete the

questionnaires Naoum (2007). The research involved the gathering of primary data

using well-structured self-administered questionnaires.

Secondary data involves data obtained through means other than primary. It may

involve contacting organisations for information relevant to the research Naoum,

(2002). The research did not employ secondary data.

50
Under primary data source, the researcher took into consideration Management and

staff of LAP II project, land sector agencies and their divisions, government and public

institutions and other project stakeholders of the LAP II project. Questionnaire was the

main tool used to elicit majority of the information for the research work.

3.5.2 Questionnaire Design

Based on the objectives and research questions, a questionnaire was developed to obtain

an extensive data, as practicable, from these implementing partners. A structured

questionnaire, made up of both closed and open-ended questions, was developed to

collect data from stakeholders. The open-ended questions were to allow stakeholders

explain certain responses they gave. For the purpose of the study, the questions were

grouped under three categories.

The first series of questions related to the profile of the respondents and their role on the

project. This was intended to find out the extent to which the respondents were involve

in the project planning and implementation. The second group of questions related to

the communication channels and tools employed on the LAP and the rate at which they

were being used. The third related to the challenges of the communication channels

employed on the project and finally, to identify ways for effective management of the

communication channels. A 5-point ranking system was utilized where the respondents

were asked to identify the various communication channels that were employed in

communicating on LAP II, the challenges encountered with the communication

channels and how they can be effectively managed on the future projects.

51
Finally, the questionnaire was tested four staff of the LAP Secretariat to ensure that, the

respondents had a firm grasp of the content of the questionnaire.

3.6 METHOD OF ANALYSIS

Data analysis tool SPSS 20 for windows was used to analyse the data obtained.

Frequency tables, tabulations and cross tabulations were done with results presentation

in the chapter four. After the collection of all completed questionnaires, easy was

analysed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies of responses were used according to

the various sections under which the items were categorized. The frequencies were used

in the completion of percentages or interpretation of the data.

3.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Ethical Considerations can be specified as one of the most important parts of the

research, dissertations may even be doomed to failure if this part is missing. According

to Bryman and Bell (2007), the following ten points represent the most important

principles related to ethical considerations in dissertations:

 Research participants should not be subjected to harm in any ways whatsoever.

 Respect for the dignity of research participants should be prioritized.

 Full consent should be obtained from the participants prior to the study

 The protection of the privacy of research participants has to be ensured

 Adequate level of confidentiality of the research data should be ensured.

 Anonymity of individuals and organizations participating in the research has to

be ensured

52
  Any deception or exaggeration about the aims and objectives of the research

must be avoided

 Affiliations in any forms, sources of funding, as well as any possible conflicts of

interests have to be declared

 Any type of communication in relation to the research should be done with

honesty and transparency

 Any type of misleading information, as well as representation of primary data

findings in a biased way must be avoided.

Voluntary participation of respondents in the research is important. Moreover,

participants have rights to withdraw from the study at any stage if they wish to do so.

Respondents should participate on the basis of informed consent. The principle of

informed consent involves researchers providing sufficient information and assurances

about taking part to allow individuals to understand the implications of participation and

to reach a fully informed, considered and freely given decision about whether or not to

do so, without the exercise of any pressure or coercion, Saunders et al. (2012). In

studies that involve primary data collection, ethical issues were seriously considered.

53
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents and discusses the result of the study in an effort to deal with the

main objective to develop a framework which will form the tool to engage end users

towards the assessment of project communications management in the Ghana Land

Administration Project Phase II (LAP II). The chapter further seeks to address the

specific objectives of the research. The major areas the chapter discusses include the

descriptive statistics of the respondents, presentation and sources of data, identifying the

various communication channels employed on the LAP II, identifying the challenges to

the communication channels and identifying ways for effective management of the

communication channels.

4.2 PRESENTATION AND SOURCES OF DATA

The data for this study is a primary data obtained by administering of questionnaires.

This research took into consideration responses from sixty-five (65) respondents from

key stakeholders who were directly involved in the project planning and

implementation. This section gives a background on the respondents from which the

data was collected from.

