Perform Quality Control: Outputs

Figure 9-3. Human Resource Planning: Inputs, Tools Techniques, and Outputs

9.1.1 Human Resource Planning: Inputs

.1 Enterprise Environmental Factors The definition of project roles and responsibilities is developed with an understanding of the ways that existing organizations will be involved and how the technical disciplines and people currently interact with one another. Some of the relevant enterprise environmental factors Section 4.1.1.3 involving organizational culture and structure are: 9 • Organizational. Which organizations or departments will be involved in the project? What are the current working arrangements among them? What formal and informal relationships exist among them? • Technical. What are the different disciplines and specialties that will be needed to complete this project? Are there different types of software languages, engineering approaches, or kinds of equipment that will need to be coordinated? Do the transitions from one life cycle phase to the next present any unique challenges? • Interpersonal. What types of formal and informal reporting relationships exist among people who are candidates for the project team? What are the candidates’ job descriptions? What are their supervisor-subordinate relationships? What are their supplier-customer relationships? What cultural or language differences will affect working relationships among team members? What levels of trust and respect currently exist? • Logistical. How much distance separates the people and units that will be part of the project? Are people in different buildings, time zones, or countries? • Political. What are the individual goals and agendas of the potential project stakeholders? Which groups and people have informal power in areas important to the project? What informal alliances exist? A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK ® Guide Third Edition 2004 Project Management Institute, Four Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA 203 In addition to the factors listed above, constraints limit the project team’s options. Examples of constraints that can limit flexibility in the Human Resource Planning process are: • Organizational structure. An organization whose basic structure is a weak matrix means a relatively weaker role for the project manager Section 2.3.3. • Collective bargaining agreements. Contractual agreements with unions or other employee groups can require certain roles or reporting relationships. • Economic conditions. Hiring freezes, reduced training funds, or a lack of travel budget are examples of economic conditions that can restrict staffing options. .2 Organizational Process Assets As project management methodology matures within an organization, lessons learned from past Human Resource Planning experiences are available as organizational process assets Section 4.1.1.4 to help plan the current project. Templates and checklists reduce the amount of planning time needed at the beginning of a project and reduce the likelihood of missing important responsibilities. • Templates. Templates that can be helpful in Human Resource Planning include project organization charts, position descriptions, project performance appraisals, and a standard conflict management approach. • Checklists. Checklists that can be helpful in Human Resource Planning include common project roles and responsibilities, typical competencies, training programs to consider, team ground rules, safety considerations, compliance issues, and reward ideas. .3 Project Management Plan The project management plan Section 4.3 includes the activity resource requirements, plus descriptions of project management activities, such as quality assurance, risk management, and procurement, that will help the project management team identify all of the required roles and responsibilities. • Activity Resource Requirements. Human Resource Planning uses activity resource requirements Section 6.3.3.1 to determine the human resource needs for the project. The preliminary requirements regarding the required people and competencies for the project team members are refined as part of the Human Resource Planning process. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK ® Guide Third Edition 204 2004 Project Management Institute, Four Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA

9.1.2 Human Resource Planning: Tools and Techniques

.1 Organization Charts and Position Descriptions Various formats exist to document team member roles and responsibilities. Most of the formats fall into one of three types Figure 9-4: hierarchical, matrix, and text- oriented. Additionally, some project assignments are listed in subsidiary project plans, such as the risk, quality, or communication plans. Whichever combination of methods is used, the objective is to ensure that each work package has an unambiguous owner and that all team members have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. 9 Figure 9-4. Roles and Responsibility Definition Formats • Hierarchical-type charts. The traditional organization chart structure can be used to show positions and relationships in a graphic, top-down format. Work breakdown structures WBS that are primarily designed to show how project deliverables are broken down into work packages become one way to show high-level areas of responsibility. The organizational breakdown structure OBS looks similar to the WBS, but instead of being arranged according to a breakdown of project deliverables, it is arranged according to an organization’s existing departments, units, or teams. The project activities or work packages are listed under each existing department. This way, an operational department such as information technology or purchasing can see all of its project responsibilities by looking at its portion of the OBS. The resource breakdown structure RBS is another hierarchical chart. It is used to break down the project by types of resources. For example, an RBS can depict all of the welders and welding equipment being used in different areas of a ship even though they can be scattered among different branches of the OBS and WBS. The RBS is helpful in tracking project costs, and can be aligned with the organization’s accounting system. The RBS can contain resource categories other than human resources. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK ® Guide Third Edition 2004 Project Management Institute, Four Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA 205