The Project Manager's

Pocket Guide

to

Resource Management

Contents
3 Introduction
4 What is Resource Management?
11 A Simple Resource Management Process
30 Best Practice Tips to Ensure Success
36 Additional Resources

Introduction
Resource management is difficult. I know that, you know that and the project
manager down the street knows that!
But its vital. And it can be done.
By reading this pocket guide, youll learn the basics of resource management, a
process you can use for your own projects and some best practice tips to ensure
success while doing so.
Well also direct you to some additional resources to help you on your project and
resource management journey.

Part

What is Resource
Management?

Any fool can know. The point is to understand

~ Albert Einstein

On the next few pages, you'll find a number of definitions of different aspects of
resource management.

Resource Levelling
Resource levelling is a purist view of resource management.
PMBOK defines resource levelling as:
A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource
constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available
supply.
Resource levelling is ensuring youve got the right amount of people for the
project.

Critical Chain Planning

Critical chain planning applies the resource constraints right into the schedule. It
looks for the resources that will have the most profound effect on the schedules
delivery.
Its linking resources to the critical path of a project.
Whats the critical path?
Businessdictionary.com define it as the following:
The critical path is the longest sequence of activities in a project plan which must
be completed on time for the project to complete on due date.
6

Resource Capacity Planning

Third on the list is resource capacity planning. This is a broad aspect of resource
management. It can include the two definitions weve already gone through.
Its so broad that it includes several concepts that must be implemented as part of
your project management process. These include resource loading, skill
scheduling and resource allocation.
Resource capacity planning is having a deep understanding of all the resources
you will need to achieve project success.

Resource Tracking
Its not uncommon for some organizations to neglect the planning stage of a
project.
Understanding what each resource is doing and how much time they are spending
on a task can be invaluable information for a project manager. It can allow them to
determine the cost of each activity.
Resource tracking is looking at a project, having a list of its activities and a list of
the people working on each activity.

Resource Communications
Modern projects are often hightech, complicated pieces of work.
Understandably, the lines of communication on a project are far more
complicated today than 10 or 20 years ago.
Nowadays, a project team can consist of many different types of people from all 4
corners of the globe. Not only that, they could well be a member of a different
organization. In these complex environments, efficient communication is of the
utmost importance.
Resource communication is ensuring all the resources know exactly what they
need to do and by when.
9

Resource Commitments
Managing the commitments within a project is another element that must not be
overlooked. As a project manager, you will need to manage the commitments you
have requested and made. These commitments must fit in with your project
schedule. If they dont, the timing of your project can be thrown off course.
Managing resource commitments involves ensuring everything the project
manager and team has said will be done coincides with the project schedule.

Source:Microsoft

10

Part

A Simple Resource
Management Process.

Step by step and the thing is done.

~ Charles Atlas

Project management and processes go handinhand, so it makes sense to adopt a

set of steps when it comes to resource management.

12

The Process
1 Plan
2 Acquire
3 Notify
4 Retain
13

Step 1: Plan
What resources do you need to complete this project?

The first step when managing resources is planning. You need to plan the amount
of resources youll need in order to get the job done.
Below are some elements you should take into account during this step.

14

Skill Analysis
Youll need certain resources to have specific skills.
Its not good enough to say I need two people to finish out the testing of the
software. In this instance, youll need two software testers.
When developing a resource plan, take into account:
1 The skills of your resources
2 The tasks that need to be completed

15

Estimate
You need to figure out how many resources you will need to complete each task.
This can be done at one of your project management meetings.
You can estimate based on previous projects or you can use other estimation
techniques.

16

Check Availability
Once you estimate the number of resources you need, you should check their
availability.
Are the necessary resources working on any other projects? Will they be on
vacation at any stage during the project? Will they be leaving the organization
anytime soon?
These are all questions you should ask.

17

Step 2: Acquire
How do you get the resources you need? And how do you bring
them up to speed with the workings of the project?

The next step is to acquire the resources you need to complete the project.
Below are some elements you should take into account when acquiring resources.

18

Request
Once you know what resources you need (and their availability) you should
request their services.
Your organization may have a formal process for this step.
Otherwise, just ask!