4.3 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF RESPONDENTS

In this section, the data is being explored and some descriptive summaries of the study

variables are presented. The descriptive summaries of the study variables are

54
educational background, the type of organization/institution they belong to (either

Public or Private), Land Administration Project knowledge, and the role/position of

respondents on the LAPII.

Table 4.1: Socio demographic information of respondents

Socio demographics Frequency Percentage

Educational Level of Respondents

HND 8 12.3

NVTI 5 7.7

BSc 24 36.9

MSc/MA/MPhil 26 40.0

PhD 2 3.1

Knowledge of Land Administration Project

(LAP)

Yes 65 100

No 0 0

Role or Position on the LAP

Member of the Project Management Unit 17 26.2

Team Member 22 33.8

Land Sector Agency Representative 15 23.1

Institutional Representative 9 13.8

Donor Partner 2 3.1

Source: Researcher’s field work, 2019

55
The result of table 4.1 shows that the highest levels of education of the majority

(40.0%) of the surveyed respondents of the study were MSc/MA/MPhil in various areas

of academic study. However, 36.9% and 12.3% of the surveyed respondents of the

study have the higher level of education of Bachelor of Science in various areas of

academic study and Higher National Diploma respectively. 3.1% of the surveyed

respondents of the study were PhD holders, whereas (7.7%) of the surveyed respondents

of the study was National Vocational Training Institutes holders. Thus over 90% of

respondents had higher education. The result also shows that sixty-five (65) of the

respondents representing (100%) had knowledge of the Land Administration Project

(LAP) which means that all the respondents had knowledge of the Land Administration

Project (LAP). With regards to the Role or Position on the Land Administration Project

(LAP), it is evident from the result of the study that majority (33.8%) of the respondents

were Team Members of the Project. 26.2% of the respondents were Members of the

Project Management Unit. Again, from the result of the study, 23.1% of the respondents

were from the Land Sector Agencies and their Divisions. 13.8% of the respondents

were Institutional Representatives from different Ministries. On the part of the Private

Institution, 3. 1% of the respondents were Donor Partners.

4.4 THE VARIOUS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS EMPLOYED ON

THE LAP II

The various communication channels employed on the LAP II are discussed in this

section of the study. The objective of the section is achieved by employing the

Kendall’s Rank test. The results of the section are presented in Table 4.2.

56
4.4.1 The Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II

This section of the study identifies the various communication channels employed on

the LAP II. To achieve this objective, the respondents were presented with a list of four

(4) main possible communication channels employed on the LAP and fifteen (15)

communication tools under the four (4) main possible communication channels usually

reported in the literature as the various communication channels in construction project

management. The task of each respondent was to rank the channels using the scale 1 =

Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often and 5 = Always.

Table 4.2: Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II

Communication Tool used Mean Rank Rank

Meetings 4.28 1st
Seminars/Workshops 4.17 2nd
Daily Team Briefings 4.13 3rd
Reports 3.98 4th
Email 3.95 5th
Focus Group Discussions 3.89 6th
Social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, 3.78 7th
Instagram)
Panel Discussion 3.71 8th
Notice Board/Posters 3.05 9th
Presentations 3.00 10th
Advertisement 2.86 11th
Brochures/newsletters 2.33 12th
Town hall Meetings 2.15 13th
Newspaper 2.08 14th
Video conferencing 2.02 15th
Source: Researcher’s field work, 2019

57
The result of the table 4.2 was obtained following the non-parametric test for k-related

samples in SPSS version 20. The level of agreement between the surveyed respondents

from the stakeholders of the Land Administration Project Phase II was tested using the

Kendall's coefficient of concordance since there are three or more judges. The result of

the table (4.2) shows the various communication channels used under LAP II which are

ranked based on their frequency of usage. Based on the mean rank of the various

communication channels that were used included: (1) Meetings (Mean Rank = 4.28);

(2) Seminars/Workshops (Mean Rank of 4.17); (3) Daily Team Briefings (Mean Rank =

