Which are the resources to be considered in
allocating and managing resources?
Answers
Answer:
Labor
Human resources are an integral part of most projects. The project team has needs that require active management, like:
A satisfying work environment that does not involve conflicts with other team members.
Making an important contribution to the project, and/or greater society.
Leaving the project with something more than they started with, for example additional knowledge or skills, or a strong resume/CV entry that results in a better chance at future work.
Equipment
Tools and equipment that are used to produce the product, but don’t become part of it, must be identified and allocated to each task. This equipment must be paid a reasonable rate that takes into account the wear and tear experienced during the project. Specialty equipment often requires significant investment of time and money.
Materials
Materials that become a part of the final product must be allocated so that they can be procured at the right time and their availability is confirmed.
Facilities
Buildings and work areas are often a significant cost to the project. If they are not readily available, they also require space in the project schedule and budget to ensure they are ready for the project team.
Miscellaneous
Most projects require other resources that impact the budget or schedule. This can include project financing and insurance costs, performance bonding, administration, contingencies, risk premiums, transportation and delivery, or any other item necessary to perform the project.
The resources are assigned to each task, so that the table looks like this:
ID Task Start End Budget Resources
100 Dig Holes July 1 July 10 $1,000 Bob, shovel
200 Build Fence July 8 July 31 $9,000 Bob, Bill, shovel, fence posts, fence material
For the human resources (project team), it is often helpful to communicate project roles using a RACI chart, pronounced “racy,” which assigns each task to each team member according to one of the four responsibility levels:
Responsible (R)
Accountable (A)
Consulted (C)
Informed (I)
RACI chart
All project managers use RACI charts, even if they don’t know it. Writing out the chart is a highly effective way to communicate project roles to project members and ensure there is no confusion.
Determine Resource Attributes
building fenceEach resource comes with attributes (project manager lingo) which must be sufficient to carry out the project work. These attributes include:
Grade
Grade refers to the technical specification level of the resource. In this case, the the length of the fenceposts, the depth of the holes, and the strength of the fence material are all characteristics of grade. In short, the resources must be adequate for the task.
Skill
Skill is the same as grade but specific to the human resources. Bill and Bob, in this case, must know how to pound the fence posts and be strong enough to drive the posts.
Quality
Quality and grade are not the same thing. Quality refers to the degree to which the resource meets specifications, that is, if poor quality fence material arrives at the site it is not acceptable and must be rejected, adding unexpected costs and schedule implications. This is different from the grade of the fence material, which can be low. The fence may not need high grade fence material. Low grade is acceptable (in the right circumstances), whereas low quality is never acceptable.
Resource-specific attributes: Size, shape, length, speed, color, strength, etc.
Each resource has many specific attributes that define its function. for example, if the paint is supposed to be brown, but a green paint arrives on site, it is probably still high quality as well as grade, yet not sufficient for the project. The required attributes must be determined individually for each resource.
Availability
In project management lingo this is called a resource calendar. The resource calendar can range from a simple listing of employee vacation time to sophisticated material tracking software. But its purpose is to ensure the project resource is available when needed.
At this stage we drill down into the table for each resource. Hence, a new table of information is formed for each resource: