9. Project Resource Management

Question 1

Define Project Resource Management.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 1

Includes the processes to identify, acquire, and manage the resources needed for the successful completion of the project.

9. 1 Plan Resource Management
10. 2 Estimate Activity Resources
11. 3 Acquire Resources
12. 4 Develop Team
13. 5 Manage Team
14. 6 Control Resources
    * PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9 - Project Resource Management, p. 307*

Question 2

Define the following process: Plan Resource Management.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 2

The process of defining how to estimate, acquire, manage, and use team and physical resources.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.1 - Plan Resource Management, p. 312

Question 3

Define the following process: Estimate Activity Resources.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 3

The process of estimating team resources and the type and quantities of materials, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform project work.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.2 - Estimate Activity Resources, p. 320

Question 4

Define the following process: Acquire Resources.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 4

The process of obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and other resources necessary to complete project work.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.3 - Acquire Resources, p. 328

Question 5

Define the following process: Develop Team.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 5

The process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.4 - Develop Team, p. 336

Question 6

Define the following process: Manage Team.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 6

The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.5 - Manage Team, p. 345

Question 7

Define the following process: Control Resources.

9.1 Define the six project management processes in the project resource management knowledge area

Answer 7

The process of ensuring that the physical resources assigned and allocated to the project are available as planned, as well as monitoring the planned versus actual utilization of resources and taking corrective action as necessary.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.6 - Control Resources, p. 352

Question 8

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Plan Resource Management.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 8

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-2. Plan Resource Management: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 312

Question 9

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Estimate Activity Resources.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 9

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-5. Estimate Activity Resources: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 321

Question 10

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Acquire Resources.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 10

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-8. Acquire Resources: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 328

Question 11

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Develop Team.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 11

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-10. Develop Team: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 336

Question 12

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Manage Team.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 12

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-12. Manage Team: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 345

Question 13

Identify the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs of the following process: Control Resources.

9.2 Identify the input, tools, techniques, and outputs defined in the six processes in project resource management

Answer 13

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Figure 9-14. Control Resources: Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs, p. 352

Question 14

Identify key concepts for Project Resource Management.

9.3 Identify key concepts and trends in project resource management, including tailoring and special considerations for agile/adaptive environments

Answer 14

tl;dr

• [more than physical]
• [resource types are different]
• [leader + manager]
• [influences matter]
• [development is key]
• [effectiveness and efficiency]

quotes

• [more than physical] Project resources include both physical resources (equipment, materials, facilities, and infrastructure) and team resources (individuals with assigned project roles and responsibilities).
• [resource types are different] Different skills and competencies are needed to manage team resources versus physical resources.
• [leader + manager] The project manager should be both the leader and the manager of the project team, and should invest suitable effort in acquiring, managing, motivating, and empowering team members.
• [influences matter] The project manager should be aware of team influences such as the team environment, geographical location of team members, communication among stakeholders, organizational change management, internal and external politics, cultural issues, and organizational uniqueness.
• [development is key] The project manager is responsible for proactively developing team skills and competencies while retaining and improving team satisfaction and motiviation.
• [effectiveness and efficiency] Physical resource management is concentrated on allocating and utilizing the physical resources needed for successful completion of the project in an efficient and effective way. Failure to manager and control resources efficiently may reduce the chance of completing the project successfully.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Appendix X4 - X4.6 - Key Concepts for Project Resource Management, p. 676

Question 15

Identify tailoring considerations for Project Resource Management.

9.3 Identify key concepts and trends in project resource management, including tailoring and special considerations for agile/adaptive environments

Answer 15

• Diversity. What is the diversity background of the team?
• Physical location. What is the physical location of team members and physical resources?
• Industry-specific resources. What special resources are needed in the industry?
• Acquisition of team members. How will team members be acquired for the project? Are team resources full-time or part-time on the project?
• Management of team. How is team development managed for the project? Are there organizational tools to manage team development or will new ones need to be established? Are there team members who have special needs? Will the team need special training to manage diversity?
• Life cycle approaches. What life cycle approach will be used on the project?