4.13); (4) Reports (Mean Rank = 3.98); (5) E-mail (Mean Rank = 3.95); (6) Focus

Group Discussions (Mean Rank = 3.89); (7) Social Media (WhatsApp, Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, etc) (Mean Rank = 3.78); (8) Panel discussions (Mean Rank =

3.71); (9) Notice and Posters (Mean Rank = 3.05); (10) Presentations (Mean Rank =

3.00) and (11) Advertisement (Mean Rank = 2.86) and (12) Brochures/newsletters

(Mean Rank =2.33).

The other communication channels ranked from 13 th to 15th were Town Halls Meetings,

Newspaper and Video Conferencing.

It has been clearly shown from analysis of the results that the frequently used channels

of communication throughout the LAP II were meetings, seminars, /workshops, daily

team briefings, reports and email.

58
4.5 CHALLENGES TO THE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

This section of the study identifies the possible challenges to the communication

channels in LAP II. To achieve this objective, the study employs the Relative

Importance Index (RII) to examine how the surveyed respondents perceive the ten (10)

listed items of Table 4.3 as potential challenges to the communication channels. Table

4.3 therefore presents the responses of the surveyed respondents, the weight, RII values

and by extension their relative ranks. The task of each respondent was to rank the

challenges using the scale 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree

and 5 = Strongly Agree. This ranking is in terms of their contribution to the challenges

to the communication channels.

Table 4.3: Challenges to the communication channels in LAP II Project

Challenges of stakeholder Relative importance index Rank

management (RII)
Lack of free flow of information 0.863 1st
Difficulty in accessing information on 0.854 2nd
the internet
Delays in receiving information 0.829 3rd
0.826 4th
Ineffective Reporting System
Ineffective Communication between 0.820 5th
the parties on the project
0.806 6th
Ineffective communication tools
0.743 7th
Stereotyping and Language difficulties
0.697 8th
Poor quality of printed materials
0.531 9th
Unclear Channels of Communication
0.474 10th
Unclear Communication Objectives
Source: Researcher’s field work, 2019

59
The result of the Relative Importance Index (RII) in Table 4.3 indicates that the first

seven (7) most perceived challenges to the communication channels in the LAP II

project include: (1) Lack of free flow of information (RII = 0.863); (2) Difficulty in

accessing information on the internet (RII = 0.854); (3), Delays in receiving information

(RII = 0.829), (4) Ineffective reporting systems (RII = 0.826), (5) Ineffective

communication between the parties on the project (RII = 0.820), (6) Ineffective

communication tools (RII = 0.806) and (7) Stereotyping and language difficulties (RII =

0.743). The result of this study asserts that the first seven (7) variables of challenges to

the communication channels in LAP II projects are the best perceptions of the

stakeholders since their RII values fell above the minimum importance threshold value

of 0.700.

However, the result of the Relative Importance Index (RII) indicates that (8) Poor

quality of printed materials (RII = 0.697); (9) Unclear communication channels (RII =

0.531) and (10) Unclear Communication Objectives shows that the last three (3)

variables of challenges to the communication channels in LAP II projects are not

perceived to be serious since their RII values fell short of the minimum importance

threshold value of 0.700.

4.5.2 Relative Importance Index (RII)

The RII is the relative importance of each variable according to each responses weight.

∑𝑊
𝑅𝐼𝐼 =
𝐴∗𝑁

60
Where; W is the weight given to each factor by the respondents and ranges from 1 to 5

(where 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree and 5 = Strongly

Agree)

A is the highest weight (5 in this case) and N is the total number of respondents.

