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7.1 Resource Planning
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Resource planning involves determining what physical resources (people, equipment,
materials) and what quantities of each should be used and when they would be needed to perform
project activities.
It must be closely coordinated with cost estimating (described in
Section 7.2).
For example:
A construction project team will need to be familiar with local building codes.
Such knowledge is often readily available from local sellers.
However, if the local labor pool lacks experience with unusual or specialized
construction techniques, the additional cost for a consultant might be the
most effective way to secure knowledge of the local building codes. An automotive design team should be familiar with the latest in automated assembly
techniques. The requisite knowledge might be obtained by hiring a consultant,
by sending a designer to a seminar on robotics, or by including someone
from manufacturing as a member of the team.
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7.1.1 Inputs to Resource Planning
.1 Work breakdown structure. The work breakdown structure (WBS, described in Section 5.3.3.1)identifies the project deliverables and processes that will need resources, and thus is the primary input to resource planning. Any relevant outputs from other planning processes should be provided through the WBS to ensure proper control.
.2 Historical information. Historical information regarding what types of resources were required for similar work on previous projects should be used if available.
.3 Scope statement. The scope statement (described in Section 5.2.3.1) contains the project justification and the project objectives, both of which should be considered explicitly during resource planning.
.4 Resource pool description. Knowledge of what resources (people, equipment, material) are potentially available is necessary for resource planning. The amount of detail and the level of specificity of the resource pool description will vary. For example, during the early phases of an engineering design project, the pool may include “junior and senior engineers” in large numbers. During later phases of the same project, however, the pool may be limited to those individuals who are knowledgeable about the project as a result of having worked on the earlier phases.
.5 Organizational policies. The policies of the performing organization regarding staffing and the rental or purchase of supplies and equipment must be considered during resource planning.
.6 Activity duration estimates. Time durations (described in Section 6.3.3.1).
7.1.2 Tools and Techniques for Resource Planning
.1 Expert judgement. Expert judgment will often be required to assess the inputs to this process. Such expertise may be provided by any group or individual with specialized knowledge or training and is available from many sources including:
Other units within the performing organization.
Consultants.
Professional and technical associations.
Industry groups.
.2 Alternatives indentification. Alternatives identification is discussed in Section 5.2.2.3.
.3 Project management software. Project management software has the capability to help organize resource pools. Depending upon the sophistication of the software, resource availabilities and rates can be defined, as well as resource calendars.
7.1.3 Outputs from Resource Planning
.1 Resource requirements. The output of the resource planning process is a description of what types of resources are required and in what quantities for each element at the lowest of the WBS. Resource requirements for higher levels within the WBS can be calculated based on the lower-level values. These resources will be obtained either through staff acquisition (described in Section 9.2) or procurement (described in Chapter 12).
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