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Critical Issues in Project Management Group Assessment - Mind Map - Coggle…
Critical Issues in Project Management Group Assessment - Mind Map
Media Communications Strategy
Problem: Uncontrolled Narrative Lead to Project Failure
Diagnosis
Power imbalances in discourse
Dominant actors (e.g. media and contractors) control narratives, marginalising other important, local voices
E.g. Bath Spa's Council framed delays as 'unavoidable while the media framed this as 'incompetence"
Monologic communication - council-centric messaging can breed distrust
'Projectification' discourse
Cicmil'c critique of reducing projects to ROI/scope/time metrics while ignoring socio-cultural value/boost can be negative for project outcomes
E.g. while financial gains were translated to a certain extent, there was no mention of community pride in heritage etc.
Solutions
Project Story Hub
Myth-busting FAQs co-drafted with residents (e.g. Why delays protect Roman Mosaics)
Live dashboard with simple metrics - transpacrecy
Time-lapse videos (e.g. show heritage preservation rather than just a 'progress' update
Narrative Working Group (NWG)
Local historians, infleuncers, journalists, marginalised voices etc. invited to events to maintain consistent narrative and prevent breakdown of sense-making
Events such as quarterly 'site safaris' helping to reinforce shared identity
Digital Transparency with Feedback Loops
Real-time Social Media updates on Instagram, X etc.
E.g. short-form video - 'Day 45: Roof sealed using Roman techniques
Polls
'Which heritage feature should we highlight next?'
Critical risks and mitigation
Danger of groupthink in NWG
Mitigation comes down to thorough initial and continual stakeholder mapping ensuring all marginalised voices are involved
Oversaturation of narratives - confusion
Mitigation - ensure as much consistency as possible achieved in the NWG
Establish narrative hierarchy (e.g. main story and sub-plots)
Illusion of control
The process of actively managing a decided narrative could potentially create an illusion of control for those involved whereby what is actually happening does not align with the narrative but key managers do not realise this creep
Problem: Ineffective Crisis Management
Diagnosis
Reactive rather than proactive culture to crisis
Lack of pre-drafted statements
Inconsistent messaging dring disputes
No scenario planning for risks like contractor disputes and vandalism
Unstructured teams/untrained personnel
No designated spokesperson in light of media crisis
'national disgrace headlines'
Council staff lacked project management and media training, worsening PR disasters
Duncan Bannatyne's criticism
Misinformation spread went unaddressed, damaging public trust
Critical risks and mitigation
Escalation of minor issues into crises
Mitigate through pre-drafted holding statements and 'rumour radar' team
Legal and reputational liability
Inclusion of legal advisors in crisis response team to ensure compliance, also HR representative to manage internal morale (e.g. layoffs during delays)
Stakeholder distrust
Align internal messaging and avoid 'no comment', utilise concise reassuring language
Unprepared teams
Crisis simulations and media training
Solutions
Dedicated crisis response team
Project/Crisis Manager
Spokesperson (Media/PR manager)
Stakeholder engagement lead
Legal advisor
HR Representative
Equipped with pre-drafted documents to deploy in appropriate situations (delays, budget, hikes)
Crisis Proacivity
Regular scenario planning workshops
Simulate and brainstorm risks
Develop monitoring tools
AI?
Deploy appropriate communication channels for whom you need to reach
Core Issue: Ineffective Stakeholder Engagement
Poor stakeholder identification and categorisation
Diagnoses
Failure to recognise key stakeholders
E.g. Environmental Groups (Low Power/High Interest) excluded during initiation causing judicial reviews and delays
Misjudged influence of media
National media (High Power/Low Interest) significantly shaped negative public perception, amplifying risk to reputation
Theory
Power/Interest Grid
Stakeholders not sufficiently mapped initially and throughout leading to neglecting of critical actors
Actor-Network Theory (ANT)
Stakeholder not viewed as interconnected in influencing project outcomes, isolated entities
Solutions
Implementation of power/interest grid - mapping stakeholders
Help inform subsequent strategies and to what extent energy should be spent on what stakeholders
Prevent neglection
Ensure it is updated to remain dynamic and not static
Gather stakeholder and audience feedback through surveys, focus groups, and social listening tools
E.g. Local population's shifting support
Network Mapping Driven by ANT
Visualise relationships and help anticipate indirect infleunce
Inadequate Communication Strategies
Diagnosis
Generic messaging
No tailored narratives dependent on stakeholder inflience
Lack of mapping meant nothing to inform tailored messaging
Theory
Discourse Analysis
Language and delivery shape stakeholder perceptions
Solutions
Tailored communication plans
Contractors = technical briefs and weekly onsite coordination
Media = press releases with transparency
Local population = community forums and biweekly newsletter
Hierarchical channels
Implement RACI matrix to clarify communication responsibilities
Conflict Among Stakeholders
Diagnosis
Clashes in stakeholder interests and priorities
No prior work on how issues should be resolved
Late mediation
Disputes with Mowlem escalated to litigation due to delayed intervention
Theory
Neuroscience of conflict
Threat response
Triggers avoidance emotions (fear, anxiety etc)
Encourages trust & collaboration
Safe environment
Emotional shift
Essential for successful project delivery
Systems thinking
Conflict as emergent properties of stakeholder interactions
Proactive mitigation required
Solutions
Pre-project workshops
Role playing - simulate issues and negotiating through them
Mindfulness
Educate stakeholders on how to remain in a safe headspace according to neuroscience
Establish escalation protocols
Clear pathway for unresolved issues
Long-term management
Regular check-ins for early issue detection
Clear communication - RACI matrices to reduce ambiguity
Feedback culture, after action reviews for continuous improvement