19

Hire
Your organization might not have adequate resources to meet project
requirements. If this is the case, you may need to find resources elsewhere.
This will require you go through a hiring process. What are the gaps in your
resource plan that cant be filled from within your organization?
Hire the people you need to fill these gaps.

20

Onboard
The final consideration when acquiring resources is onboarding.
It helps to have a series of onboarding documents. These will inform new project
members about the specifics of the project.

21

Step 3: Notify
How do I let resources know of the work that needs to be done?

Now that you have planned and acquired the resources, you should notify them of
their tasks.
Three mechanisms to do this include a kickoff meeting, email reports and
continuous involvement.
Once you notify your team of their tasks, you can start working on the project.

22

Project Kick-Off Meeting

One way way to notify resources of their involvement is to hold a kickoff meeting.
Here, you and your team gather in a room. As the project manager, you will walk
the team through the project specifics.

23

Email
Second, you can use email to notify resources of their involvement.
If you are using a project management tool capable of sending out emailed reports
you can:
Notify all new work assignments via email
Set up scheduled emails with nudges for upcoming or late work

24

Continuous Involvement
Finally, another way to notify resources of their involvement in a project is to
involve them from the very beginning.
If you have a small team, you can involve them in the planning of the project.
The upside of this is theyll be wellinformed on whats needed from the
project, the tasks involved and who will be handling what.

25

Step 4: Retain
How do you retain your resources so that the project runs smoothly?

Up to this point, youve planned, acquired and notified your resources of their
responsibilities.
But your work is not finished. You must do your best to retain these resources.
There are many ways to do this, which you can find below.

26

Team Building
Regular teambuilding activities can be a powerful way to unite a group, develop
strengths, and address weaknesses.
This is vital for your project as you want your resources to be happy and
comfortable in their work.
Simple methods of teambuilding include:
1. Regular meetings
2. Team outings
3. Group training
27

Training
Resources will want to upskill as they work on the project. Its important that you
accommodate this desire.
By providing and encouraging training, your resources will be more likely to
remain working on the project.
Your project will also improve as a result of their professional development.

28

Assessments
As a project manager, you should assess the performance of your resources on a
regular basis. After assessment, give feedback where needed.
A resource will be happier in their work if you communicate, give feedback on
their performance and suggest ways on how it can improve.

Source:
bizmerlin.com

29

Part

Best Practice Tips

to Ensure Success.

It takes less time to do a thing right, than it

does to explain why you did it wrong.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Before you dive into the actual activity of managing your resources, you should
familiarize yourself with these best practice tips.

31

Plan to Plan
Theres a lot of planning involved before you even develop a resource
management plan!
Be wary of this and allocate the appropriate amount of time you think youll need.
Theres an old saying a good start is half the battle. When it comes to resource
management, this is certainly true.

32

Avail of Technology
We live in a magical age where workloads can be reduced through the use of
fantastic technologies. Even if its something as simple as an Excel sheet, try and
use some sort of tool that will make your resource management planning that bit
easier.
If youd like to go the extra mile, you could try out a piece of project management
software. Many companies offer free trials that allow you to try the full
solution before you make a final decision.

33

Prepare for the Worst

Be an optimist, but also a realist. In your project, things will go wrong. Its always a
good idea to have some back up plans for any disasters you feel have a chance of
impacting your project.
These backup plans might need even more resources. Try and have some waiting
in the wings in case you do end up needing them.

34

Get to Know Your Team

Our final piece of advice to you is get to know your team before you start into your
project. Youd be surprised how much of an impact this can have.
The team members (resources) are the fuel that will keep your project on the road
to success. Its important you get to know them and inform them of the project
details.
In step 4 of the resource management process, we gave you some simple ways to
build camaraderie within your team. These techniques will help you get to know
your team better.

35

Additional Resources
Learn More!

Free Webcast

Click to Watch!
37

Thank You!

Ruairi O'Donnellan

What is

A SharePoint project management application that includes a range of bestpractice

templates and advanced crossproject reporting.

Get a Free Trial

Control Portfolios
of Projects

Get a Demo

Video Tour

Manage Projects
Succesfully

Contribute to Project
Success

Evolve Project
Management