Introduction
For my knowledge area paper, I decide on resource management as that is the closest thing that
relates to regular job. Currently, I am an Operations NCO for the Virginia National Guard where I mainly
deal with human resource related tasks. However, being able to decide where all my resources need to
go for a certain task is a critical to make sure that everything runs smoothly. In my paper I will review all
the processes that are beneficial for project resource management to be successful and by the end of
this paper the reader will have a better understanding of these processes and how to implement them
in their next project.
The Identify Resource Management KA phase takes place in the Planning Process Group. It is the
process to identify, acquire, and manage the resources required for the successful completion of a
project (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). The specific processes are to help a project manager make
sure that all resources are distributed in the right place at the right time. There are six main phases that
are involved in for resource management of a project to be successful, they are, estimate activity
resources, acquire resources, develop team, manage team, and control resources (PMBOK Guide Sixth
Edition, 2017). Each phase is linked with another and without one phase they wouldn’t work. With each
of these phases, there are specific inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs to make the project run
smoother. A project manger should know how to use these specific parts of the processes to better
facilitate the project.
For the initiation and planning of a project with resource management you must first plan the
resource management and develop a team. Personally, I feel like this is the most important part of the
project. With an experienced project manager and team, they can plan for a good percentage of errors
that could accrue during a project. These two phases are similar because to plan a well-developed
resource management pan you must have a team in place that can help get everything in place.
Important inputs for these two phases include a project management plan and project documents
(PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). A well-developed team will create a project management plan and
use tools and techniques specific for this phase to help carry out the mission. Some important tools and
techniques for these two phases include expert judgement, communication technology, training and
individual and team assessments (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). won’t ever get off the ground
because a cohesive team has able to work to take on any project that is tasked to them and completed it
no matter the circumstances. These inputs should clearly define the goals and objectives of what is to
come from every step of the project (Domínguez-Tejo & Metternicht, 2018). Planning a project includes
making sure that all the documents situated on the timeline and having a well-developed team in place
for each phase (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one;
because they have a good reward for their labor” (ESV). Some important outputs, or deliverables from
these two phases are resource management plan, project management and documents updates, and
team performance assessment (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). With these outputs, the project
manager and team are looking for data to let them know if they are headed in the right direction or not.
Which, depending on the method that is being used for this project, would determine if they could
adjust their plan or not.
After you have initiated and started to plan a project, a project manager would need to monitor
and control the progression and the completion status of the project. These phases include estimating
activity resources and managing a team (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). Like the first two phases, a
project management plan and project documents are valuable inputs. However, one key input for
managing a team are team performance assessments (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). These are
important to let everyone who is apart of a team know how they are doing. Assessing the situation and
giving feedback is important because it lets the team know what needs improvement and what they are
doing well on. Tools and techniques that are important for these two phases include expert judgement,
bottom-up estimating, interpersonal and team skills, and project management information system
(PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). Expert judgement is a hard skill to substitute as it comes with years
of experience and trial and error. A team with people who have years of experience is crucial in making
plan that will work with as little errors as possible. Without experience and expertise, a project will
struggle to make and progress. Outputs that are expected from this phase include resource
requirements, project management plan updates, and change requests (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition,
2017). All of these outputs are deliverables from previous steps in this phase, but it is important to note
that for these outputs, they are tasks that either need to be updated or require a change. A change
request can be either a preventive or corrective action, a defect repair or an update (Management Yogi,
2018). These changes are important because it helps fix errors that have been exposed throughout the
project. Without a change, these errors will continue to happen and cost the product owner and this
project more money.
The final process of a project is the closing process. It is the culmination of all the hard work that
has happened in the other processes, which includes acquired and controlled resources (PMBOK Guide
Sixth Edition, 2017). These steps are a continuation of the prior phases by controlling where all of the
resources that they have acquired are going to the right place and are not going to waste. The inputs for
these two phases include project management plan, enterprise environmental assets and work
performance data (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). To me, the most important task that needs to be
completed out of this phase is the work performance data. This is because the team can take this data
and make changes to how they have been working. The tools and techniques for this phase include
decision making, interpersonal and team skills, data analysis and problem solving (PMBOK Guide Sixth
Edition, 2017). All of this work together and off of each other because building team skills include
making sure they have the ability to problem solve. With a good data analysis, a team can use their
problem-solving skills which will help in the decision-making process. Like the other phases, the outputs
are tangible items that have been delivered from the inputs, and the tools and techniques. The outputs
include, project team assignments, resource calendars, change requests and work performance
information (PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, 2017). A resource calendar is good to have because it lets you
know the time and date of where all of the resources are going. These outputs can be tools that are
used for change and data tracking. Without these outputs, progress would be harder to track and the
team would not be able to make an accurate conclusion for future decisions.
In conclusion, there are multiple different phases that go into making a project run efficiently.
From managing resources, to developing and managing a team, a project manager needs to know how
to combine all of these six-phases together to help make this resource management process flow
smoothly. Without these phases, the project wouldn’t run as efficiently as it does. Resource
management is an integral part of a project and is imperative to making sure all goods are in the right
place at the right time while completing the project on time and schedule.
References:
Domínguez-Tejo, E., & Metternicht, G. (2018). Poorly-designed goals and objectives in resource
management plans: Assessing their impact for an Ecosystem-Based Approach to Marine Spatial
Planning. Marine Policy, 122-131; retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.11.013.
Management Yogi. (2018). Change Request Flow (PMP). Retrieved from Management Yogi:
https://www.managementyogi.com/2018/06/change-request-flow-pmp-pmbok-6th-edition-
managementyogi.html
Milosevic, D., & Iewwongcharoen, B. (2004). Project management tools and techniques; the contingency
use and their impacts on project success. Retrieved from Project Management Institue:
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-management-tools-techniques-impact-success-
8349
PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition. (2017). Newton Square, PA: Project Management Institute, INC.
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