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9 - Project Resource Management, p. 311

Question 16

Identify considerations for Project Resource Management for agile/adaptive environments.

9.3 Identify key concepts and trends in project resource management, including tailoring and special considerations for agile/adaptive environments

Answer 16

• Projects with high variability benefit from team structures that maximize focus and collaboration, such as self-organizing team with generalizing specialists.
• Collaborative teams may facilitate accelerated integration of distinct work activities, improve communication, increase knowledge sharing, and provide flexibility of work assignments in addition to other advantages.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9 - Project Resource Management, p. 311

Question 17

Identify and describe techniques for developing a project team.

9.4 Identify techniques for developing a team, managing conflict, and resolving resource-related problems

Answer 17

• Colocation - placing many or all of the most active team members in the same physical location.
• Virtual teams - use technology to create an online team environment.
• Communication technology - shared portal, video conferencing, audio conferencing, and email and chat.
• Recognition and rewards - will be effective only if they satisfy a need that is valued by that individual.
• Training - all activities designed to enhance the competencies of the project team members.
• Individual and team assessments - assess team members’ preferences, aspirations, how they process and organize information, how they make decisions, and how they interact with people.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.4.2 - Develop Team: Tools and Techniques, pp. 340-342

Question 18

Identify and describe techniques for managing conflict.

9.4 Identify techniques for developing a team, managing conflict, and resolving resource-related problems

Answer 18

• Withdraw/avoid. Retreating from an actual or potential conflict situation; postponing the issue to be better prepared or to be resolved by others.
• Smooth/accommodate. Emphasizing areas of agreement rather than areas of difference; conceding one’s position to the needs of others to maintain harmony and relationships.
• Compromise/reconcile. Searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all parties in order to temporarily or partially resolve the conflict. This approach occasionally results in a lose-lose situation.
• Force/direct. Pushing one’s viewpoint at the expense of others; offering only win-lose solutions, usually enforced through a power position to resolve an emergency. This approach often result to a win-lose situation.
• Collaborate/problem solve. Incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights from differing perspectives; requires a cooperative attitude and open dialogue that typically leads to consensus and commitment. This approach can result in a win-win situation.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.5.2 - Manage Team: Tools and Techniques, p. 349

Question 19

Identify and describe techniques for resolving resource-related problems.

9.4 Identify techniques for developing a team, managing conflict, and resolving resource-related problems

Answer 19

• Alternatives analysis. Alternatives can be analyzed to select the best resolution for correcting variances in resource utilization.
• Cost-benefit analysis. This analysis helps to determine the best corrective action in terms of cost in case of project deviations.
• Perfromance reviews. Performance reviews measure, compare, and analyze planned resource utilization to actual resource utilization.
• Trend analysis. Trend analysis examines project performance over time and can be used to determine whether performance is improving or deteriorating.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.6.2.1 - Data Analysis, p. 356

Question 20

What is a resource management plan?

9.5 Understand the components of a resource management plan and data representation techniques for managing project resources

Answer 20

The component of the project management plan that provides guidance on how project resources should be categorized, allocated, managed, and released.

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.1.3.1 - Resource Management Plan, p. 318

Question 21

What are the components of a resource management plan?

9.5 Understand the components of a resource management plan and data representation techniques for managing project resources

Answer 21

• Identification of resources
• Acquiring resources
• Roles and responsibilities
• Project organization charts
• Project team resource management
• Training
• Team development
• Resource control
• Recognition plan

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.1.3.1 - Resource Management Plan, p. 319

Question 22

Describe data representation methods for project resource management.

9.5 Understand the components of a resource management plan and data representation techniques for managing project resources

Answer 22

• Hierarchical charts
  
  • Work breakdown structure (WBS)
  • Organizational breakdown structure (OBS)
  • Resource breakdown structure
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) (example: RACI chart)
• Text-oriented formats (example: outline)

PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, 9.1.2.2 - Data Representation, p. 316