Project management and communication management — two growing disciplines with much to offer each other

This paper explores the areas in which the young disciplines of project management and communication management can learn from each other. In particular, communicators can help project professionals to identify, understand and manage their stakeholders — a vitally important activity given the impact which such audiences can have on the success of a new project. This paper proposes a model of ‘supportability’ to explain the factors which decide whether a stakeholder group accepts or rejects a project. This paper uses examples front major civil engineering projects, but the principles of good stakeholder management apply equally to internal projects, such as reorganisations or change management.