Resource Management is the process during which the actual progress of resources’ work is being tracked and if needed corrective actions are taken to resolve resource allocation problems.
During the Planning phase, a baseline was established for the Resource Schedule (refer to 7.4.2.1). This baseline will be used as a starting point against which resource progress will be measured. In this way the Project Manager will be able to monitor resource allocation and its impact on schedules and budgets, as well as to take the necessary actions to ensure that the project is on track.
The steps that are undertaken to manage the Resources are the following:
| ● | Record resource progress by calculating the total time actually spent by labour and equipment resources and the actual consumption of material resources to undertake the project activities/ tasks. |
| ● | Update the Resource Schedule on a regular basis to ensure that the resource progress is on track. |
| ● | Identify and resolve resource allocation problems to get the best performance and results from resources and to ensure that the overall project schedule won’t be affected. |
Figure 7-17: Steps to be followed for managing resources
As it has been already mentioned (refer to 7.4.2), there are various software packages in the market (e.g. MS Project, Primavera Project Planner) that can be used for developing, monitoring and control a resource schedule. However, for the purposes of this Guide the simple tool presented in Annex 7-1/ Sheets “Resource Schedule” and “Resources vs. Activities” can be used also for tracking project progress during the Execution & Control phase.
The following paragraphs describe analytically the steps to be followed for an effective resource management.