4.6 WAYS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNICATION

CHANNELS

This section of the study discusses the ways for effective management of the

communication channels in the LAP II project. The results/outcome of the section are

represented in Table 4.4

The result of Table 4.4 depicts that many of the surveyed respondents perceive Clear

Chain of command as a very effective proposed way for effective management of

communication channel on the LAP II project as shown by the mean response value of

4.11 and a standard deviation of 0.468. Communicating with your team is also

perceived as very effective way for managing communication channel on the LAP II

project as shown by the mean response value of 4.09 and standard deviation value of

0.503. The mean response value of 3.86 also implies that the surveyed respondents

perceive Communicating with Executives and Leaders as a very effective proposed way

for effective management of communication channel with a standard deviation value of

0.713. Communicating with Stakeholders is perceived to be the next effective way for

managing communication channel on the LAP II project as shown by the mean

response value of 3.80 with a standard deviation value of 0.672. The mean response

61
value of 3.79 also suggests that, the surveyed respondents perceive Regular Team

meetings as the next effective way for managing communication channels on the LAP

II project with a standard deviation value of 0.679. The next perceived effective way for

managing communication channels on the LAP II project by the surveyed respondents

is Use of mobile technology among team members as shown by the mean response

value of 3.70 with a standard deviation value of 0.906. The least perceived effective

way for managing communication channels on the LAP II project by the surveyed

respondents is Use of suggestion boxes as shown by the least mean response value of

2.66 with a standard deviation value of 0.796.

62
Table 4.4: Ways for Effective Management of the Communication Channels

S/No. Effectiveness of the various ways of Mean Standard Rank

managing communication channels Deviation

1 Clear Chain of command 4.11 0.468 1st

2 Communicating with your team 4.09 0.503 2nd

Communicating with Executives and 3rd

3 3.86 0.713
Leaders

4 Communicating with Stakeholders 3.80 0.672 4th

5 Regular Team meetings 3.79 0.679 5th

Avenues for sharing knowledge and 6th

6 3.79 0.657
documents
Use of mobile technology among team 7th
7 3.70 0.906
members

8 Management of e-mails 3.49 0.608 8th

9 Bottom-up approach to communication 3.49 0.851 9th

Use of Multilingualism during 10th

10 3.37 0.837
workshop/seminars

11 Appropriate timing of TV/Radio programs 3.27 0.721 11th

12 Rooms for feedback 3.06 0.899 12th

13 Publication of employees 2.91 1.060 13th

14 Regular Updating of website 2.84 0.911 14th

15 Use of suggestion boxes 2.66 0.796 15th

Source: Researcher’s Field Study, 2019

63
4.7 SUMMARY OF CHAPTER FOUR
In Sanders, M., and Wolf, Debra L. (2014) Ensuring appropriate communication

channels are used to fit the message content results in communications efficiency and

effectiveness. However, inappropriate communication channels can result in

communication breakdowns, mistakes, loss of trust and integrity, and inefficiencies,

resulting in project issues. It has been shown that in the case of LAP II, the channel

content matching examples were not very different from those stated in Sanders, M.,

Wolf and Debra L. (2014). Thus, Email was used for communicating routine reporting,

basic information, team-wide messaging, and simple proposal. Phone calls were

basically used for working out light issues and short messages. Face-to-face meetings

were used for communicating difficult messages, confidential information, personal,

and developmental or coaching issues. Word Documents carried policies, statement of

work, detailed reports, executive or formal reports. Teleconferencing was used for

distributed or broadly-located team member meetings and quickly-called meetings.

Again, a comprehensive communications plan can help a project manager ensure

success PMI (2013); Sherman (2006). However, more than just addressing

communication among team members, a truly effective communication plan must also

address communication channels. Project managers who identify and influence

appropriate use of communication mediums greatly enhance communications,

supporting successful projects. In the case of the LAP II it can be said that the

communication channels as stated in the project communication plan were well

managed and used effectively to ensure the project success. The use of a variety of

communication channels captured the greatest number of stakeholders – keeping them

64
engaged and communicating in a way that works for them throughout the project life

cycle. The use of technology also ensured better control of communications for both

internal and external stakeholders.

