The Nation Newspaper

Tag: project

  • Controversy trails union’s project

    The Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY) was agog last week for the commissioning of Love Garden, which was built by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) but the ceremony was trailed by controversy.

    Some students wanted the union leadership to explain how much was spent on the project.

    The special guests at the event included Olofa of Offa, Oba Muftau Gbadamosi, Rector, Dr. Muftau Olatinwo, Alh S. Oyawole, Imam Muyideen Salman, Mr Lola Ashiru, Femi White, and Chief Bayo Akinola.

    The union president Festus Adedeji, said his vision was to make the institution withstand its peers in social life. He said: “Many students have been gossiping that I collected the N230,000 from Oba Muftau Gbadamosi. I will say it before him that I have never collected N10 from him for the project.”

    The Rector, Dr Olatinwo, said: “I commend the union for this laudable achievement. I want to urge students to continue to eschew violence and embrace dialogue in your agitation.”

    The union honoured some of the guests for their contribution to the development of the institution. The honorees included Oba Gbadamosi, who is the grand patron of the union. Others are Alhaji Oyawoye, Imam Salman and Ashiru.

    The union named the garden after the Olofa, who commissioned the structure.

    After the ceremony, some students spoke against the project, wondering why the love garden should be the priority of the union. Lovable Ude, an HND II student, said: “I have been in this school for years, the polytechnic does not have good toilets. The ones built by the management have been messed up by students. Students pee indiscriminately on campus. Instead building toilets, the union leadership spent N2.3 million to build what we don’t need.”

    Another student of Quantity Surveying, who spoke under anonymity condition, said: “N2.3 million the SUG leaders claimed they spent on the Love Garden is a big lie. How can the president say that he built such a small structure with that amount? He still needs to tell us the truth.”

     

  • Community bemoans neglect of dam project

    Mgbowo, a semi-urban community, is known for its agricultural activities. Besides its natural endowments, the town boasts intellectuals. Any wonder the community is ahead of others which make up Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    The community has sufficient agro-based economic potential that are yet to be tapped. Successive administrations seemed to lack interest in exploring them. The people cried, shouted and even petitioned all the tiers of government, accusing them of neglect and inability to explore the economic potential of the community.

    In 2003, fortune smiled on them. God answered their prayers as the Federal Government, under former President Olusegun Obasanjo became aware of the community’s agro-economic potential and decided to build a dam there. The dam was eventually inaugurated in 2006.

    Contract for the construction of the dam christened Mgbowo Earth Dam and Water Scheme was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources with the Anambra/Imo River Basin and Rural Development Authority as the executing agency.

    The contract was awarded to ANBEEZ Services Limited, an indigenous contractor.

    Before work began at the site, there was a memorandum of understanding signed by the community and the technical partners on technical co-operation in small hydropower development.

    Under the agreement, the host community was to be responsible for the construction of civil works while the United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO) would provide the electro-mechanical component turbine for the scheme.

    Also the community was requested to establish a community development centre where small agro-processing activities such as rice milling and hauling, garri processing and grinding mills for maize and beans shall be carried out by the community.

    The host community was also required to provide within the development centre a space for information technology training and development within six months. Leaders of the community swung into action immediately after. In less than the stipulated time, they were able put the requirements in place.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the structures are all in place and intact.

    But after construction work on the site commenced, the project was abandoned midway. The people of Mgbowo community are regretting ever accepting that project.

    According to the traditional Prime Minister of the community, Prof. Joseph Okoro Akpa, before the coming of the project, “the lake used to be the only source of water for the community. The project has become a curse as the water has been polluted as a result of earth excavation at a nearby hill by construction companies.”

    Akpa further said the aquatic activities in the lake have been completely grounded as there was no longer source of life in the lake.

    “Our people no longer go there for fishing or to fetch water. It has become a death trap. Four boys were drowned in the lake recently. As a result of blockages and abandonment, the lake overflows its banks whenever there is a downpour.”

