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‍‍‍‍‍As Scott ‍‍‍‍‍ Rabe, PMP, Director of Project Management at ‍‍‍‍‍STCU ‍‍‍‍‍, a credit union in Spokane, WA, asserted in the audio introduction, many project managers and experts in project management agree that communication is the most important component of project management. Project management is, by its very nature, a risky endeavor. In many cases, projects involve the development of a product or service that is entirely new. Project teams work hard to identify all potential hurdles, but when one inevitably pops up, it is communication that pulls the team through the problem solving process and gets them back on track.

Now consider the development of eLearning in the context of project management. “E-learning projects generally demand rapid deployment and high quality. These demands mean that you normally won’t have the luxury of lengthy needs assessments and requirements definition” (Shackelford, 2002, p. 15). Add to these demands another challenge commonly associated with e-learning development projects: working with a remote team or at a distance from the project sponsor or stakeholders. With such projects, the role and value of communication is significantly amplified and the project manager’s ability to effectively manage communications and the project takes center stage.

Effective communication in project management is multifaceted. This site is focused on addressing three critical components of communication: the audience, the communication plan, and the quality of communication. Use the navigation at the top of the page to explore each component or click the link below to begin learning about the importance of audience in communication.

**Click here to learn about the importance of audience in project management communication >**