Chapter 9: Project Resource Management Flashcards
The Project Resource Management processes are:
Plan Resource Management, Estimate Activity Resources, Acquire Resources, Develop Team, Manage Team, Control Resources
The distinction between the skills and competencies needed for the project manager to manage team resources, versus physical resources is:
Physical resources include equipment, materials, facilities, and infrastructure. Team resources or personnel refer to the human resources. Personnel may have varied skill sets, may be assigned full- or part-time, and may be added or removed from the project team as the project progresses
The project manager should be aware of different aspects that influence the team, such as:
Team environment, Geographical locations of team members, Communications among stakeholders, Organizational change management, uInternal and external politics, Cultural issues and organizational uniqueness, and Other factors that may alter project performance
Define “Resource management methods”
There is extensive literature about lean management, just- in-time (JIT) manufacturing, Kaizen, total productive maintenance (TPM), theory of constraints (TOC), and other methods. A project manager should determine if the performing organization has adopted one or more resource management tools and adapt the project accordingly
Define “Emotional intelligence (EI)”
The project manager should invest in personal EI by improving inbound (e.g., self-management and self-awareness) and outbound (e.g., relationship management) competencies. Research suggests that project teams that succeed in developing team EI or become an emotionally competent group are more effective
Define “Self-organizing teams”
The team functions with an absence of centralized control. In projects that have self-organizing teams, the project manager (who may not be called a project manager) role provides the team with the environment and support needed and trusts the team to get the job done. Successful self- organizing teams usually consist of generalized specialists, instead of subject matter experts, who continuously adapt to the changing environment and embrace constructive feedback
Considerations for tailoring the way Project Resource Management processes are applied include but are not limited to:
Diversity, Physical location, Industry-specific resources, Acquisition of team members, Management of team, Life cycle approaches
Define “Hierarchical chart”
The traditional organizational chart structure can be used to show positions and relationships in a graphical, top-down format
Define “Organizational breakdown structure (OBS)”
While the WBS shows a breakdown of project deliverables, an OBS is arranged according to an organization’s existing departments, units, or teams, with the project activities or work packages listed under each department. An operational department, such as information technology or purchasing, can see all of its project responsibilities by looking at its portion of the OBS
Define “Resource breakdown structure”
The resource breakdown structure is a hierarchical list of team and physical resources related by category and resource type that is used for planning, managing and controlling project work. Each descending (lower) level represents an increasingly detailed description of the resource until the information is small enough to be used in conjunction with the work breakdown structure (WBS) to allow the work to be planned, monitored, and controlled
Define “Responsibility Assignment Matrix”
A RAM shows the project resources assigned to each work package. It is used to illustrate the connections between work packages, or activities, and project team members. On larger projects, RAMs can be developed at various levels. The matrix format shows all activities associated with one person and all people associated with one activity. This also ensures that there is only one person accountable for any one task to avoid confusion about who is ultimately in charge or has authority for the work
Define “RACI (responsible, accountable, consult, and inform) chart”
This is an example of a RAM chart. The sample chart shows the work to be done in the left column as activities. The assigned resources can be shown as individuals or groups. The project manager can select other options, such as “lead” and “resource” designations, as appropriate for the project. A RACI chart is a useful tool to use to ensure clear assignment of roles and responsibilities when the team consists of internal and external resources
Define “Organizational theory”
Organizational theory provides information regarding the way in which people, teams, and organizational units behave. Effective use of common techniques identified in organizational theory can shorten the amount of time, cost, and effort needed to create the Plan Resource Management process outputs and improve planning efficiency
The resource management plan may include but is not limited to:
Identification of resources, Acquiring resources, Roles and responsibilities, Project organization charts, Project team resource management, Training, Team development, Resource control, Recognition plan
Define “role” (someone’s role in the project)
The function assumed by, or assigned to, a person in the project. Examples of project roles are civil engineer, business analyst, and testing coordinator
Define “Project organization chart”
It is a graphic display of project team members and their reporting relationships. It can be formal or informal, highly detailed or broadly framed, based on the needs of the project
Define “Recognition plan”
Which recognition and rewards will be given to team members, and when they will be given