In addition, evidence gathered after reviewing the LAP communication plan and other

documents such as reports, minutes of meetings amongst others showed that there were

no visible signs of poor communication with resultant impact on the project as in

Abudi, G. (2013), such as:

 Misunderstanding around project goals and objectives

 Missed deadlines

 Conflicts between team members

 Individual team members moving in different directions

 Decreased productivity on the project leading to increased timelines and going over

budget

 Lack of commitment on the part of project team members in accomplishing the

work of the project

 Lack of or limited buy-in and commitment to the project

 Misunderstanding around stakeholder expectations on what is considered project

success

 Conflicts between the project team and stakeholders, or between stakeholder groups

 Stakeholders who may actively work against the project being accomplished

 Failed projects

65
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter represents a summation of the outcome of the study, draws inference based

on the key findings and also make recommendations of the study.

5.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The research sought to assess Project Communications Management in the Ghana Land

Administration Project Phase II (LAP II), through the achievement of these objectives

(1) Identifying the various communication channels employed on the LAP II; (2)

Identifying the challenges to the communication channels; and (3) identifying ways for

effective management of the communication channels.

5.2.1 The Various Communication Channels employed on the LAP II.

The various communication channels employed on the Land Administration Project

Phase II in their order of ranking or magnitude of occurrence include Meetings,

Seminars/Workshops, Daily Team Briefings, reports, Email, Focus group discussions,

Social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), Panel Discussion, Notice

and Posters, Presentations, Advertisement, Brochures/newsletters, Newspaper and

Video Conferencing. Based on the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (Wa), the test

for the null hypothesis that there is no agreement among the respondents with respect to

66
how often the various communication channels were used on LAP II was rejected at a

0.05% significance level.

5.2.2 Challenges to the communication channels

The study found several challenges of communication channels that were employed on

the LAP II. Based on the Relative Importance Index (RII), the first seven (7) most

perceived variables of challenges to the communication channels in LAP II projects

include: Lack of free flow of information, Difficulty in assessing information on the

internet, Delays in receiving information, Ineffective reporting system, ineffective

communication between the parties on the project, Ineffective communication tools,

Stereotyping and language difficulties, Poor Quality of Printed Materials, Unclear

Channels of communication and Unclear Communication Objectives. Therefore, it can

be concluded that, the first seven (7) variables of challenges to the communication

channels in LAP II projects are the best perceived variables of the stakeholders since

their RII values fell above the minimum importance threshold value of 0.700. Again,

the result of the Relative Importance Index (RII) indicates that Poor Quality of Printed

Materials, Unclear Channels of Communication and Unclear Communication

Objectives are not perceived to be agreed as challenges to the communication channels

of the LAP II since their RII values fell short of the minimum importance threshold

value of 0.700.

67
5.2.3 Ways for Effective Management of the Communication Channels

The study found several proposed strategies for ways for effective management of the

communication channels. It is therefore concluded based on their mean response values

that, many of the surveyed respondents perceive Clear Chain of command as the very

and most effective proposed way for effective management of communication channel

on the LAP II project, followed by Communicating with your team, Communicating

with Executives and Leaders as the next perceived effective way of communication

channel. Communicating with Stakeholders was perceived to be the next effective way

for managing communication channel on the LAP II project, Regular Team meetings.

The next perceived effective way for managing communication channels on the LAP II

project by the surveyed respondents was Use of mobile technology among team

members. The least perceived effective way for managing communication channels on

the LAP II project by the surveyed respondents is Use of suggestion boxes.

5.3. OTHER FINDINGS

The research also revealed that, telephone is one of the commonest means of

communication in the LAP II project apart from the meetings, seminars/workshops and

e-mails. Other communication channels that were employed on the LAP II which were

not anticipated by the research were radio talk shows, Memoranda and interpersonal

communication.

68
5.4 CONCLUSIONS

Based on the findings, it is clear that the success of a project depends largely on

effective communication management. More specifically, the effective design and

deployment of communication channels can contribute directly to the success of a

project. It can therefore be concluded that, in project communication management, it is

not enough to just come up with a communication plan. The choice of the right

communication channel and appropriate communication tools are key ingredients in

ensuring effective communication delivery.

