Communication: The Foundation of Project Management

The purpose of this research was to determine if communication might be a foundation area of project management, with the other cornerstone areas as derived from previous research and the rest of the areas, and the means of achieving the trade off, as pillars or support. The second purpose was to determine if communication might be seen as the area that combines and coordinates the various processes and project management activities. A research questionnaire was circulated to construction project managers, architects, construction managers, engineers and quantity surveyors. The questionnaire focused on the project management of a construction project manager in terms of its importance to the successful management of projects. The results of the survey were compiled and analysed. The findings of the research illustrate that the project managers’ skill to communicate has an impact on the cornerstone areas of project management. Communication is needed to effectively communicate the areas of cost, scope and time, and quality, which are the results of the interrelationship between scope, cost and time. Communication is the function that integrates cost, scope and time to achieve a quality product and may be seen as having a foundation function. The conclusion and recommendation of this research paper is that communication is needed to effectively communicate the areas of cost, scope and time, and quality. Communication is the function that integrates cost, scope and time to achieve a quality product and may be seen as having a foundation function to support all the areas; the means that assist in achieving the cornerstone areas.