    Our correspondent observed that the lake is currently stagnant and malodorous, even as it breeds dangerous reptiles. The colour of the water is no longer crystal clear but brownish.

    Prof. Akpa said: “We fear it may expose members of the community to an epidemic in a no distant future.”

    While blaming the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and, to an extent, the contractors for the abandonment, the traditional Prime Minister appealed to the Federal Government, especially Minister of Water Resources, the Anambra/Imo River Basin Authority and the contractors to resume work at the site in order to save the people from indescribable hardship.

    He said: “The community provided all that was required of them. We donated the land, taxed our people, received donations from our people living abroad and put in place all the structures required of us. Eight years after, the project remains unattended to and our people are being subjected to extreme difficulties.”

    Akpa opined that the project, if completed, would provide massive employment not only for the people of the community but also the entire Enugu State. It would as well increase and encourage small-scale industries such as rice milling, garri processing and ICT training.

    Again, apart from the tap water it would provide for the community and neighbouring ones, the dam, Akpa said, would ensure irrigation for all-year-round farming.

    “In the name of God and for the sake of humanity, we are fervently appealing to all those concerned to look into the project which is gradually turning into a curse and complete it for the benefit of humanity,” Prof. Akpa pleaded.

  • Kia expands ‘Green Light Project’

    Kia expands ‘Green Light Project’

    Kia Motors Corporation has announced the expansion of its global corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, the ‘Green Light Project’, during celebrations for the grand opening of a new Green Light School in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.

    Kia’s Green Light Project – a global social mobility programme started by the corporation in 2012 – strives to improve access to healthcare and education for disadvantaged children in some of the poorest regions in the world, hoping to help them turn around their lives from ‘red light’ to ‘green light’. At present, the programme is working with local people on projects in three neighbouring South Eastern African countries – Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi.

    In Lilongwe, the new secondary school’s opening ceremony was attended by more than 1,000 local residents and a host of dignitaries, including Malawi’s Congressman, principal education officer, and Mr. Rev Kang, representative of MFHI (Malawi Food for the Hungry International). Also present were key Kia executives behind the Green Light Project, including Mr Chang-Muk Choi, Kia Motors Corporation’s Head of CSR Management Team.

    Choi said: “The global Green Light Project which has helped to create the new school we are opening in Malawi, adopts all of Kia’s corporate social responsibility values. Here in this poorer district of Lilongwe, the majority of the residents receive little medical care and secondary school enrollment rate is under 30 percent.

    “Kia views people around the world as ‘one family’ and the programme aims to provide local communities with the means to ensure that young people can achieve independence and build better lives in future. Looking forward, Kia is planning to expand the Green Light Project to other countries and regions through the cooperation of its global network.”

    As well as investing in the construction of the Lilongwe educational facility, Kia plans to support the students and members of the local community by operating after-school programs for a further five years.

    In addition to Kia Motors’ construction of a secondary school and the donation of Kia K2700 trucks in Nagashanqui, Tanzania in 2012, Kia has funded the construction of a secondary school in Mozambique and several health clinics in Malawi. Kia plans to continue its investment in its Green Light Project until 2018, making a total investment of $14 million in the project.

  • Govt blacklists power contractor, directors for abandoning project

    •FEC okays $3.05 trillion National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan

    The Federal Government yesterday black-listed a firm, Messrs Techno Electric and Engineering Company and its directors from executing any government project in the country.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, said the company abandoned electricity project in Ebonyi State for the Engineeering Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing and inauguration of 2X60MVA, 132/33KV at Amasiri and 2X132KV Line Bays Extension at Abakaliki after collecting 15 per cent mobilisation fee on December 1, 2010.

    He said FEC has approved the re-award of the contract to Messrs North China Power Engineering limited and NCEP (Nig) Limited.

    The new contract sum, he said, is $5,835,368.47 payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment plus N505,788,083.58 inclusive of N67,211,298.58 for five per cent contingency.