6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS

It is therefore recommended that project managers/teams consider the design and

deployment of the right communication channels and tools for the successful

implementation of their projects.

Further research can also be undertaken to assess the communication management

practices of the Land Administration Project in Ghana. The communication

management practices will look at the internal structures that facilitate the information

flow such as the organogram.

69
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 APPENDIX A
SURVEYED QUESTIONNAIRE
RESEARCH TOPIC: An Assessment of Project Communications Management in
the Ghana Land Administration Project Phase II (LAP II)

Respondents details
Please read through the following questions, mark [×] and or provide answers where
appropriate and applicable
1. Educational Level of Respondents a. PhD [ ] b. MSc/MPhil [ ] c. BSc [
] d. HND [ ] e. Others [ ]
2. What is the name of your organization/institution? Please provide answer
3. Do you know of the Land Administration Project (LAP)?
a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]
4. What was your role/position on the LAP
a. Member of the Project Mgt. Unit [ ] b. Team Member [ ] c. Land Sector Agency
Rep. [ ]
d. Institutional Representative [ ] e. Donor Partner [ ] f. Others [ ]

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SECTION 2A: Various communication channels employed on the LAP II
In the table below are some communication channels and tools. Based on your
experience, please indicate whether any of these Channels were used on the LAP II
and how frequently they were being used base on the scale below:
Scale
1 – Never
2 – Rarely
3 – Sometimes
4 – Often
5 – Always
SECTION 2A: Some Communication Channels and tools
Some Communication Communication Tools
Item 1 2 3 4 5
Channels
1 Face to Face Meetings
Daily Team Briefings
Seminars/Workshops
Town hall Meetings
Video conferencing
Focus Group Discussions
Others: please specify

2 Internet/Intranet Email
Social media (Whatshap,
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
etc)
Others: please specify

3 TV/Radio Broadcast Panel Discussion

Advertisement
Presentations
Others; please specify

4 Print Media Newspaper

Brochures/newsletters
Reports
Notice Board/Posters
5 Others. Please specify

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SECTION 2B: Challenges of the communication channels
In the table below are possible challenges encountered during the use of the
communication channels. Based on your experience, please indicate the intensity of
the challenges using the scale below:
Scale
1- Strongly Disagree
2- Disagree
3- Neutral
4- Agree
5- Strongly Agree
Scale
Item Possible Communication Challenges 1 2 3 4 5
1 Difficulty in accessing information on the internet
2 Lack of free flow of information
3 Unclear Communication Objectives
4 Unclear Channels of Communication
5 Ineffective Reporting System
Ineffective Communication between the parties on
6
the project
7 Stereotyping and Language difficulties
8 Poor quality of printed materials
9 Ineffective communication tools
10 Delays in receiving information
Others, please provide:

1)
11
2)

3)

76
SECTION 2C: Ways for effective management of the communication channels
In the table below are effective ways of managing communication channels. Please
indicate the level of effectiveness of the various ways using the scale below:
Scale
1- Not Effective at all
2- Ineffective
3- Neutral
4- Effective
5- Most Effective
Scale
Item 1 2 3 4 5
Communicating with
1
Executives and Leadership
Communicating with Your
2
Team
Communicating with
3
Stakeholders
4 Mechanisms for feedback
5 Regular team meetings
Regular updating of
6
website.
7 Management of e-mails
Appropriate Timing of
8
TV/Radio programs
Bottom up approach to
9
communication
Avenues for sharing
10
knowledge and documents
11 Clear chain of command
Publication of employees
12
profiles
Use of multilingualism
13 during
workshops/seminars, etc
14 Use of suggestion boxes
Use of mobile technology
15
among team members
16
Others: please specify

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 APPENDIX B

The three communication channels of the project manager Adopted from Keyton,

(2011)

78
 APPENDIX C
Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance

Test Statistics

Size, N 65

Kendall’s W 0.164

Chi-square (𝜒2) 163.033

Degree of Freedom 14

P-Value < 0.0000

Source: Field Study

79