Project Management Essentials For Dummies, Australian and New Zealand Edition

Chapter 6

Looking at Resources

In This Chapter

Understanding the dynamics of staff scheduling

Planning your project’s staff needs

Looking at physical resource requirements

Calculating a project budget, then monitoring it

Stan Portny remembers reading the following from a stressed-out Project Manager: ‘We’ve done so much with so little for so long, they now expect us to do everything with nothing!’

The truth is, of course, you can’t accomplish anything with nothing, and in the context of project resource planning, you need people, money and often equipment and facilities. Many Project Managers tend to underestimate this resourcing — don’t be daunted by it, but instead allow time to think it through and plan thoroughly. That means getting the best out of your staff — almost certainly the most important factor — but also equipment and funding. By the way, using project staff well isn’t selfish either. Good project management includes giving team members opportunities to succeed and develop alongside you getting a successful project, and that needs careful thought and planning too.