    The project, which has 24- month completion period,  the minister said, was designed to boost power supply to Ebonyi and parts of Cross River states and aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of the states.

    According to him, the funding for the project would be sourced from Eurobond loan, the budget and the unutilised letter of credit earlier established for the terminated project.

    Speaking during the briefing, the Minister of Transport, also said FEC approved the award of contract for the design and construction of four 60 Ton Bollard Pull Marine Tug Boats in favour of Messrs Depasa Marine International (Nigeria) Limited.

    The contract sum, he said, is Euro 42,968,864.70 equivalent of N8,778,423,042.28 inclusive of all taxes and within 24 months.

    He said the project is expected to generate 97 job opportunities for both professionals and non professionals during its execution and about 112 direct and indirect job opportunities when in full operation.

    The Minister of National Planning, Abubakar Suleiman said the Council also approved the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, which is expected to be executed with $3.05 trillion (N485 trillion) between this year and 2043.

    He said the master plan will be implemented in three phases while the first phase will between 2014 and 2018 will require $166.1billion for implementation.

    The plan, which will cover all the key sectors of the economy, would address infrastructural gaps being experienced in the various sectors.

  • Stalemate in Delta over $16b project

    Stalemate in Delta over $16b project

    On the beginning, it elicited excitement. It was a piece of good news that got many hopeful of a better tomorrow. Prayers were said for the initiator of what was seen as a marvelous project. But, no thanks to controversies of various hues, the Federal Government’s $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Delta State is no longer good news. It has generated bad blood, bred hatred and made many fear blood-letting.

    The EPZ project shares home with the multibillion dollar Escravos Gas to Liquid project of Chevron Nigeria Limited. Analysts are concerned about the fate of the project. On one hand, they wonder if the project will ever be allowed to take off; on the other, they wonder if it will be allowed to function optimally and achieve its objectives.

    The project was not unconnected with a communal strife among the Itsekiri of the Ugborodo communities, which left several people killed or injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed. Then the issue was who was going to represent host communities’ interests. This gave rise to two Itsekiri factions, which received funding from wealthy interested parties for arms and ammunition. The story of that bitter experience lasted several blistering months and the marks of the experience are still wounds, not scarred yet; a heavy cloud of seething resentment and distrust in Ugborodo.

     There is, however, a more ugly scenario gathering storm over and around the project, which if not well handled and properly dispelled, might consume more than just the multibillion dollar project, but might topple the delicate balance on which the Warri is based.  Just as the dust created by the Ugborodo communities’ strife were settling, stakeholders of the Ijaw communities in Warri Southwest started expressing displeasure over the handling of the project.       

     The nature of the relationship between the two ethnic groups, Ijaw and Itsekiri, is well known; they are neighbours in more than one local government area of the state. They share a lot in common, but again, they have been involved in a long-drawn strife, which claimed several lives and destroyed multimillion naira properties. The nature of their relationship has left most of the places where they cohabit to remain the all-time read spots of Delta State, where an unprovoked fight can easily break out.

     The Ijaw said the handlers of the project have skewed the process in favour of their Itsekiri neighbours. During the week, representatives of communities in Gbaramatu-Ijaw kingdom, led by Chief Godspower Gbenekama, the Benemowei of the kingdom, re-echoed the position of the Ijaw groups in Warri Southwest Council Area. The stakeholders, who addressed a news conference in Warri, alleged deliberate exclusion of the Ijaw in the preparation and near take-off of the project.

    Gbenekama said outstanding issues must be resolved before the take-off.  Their number one case against the project is the appellation tagged on it; ‘EPZ Ogidigben’. Ogidigben is an Itsekiri community in Ugborodo and is one of the many communities providing the large expanse for the EPZ. Ijaw people’s problem with this name is that it presupposes that the project ‘belongs’ to the Itsekiri.

