MANAGING PROJECTS IN HUMAN RESOURCES, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PHẦN 7 potx

be that additional features have been added to the project but that they will

add very little value for the majority of stakeholders. In this case, it may be

possible to only add the additional features where they will add value and

not where they are irrelevant.

Monitoring expenditure is another aspect of control. In many organizations

the financial aspects of a project have to conform to the usual financial pro￾cedures of the organization. There may be decisions to make about the num￾ber and levels of budgets and about how frequently budget holders should

receive information about expenditure or report on their current position.

CONTROLLING CHANGE

Sometimes a project sponsor will request an addition to the project that was

not part of the original brief agreed. This can present a difficult situation for

those who manage the project because you will want to maintain good rela￾tions with your client but you will also want to protect your budget and

possibly a profit margin if you are a contractor for the work.

If your client requests a change you need to assess the extent to which this

will require additional time or resources. Specify the elements carefully and

estimate the costs of carrying out the modification. It is possible that the

change could be incorporated in the project plan within the existing timescale

and budget by adapting some of the tasks in the later stages of the plan. Once

you are confident that you understand the implications in terms of time and

cost of making the requested change, you can decide how to respond to the

client.

You might decide to offer to make the change without any charge to the

client. This depends to some extent on whether you are carrying out the

project for a fee, to make a profit or not. You might decide that there is a case

for making an additional charge and you will have the full costing for the

modification to support your claim. You may want to negotiate with the client

to achieve a solution that suits both of you, again, with full understanding of

the implications. If you are not working for a fee you may decide to make the

change because it would add value without adding significantly to the costs.

Whatever you decide to do, you will need to be fully informed of the cost and

time implications of the proposed change before you enter discussions about

how this will be managed.

Once any change has been agreed, review the project documentation. You

may want to make a formal amendment to the project brief, and you will have

to amend the schedules and budgets and note changes in the plan. You will

also have to communicate the changes to anyone who needs to take appro￾priate action.

124 Managing projects in human resources

11

Communications

Effective communications are essential in maintaining progress and mutual

understanding of issues that arise as the project unfolds. In this chapter we

consider the many types of communication that are necessary during a

project, and the importance of ensuring that the flow of information works

effectively. The reporting and review systems will provide a formal means

of communication, but this is unlikely to be sufficient to meet all the needs

of those working on the project or other stakeholders.

COMMUNICATIONS IN A PROJECT

Communications are necessary both to link the stages of a project and to

facilitate progress within each stage. Communication is so central to the

management of a project that poor communications can be considered a

serious risk that would threaten the likelihood of completing the project

successfully.

One of the key concerns is the need to manage the information that has to

be produced, collected and distributed as part of the project. The form in

which information is recorded, stored and retrieved determines to a large

extent how it can be used and by whom. The flow of information in a project

needs to be planned to ensure that the appropriate information reaches the