PJM 5100 Module 6 Communication Plan and Matrix Structure Example

Who Needs to Know What, and Who Decides: Communication and Structure for Branch Nine

Student Name

Master of Science in Management, Thomas Edison State University

PJM-5100: Project Management

Mentor Name

Month Day, Year

Who Needs to Know What, and Who Decides: Communication and Structure for Branch Nine

Introduction

Gido et al. (2018) stress that project communication must be planned, not left to habit: the project manager decides who needs what information, how often, in what form and from whom, and documents how changes are requested and approved. Communication also depends on the organization's structure, which determines whose instructions people follow. This final assignment applies both topics to Prairie Hills Credit Union's branch project as it enters installation, training and opening.

Stakeholders and Their Information Needs

The communication plan begins with the people who need information and what they need.

Reports and Meetings

The biweekly status report is two pages: a summary with a traffic-light status for scope, schedule, cost and risk; the earned value table; the critical path's progress; the top five risks with owners; and decisions needed from the sponsor. Weekly stand-ups last 30 minutes and cover only progress, upcoming work and blockers, with problems taken offline. Each meeting ends with action items recorded in the shared log with owners and dates. Henderson (2008), studying project teams, found that project managers' communication competence, in both sending clear messages and accurately understanding others, was associated with team members' satisfaction and productivity, which is why the project manager also holds brief one-on-one check-ins with each owner every two weeks.

Change Control

All changes to scope, schedule or budget follow a written procedure. Any team member or vendor can submit a change request describing the change, its reason and its effects on cost and schedule. The project manager alone may approve changes below $10,000 that leave the critical path untouched; changes up to $25,000 by the project manager with the sponsor's agreement; and larger changes, or any change to the opening date, by the sponsor, with the board informed. Approved changes update the baseline and are announced at the next stand-up. The drive-up canopy change in the fourth assignment followed this route.

The Organizational Structure

The textbook describes three basic structures: functional, in which work is organized by department and projects are coordinated across them; project, or projectized, in which a project has its own dedicated team; and matrix, which combines the two, with members reporting both to functional managers and to a project manager. Matrix structures range from weak, where functional managers hold most authority, to strong, where the project manager does.

The credit union is a functional organization, and the branch project runs as a weak matrix: team members spend part of their time on the project but are evaluated by their department heads, and the project manager has no budget authority beyond the change thresholds. Larson and Gobeli (1989), studying hundreds of development projects, found that structures giving the project manager more authority, such as the project matrix and project team, were rated more successful than functional and weak matrix structures. The branch has worked because the sponsor's support filled the gap, as in the week 14 recovery and the installation dispute.

Recommendation for Future Branches

The credit union plans two more branches in three years. It should move to a balanced matrix for them: a dedicated project manager with authority over the project budget within approved limits, team members whose project work counts in their performance reviews, and a standing sponsor. The trade-off is that department heads lose some control over their staff's time, which the credit union can manage by agreeing on time commitments at the start of each project.

Closing the Project

Communication does not end at opening day. The project manager should send a closing report to the sponsor and board within 30 days, covering final cost against budget, the schedule outcome, open punch-list items and lessons learned. A short meeting with the team to record what worked and what should change for the next branch, followed by thanks from the sponsor, completes the communication plan.

Conclusion

A communication plan that names each stakeholder's needs, concise reports and meetings, and a clear change procedure keep the branch project coordinated through its final months. Its weak matrix structure has relied on a strong sponsor, and research suggests that giving future project managers more authority would make success less dependent on that support.

References

Gido, J., Clements, J. P., & Baker, R. (2018). Successful project management (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Henderson, L. S. (2008). The impact of project managers' communication competencies: Validation and extension of a research model for virtuality, satisfaction, and productivity on project teams. Project Management Journal, 39(2), 48-59. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20044

Larson, E. W., & Gobeli, D. H. (1989). Significance of project management structure on development success. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 36(2), 119-125. https://doi.org/10.1109/17.18828