Purpose

The resource plan establishes the anticipated use of human and material resources for the project. It defines when and how resources will be applied to allow functional managers to determine how to allocate their personnel and material. It lets team members know when they are expected to participate in the project and the degree of that participation. The resources plan also allows the project manager to review the breadth of resource allocation for the project.

Application

The resources plan is used to present resource information in terms of their timing, activities, or deliverables. It is often built in the project management software, allowing for ongoing updates and modifications to the allocations.

Content

The resource plan normally consists of a list of resources and may include their tasks, their costs, and/or their allocation over time. One of the simplest approaches outlines the resources, the work packages to which they are assigned, and the consumption of hours. The content may also include hourly rates and the cost by activity or time frame.

Approaches

The type of information that is incorporated in a resource plan can be presented in a variety of ways, including bar graphs (resource histograms) and spreadsheets. The choice of approach will largely hinge on the information being presented and the emphasis desired. If users desire a quick, at-a-glance consumption rate on the resources, then the bar chart is the most desirable display format. If more detailed information (including cost information, specific hours consumed, and other data) is essential, then the spreadsheet would be more appropriate.

Considerations

Because functional managers are often intensely interested in the activities of their resources (on loan to projects), it is frequently prudent to ask the functional managers what information they would like to see in the resource plan, even though the project manager may be the primary user of the information. Because the information must ultimately be shared with the resource owners (whether the resources are material or human), their desired format for the information may be a critical decision-making factor in selecting the right approach.