Anticlue

Information Distribution

Information Distribution is about assuring the right information is available to the right people at the right time. Information Distribution executes the communication plan and responds to the unexpected requests for information.
The distribution mechanism can affect the information’s usefulness because if it is not timely or comprehended, then it shouldn’t have been communicated.

The only input to information distribution is:

• The Communications Management Plan – The Communications Management plan describes the methods for obtaining and distributing project information. The communication management plan provides:
  1. Stakeholder communication requirements
  2. Information to be communicated, including format, content, and level of detail
  3. Individual accountable for communications
  4. Recipients of the information
  5. Communication Methodology or Technology
  6. Frequency of Communication
  7. Escalation process with associated time frames
  8. Change control process for the communication plan
  9. Dictionary of related jargon

After reviewing the communications management plan, there are certain tools and techniques which can be employed to distribute information. The four tools and techniques are:

1. Communications skills – Communication Skills enable a project manager to take advantage of the dimensions of communication.
2. Information Gathering and Retrieval Systems – Information Gathering and Retrieval systems are all of the various ways to collect and share project documentation. Possible mechanisms are a manual filing system, electronic databases, collaboration software, and a project management information system.
3. Information Distribution Methods – Information distribution is the timely collection, sharing and distribution of information to the project team. Methods can be portals, collaborative work management tools, web conferencing, web publishing, and when all technology is not available, manual filing systems and hard copy distribution.
4. Lessons Learned Process – Lessons learned identify project success and failures from which knowledge can be gathered to make recommendations to improve future performance on projects. Some specific results from lessons learned include:
   • Update of the lessons learned knowledge base
   • Input to knowledge management systems
   • Updated corporate policies, procedures, and processes
   • Improved business skills
   • Overall product and service improvements
   • Updates to the risk management plan

The purpose of communicating is to exchange information it is best to assure all intended receivers can use the distribution methodology. The outputs from Information Distribution are:

1. Updates to the organizational process assets - Organizational process assets (updates) are used to update the project knowledge base. Updates to the organizational process assets include the following:
   • Lessons learned – Documentation includes the root cause of issues, strategies for preventing this from ever occurring again. Project management processes that can be improved, as well as recommendations on any enhancements or modifications.
   • Project Records – Project records include all correspondence and documents describing the project. This would be also in the form of a project notebook.
   • Project Reports – Formal and information project reports catch the project status, issues, and progress reports.
   • Project presentations – Project presentations are the information presented to the project stakeholders. This information is the foundation of the stakeholders view of the project.
   • Feedback from stakeholders – Feedback received from stakeholders should be used to modify or improve future project performance
   • Stakeholder Notifications – Information provided to stakeholders about resolved issues, approved changes, and general project status
2. Requested changes – Requested changes to the project management plan should be handled through the integrated change control process.