    According to the representatives of Gbaramatu kingdom, including Mr. Godwin Akori, Hon Mathew Diofelo, Mr. Williams Tortor, Dr. Clement Tonfawei, Odudu Edward, Lucky Bebenimibo, Edwin Ayetonghan, Tangbe Andrew and Orubu Emmanuel,  this development is both dubious and dangerous. They said it was a similar issue that gave rise to the bitter Ijaw/Itsekiri war of the past. They added that it is dubious because the Ijaw are contributing more of the land being used.

    The people, who accused the Delta State government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of playing games capable of reigniting the bitter  Ijaw/Itsekiri strife of 1997 to 2004, demanded that the state government must set up two more interface committees for both Gbaramatu and Ogulagha kingdoms, for the sake of equity and peace. According to the group, more than ten communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom would be losing land to the project.

    They said:  “It is pertinent to state that the site for the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) is spread across lands and communities belonging to both the Ijaw of Gbaramatu and Ogulagha kingdoms and the Itsekiri of Ugborodo community. In fact, one can safely say that about 70 per cent of the land belongs to the Ijaws, contrary to the impression being bandied about by the Itsekiri and the Delta State government, under Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is an Itsekiri man.

    “While the purpose of this news conference is not to take up the case of the Ogulagha Ijaw, we state without fear of contradiction that the bulk of the land is provided by the Ijaw and over ten Gbaramatu Ijaw communities namely; Ikpokpo, Atanba, Opuede, Opuede Bubor, Tebijor/Okpelama, Okerenkokogbene, Gan-ama, Oporoza community land, New Jerusalem, Joula and several others are hosts to the project

    “The people of Ikpokpo community, which is the site for the proposed seaport and entry port to the proposed EPZ project, will suffer the most because its entire land will be swallowed up by the project. What this means is that Ikpokpo will cease to exist. The people will become homeless and strangers in other communities, while only the bushes and the peripheries of Ugborodo communities of Madangho, Ajudaibo and Ogidigben, which the project is now named after, will be affected.”

    The Itsekiri, on the other hand, have long buttressed their ownership of a large portion of the land, citing several landmark court judgments and documents. An Itsekiri group, Warri Study Group, in an advertorial in a national daily of June 13, further highlighted this. The group described the Ijaw as their customary tenants.

    Gbenekama debunked the claim, saying: “Most of these cases referred to by the Warri Study Group are still being litigated upon while a number of them have been remitted back to the appellate court for trial to commence de novo. One of the court cases is presently before the Court of Appeal in Benin Division.

    “If the Gbaramatu Kingdom is their tenants, how much tenement rate have they paid to the Itsekiri of Ugborodo or any other Itsekiri community for that matter? If we are their neighbours, where do these neighbours live? The Ijaw of Gbaramatu are tenants to nobody. These assertions are very provocative and enough to cause a breach of the pace we currently enjoy in the area.”

    Gbenekama said while the Ijaw are not claiming sole ownership of the lands for the EPZ, they want their due to be given them.

    “The name of the project must be changed from EPZ Ogidigben to another name that reflects the joint ownership of the Ijaw and Itsekiri in the project. We align with GIBABU, as suggestion by the Gbaramatu Traditional Council of Chiefs. We totally reject the present name because of past experiences and antics of the Itsekiri of Ugborodo in bastardising our communities’ name.

    “We demand that two interface committees be set up for the Ijaw of Gbaramatu and those of Ogulagha respectively. We have a 23-man committee in place to negotiate Gbaramatu interest in the EPZ project. The committee’s list and names of members have since been submitted to the Delta State government and the NNPC.

    “In the interest of peace and unhindered operation in the area, the NNPC should immediately open up channel of discussion with the various Ijaw groups, especially the host communities of Gbramatu kingdom. If the NNPC has its own secret agenda to sideline the Ijaw and Gbaramatu people in particular, they should be aware that we are prepared and they will not have an easy ride.

    “NNPC should change the name as suggested above and have an MOU with the communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom before groundbreaking ceremony of the project.

