ABSTRACT
The most important activity is the setting of expectations amongst all who will be involved with the project. Stakeholder identification should have been done as part of the quality definition activity. Expectation setting is commenced during project start-up and continues throughout the life of a project, when expectations will be set, reset and continually monitored. The route from perceptions to managed expectations can be summarised as: expectations can be born from assumptions; and assumptions and expectations both need to be managed. Projects and programmes that seek to change business processes need to bear in mind when setting expectations. Expectation setting requires particular effort to ensure that the human perceptions of all stakeholders are in line. The project Communication Plan is a valuable contributor to user acceptance. Appointing a communications manager can ensure that specific and relevant plans are laid for the correct setting of expectations and the achievement of acceptable deliverables.