    “We also demand that Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, henceforth, stop its wicked divide-and-rule antics in the EPZ project and carry the Ijaw along in whatever they are doing. We have written several letters to them on our position and have so far refused to open a channel for discussion. Enough is enough,” they said.

    He added: “How can the place take off without our demands being met?  I am telling you that my grandfather’s grave will be no more. He was buried in Ikpokpo, the seaport into the EPZ, a community which has lost its entire land to this project and they didn’t deem it worthy of being immortalised by naming the project after it. Ikpokpo is the entry port into the project. How can it takeoff? It’s not possible. It’s possible for them not to listen to our demands, it’s not possible.”

    Dates had been set in the past for President Goodluck Jonathan to perform the groundbreaking ceremony, but it had been shelved because of these disagreements. And the way things are, it does not look that the issues can be sorted out anytime soon. So, the stalemate stays.

  • ‘Proper project management key to accessing pension funds’

    ‘Proper project management key to accessing pension funds’

    There is a need for African governments to address the critical challenge facing the continent in managing projects financing and funding if they have to access pension funds to accelerate the implementation of critical high-impact infrastructure projects.

    The Acting Director-General, the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu stated these at the just-concluded World Pension Summit, Africa Special in Abuja. It had as theme, “Shaping the Future.’’

    She, however, noted that given the size of pension fund assets in Nigeria and across Africa, there are real opportunities for policymakers to collaborate with pension professionals so as to effectively leverage these assets for sustainable progress.

    She said in Nigeria, the rate of growth of pension assets in relation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has continued to rise from 1.47 per cent in 2006 to 9.57 per cent last year.

    According to her, the success of the contributory pension scheme has triggered an exponential growth in the pension funds and size of assets under management across the globe.

    She stated that the value of pension assets has grown from 1.47 per cent in 2006 to 9.57 per cent in 2013 of the national GDP.

    She added that as the population of retirement income provided by private pensions continues to grow, the regulatory framework designed to protect those funds becomes even more crucial.

    She said the theme of the summit thus underscores the imperative of institutionalising a risk-based approach to the supervision and control of pension markets across the continent.

    She said: “The risk-based approach focuses on the identification of potential risks faced by pension funds and strengthens mechanisms that are in place to attenuate those risks, which ultimately allows the regulatory agencies to channel their resources towards issues that pose the greatest threat to the stability of the industry.

    “Infrastructure development remains a key driver and a critical enabler of sustainable growth in Africa and the current favourable economic landsape on the continent provides a unique opportunity for the public and private sectors to collectively address the infrastructure gaps.

    “Focusing on Africa’s infrastructure challenges will indeed help in creating the economic pre-conditions needed for longer-term growth as well as to foster poverty alleviation. However, disruptive market, demographic, fiscal, and environmental dynamics are fundamentally reshaping Africa’s economic landscape. In this new reality, national governments must think of infrastructure, not in general but in the specific, understanding the ways in which different infrastructure sectors such as transportation, energy and water are governed, financed and sustainably delivered.”

  • N20.8b U.S-backed power project coming

    N20.8b U.S-backed power project coming

    The United States (U.S) Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James P. Entwistle, at the weekend in Abuja said work on a new N20.8 billion power project in Nigeria will begin this month.

    The ambassador spoke in Abuja on America’s 238th National Day celebration.

    He said the 450 megawatts (MW) project is part of President Barack Obama’s “Power Africa” programme.

    The project, Entwistle explained, is in support of Nigeria’s infrastructural development.

    He said: “Our U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has a strong presence in and incredible commitment to Nigeria. From agriculture to infrastructure, our development experts are hard at work, partnering your government to produce sustainable, Nigerian-led solutions to the development challenges you face. One particular highlight is President Obama’s ‘Power Africa’ programme, which already is attracting private sector investment that will result in power capacity and generation for Nigeria’s electricity grid.

    “A great example of this is the Azura Energy Project. With USAID backing and support, $130 million in venture capital was raised. The construction is slated to start this month and will add 450 MW of power to Nigeria’s electricity grid when it is completed.

    “This project underlines that development is no longer just a government-to-government activity and that the role of the private sector is key. That’s why I’m delighted that some of the most well known U.S. companies are active here in Nigeria.”

    On the 2015 elections, the ambassador said the U.S was committed to helping Nigeria achieve free, fair and credible elections.

    “We’re also deeply committed to helping you ensure that your elections, particularly the national ones in 2015, are free, fair, peaceful, and credible. We work closely with your Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the process is transparent, well monitored, and secure. Safeguarding and strengthening democracy is difficult work.  But the recent Ekiti elections were an excellent example of what happens when all players—the government, citizens, security forces, and political parties—commit  to ensuring respect for the electoral process and for one another.”

    Entsistle added: “As you’ve probably seen, I and the rest of the U.S. Mission team in Nigeria have been speaking out about the importance of non-violent elections, and we will continue to do so. Once again, I urge all parties and candidates to publicly commit themselves now to not condoning, urging or fomenting violence before, during or after the elections next year.

    “I want to close by emphasising how optimistic I am about Nigeria. Since I arrived last November, I’ve been privileged to travel throughout the South, the Middle Belt and the North, and I’m constantly impressed by the resiliency and ingenuity of the Nigerian people. I’ve met farmers, herders, activists, politicians, pastors, imams and students.

    “I’m struck by how much more unites them than separates them. They all want to participate in a strong, active democracy. They all want better roads, better schools and more access to basic services, such as clean water and electricity. They want more economic opportunity for themselves and their families…”

  • Nigeria, others benefit from rice project

    The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and stakeholders, has launched the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) project  to  reach 120,000 rice producers in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania.

    The initiative targeted at male and female smallholder rice farmers is to improve the livelihood of rice farmers in select countries in the sub-region by increasing the competitiveness of domestic rice supply to meet increasing regional demand.

    Country Director, TechnoServe Ghana, Mr Emmanuel Toureille,  said the project is being implemented in these countries to reach 120,000  rice producers.

    He said rice is the fastest growing food source in Africa in recent years and as such has far outstrip the sub-regions population growth, hence the initiative.

    Toureille said the project would see to the increment of productivity and quality of paddy rice, increase the efficiency of local rice sourcing, processing and marketing and improve the enabling environment at the national and regional levels.

    He said the adventure would go along with the Gates Foundation, the German Government, German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Kufuor Foundation to develop a competitive rice industry in Ghana.

    Deputy Head of Missions, German Embassy, Mr Thomas Wimmer,  said growth in the agricultural sector has been proved to be the most effective in reducing poverty.

    He said it was mainly lack of favourable policies, regulatory environment and inadequate investments in the sector that has motivated Germany to support agriculture in nations, such as Ghana.

    Wimmer said Germany believes that Africa could feed itself and provide food for other regions of the world.

  • Chevron inaugurates project in school

    Operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/CNL Joint Venture and the company’s management, have rebuilt, furnished and inaugurated a block of six-classrooms at Ilasan Secondary School, Lekki, Lagos. The project, which was executed under the company’s Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP), was handed over to the school on Tuesday, May 20.

    Under this programme, the company has put a scheme in place for employees to give their time and money towards a worthy project and then the company will match the funds raised by the employees to ensure that the project is executed.

    The building was an existing dilapidated school block, which was reconstructed and equipped with classroom furniture. Additionally, concrete flooring was provided to a section of the school compound, the school’s outstanding electricity bills were offset and the entire school compound was hooked-up to the national electricity supply grid.

    In his remarks at the ceremony, CNL Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Fawthrop, represented by Mr. Sam Otuonye, Manager, Policy, Government & Public Affairs, Lagos, praised the CNL employees for raising a substantial amount of money from their own personal income and the Government of Lagos State for supporting the gesture. He said:  “Today’s event is another demonstration of  the value which the company places on partnership, as stated in what we call the Chevron Way™,  a set of sound ethics  that directs all we do and the way we do things at CNL. ” He also appreciated the students and staff of Ilasan Secondary School for their efforts in ensuring the successful completion of the project.

  • Managing your projects through effective communication

    Managing your projects through effective communication

    Project management is the process of guiding a project from its beginning through its performance to its closure. It includes three basic operations such as planning, organising and controlling. Performing these activities successfully requires information, communication and commitment. The job of a project manager is very taxing (not “tasking”, please). The project manager coordinates technically specialised professionals to achieve a common goal. In spite of his or her own work experience, his or her ability to identify and resolve sensitive organisational and interpersonal issues will go a long way in determining his or her success.

     

    Results

    Successful organisations create projects that produce desired results in established time frames with assigned resources. As a result, businesses are increasingly driven to find individuals who can excel in this project-oriented environment. All projects begin with an idea and when an idea is conceived, your project has entered the conception stage.

    Though project management tends to be process-driven and unexciting, it is where results happen, and therefore project information needs to be professionally managed as part of that process. Consequently, we need to communicate effectively about (1) our own communication plans and to work on (2) communicating effectively about operational projects.

     

    Annex

    Communication is very critical to coordinating as well as keeping team members and stakeholders informed to be able to realise the objectives of a project. In short, many projects are unsuccessful as a result of lack of a communication plan.  It is surprising that in spite of this reality, many project managers do not see the need to communicate the process of their projects. This is worsened by the project management literature, which often places communication down the priority list.

     

    Three main stages

    A typical project management framework has three main stages, that is, Project Proposal, Project Management and Project Completion. Often, communication is not accorded prominence in stages 1 and 2 while it may even be left out in the third stage where the sale of the project completion to stakeholders should be happening. To have a successful project management, communication needs to be formally planned and deployed at almost every one of the many stages and their sections.

     

    Difficulty areas

    One of the difficulties with projects is that team members communicate information to others and they tend to assume that everyone involved in the project has that information as well. Therefore, project communication should be planned to ensure all the relevant people are carried along. When a project starts, the project manager should plan the communication activities that are needed. Usually the project manager decides what to send clients.

    The problem with this is that the project manager may not have consulted with the clients to find out the communication they want in terms of content and timing. In view of this, the project manager should meet with the clients to agree on the content and timing of reporting. This will enable him or her to develop a communication plan that can be sent to all stakeholders (e.g., clients, team members and senior management), containing the agreed information and the channels and timing that will apply.

     

    Developing Matrix

    Having met with the project customers, the project manager can meet with the project team members and other stakeholders to discuss communication planning. The meeting can be used for (1) developing a matrix of the communication requirements of the project and (2) a matrix of the project roles of the relevant people and the various reports they should receive.

     

    Planning

    All project meetings should have a written agenda prepared by the project manager. The agenda can be written on a PowerPoint slide and kept on a screen visible to the team. If there is no written agenda, the meeting will definitely lose focus and structure, and is certain to waste time. When the team members meet together for the first time, the project manager should break the ice by introducing him- or herself with a little background information on his or her credentials and experience. All the other people should be asked to do the same.

     

    Addition

    Kim Harrison, a public relations expert says a sample agenda for the first meeting of the group is: Introductions; Meeting purpose and goals; Development of communication requirements matrix; Development of roles report matrix; Communication tools selection; Development of communication plan; Meeting deadline, if needed; and Next meeting. Harrison educates that for the development of a matrix of the communication requirements of different stakeholders, on the vertical axis, write the name or job title of the person, and then along the horizontal axis write down the names of the same people.

     

    Last note

    For the development of a matrix of the various reports that stakeholders and project team members should receive, you just note down on the vertical axis the name of each person. Then on the horizontal axis write the names of the several reports. For instance, some reports may be prepared on demand for key stakeholders; other reports would be prepared daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. It is a simple matter to check the respective boxes for each stakeholder and note the content that should be contained in each report for that person.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated on this page for details. Till we meet next Wednesday.

    •GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Certified Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com