9. Manage the Project Team and Resources

Physical Resources

Tangible items like materials, equipment, machinery, and buildings used to complete project work

Capital Resource

High-value, long-lived physical resources used repeatedly (e.g., machinery, buildings, vehicles)

Resource Life Cycle

Acquisition → Maintenance → Hardware Decommissioning → End-of-Life Software → Successor Planning

Human Resources

People assigned to perform project work or provide expertise

Dedicated Resource

Team member whose full time is devoted to the project

Shared Resource

Team member who splits time between multiple projects or functions

Overallocated Resource

A resource assigned more work than can reasonably be completed in available time

Benched Resource

Resource available but not currently assigned to project tasks

Internal Resource

Team member employed or owned by the organization

External Resource

Contractor or consultant acquired from outside the organization

Remote Resource

Team member who works off-site but can be internal or external

Operational or Core Team Member

Individual who remains on the project from start to finish

Functional or Extended Team Member

Specialist brought in temporarily for specific tasks

Functional Organization

Structure where staff are grouped by specialization and project managers have limited authority

Project-Oriented (Projectized) Organization

Structure where staff are grouped by project and project managers have high authority

Matrix Organization

Hybrid structure where functional and project managers share authority and resources

Weak Matrix Organization

Project manager has little authority; structure resembles a functional organization

Balanced Matrix Organization

Project manager has low to moderate authority; shares control with functional managers

Strong Matrix Organization

Project manager has moderate to high authority similar to projectized structures

Project Manager

Individual assigned to lead the team responsible for achieving project objectives

Project Manager Responsibilities

Controls the project, manages budget, makes decisions, and allocates resources

Functional Manager

Oversees a specific functional area (e.g., IT Manager) and provides expertise and staff to projects

Project Coordinator

Has limited authority; supports project management in functional or weak matrix organizations

Project Sponsor

Person or group funding the project and accountable for its success

Project Stakeholder

Individual or group who can affect or be affected by the project’s decisions or outcomes

External Stakeholders

Customers, end users, suppliers, shareholders, competitors

Internal Stakeholders

Sponsor, PMO, program manager, team members, and other managers

Project Management Office (PMO)

Provides governance, templates, guidelines, and support for managing projects

Program Manager

Oversees related projects to manage interdependencies and achieve strategic goals

Business Analyst

Focuses on defining and ensuring the end product meets business needs

Product Manager

Similar to a business analyst but focused on marketing and product promotion aspects

Project Team

Group supporting the project manager in delivering project objectives

Architect

Designs the technical or system solution

Developer / Engineer

Writes code or builds system components

Tester / QA Specialist

Ensures product quality through testing and validation

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Provides specialized expertise in specific areas

Scrum Product Owner

Represents stakeholders and prioritizes backlog in Agile environments

Scrum Master

Facilitates Scrum process and removes team impediments

Development Team (Scrum)

Small, self-organizing group that delivers increments of work

Selecting Team Members

Process of identifying and acquiring people with the required skills for the project

Resource Pool

Collection of available personnel and their associated skills within or outside the organization

Gap Analysis

Comparison of current skill levels versus project needs to identify training or hiring requirements

Vendor Evaluation Techniques

Cost-benefit analysis, competitive analysis, technical approach, references, prequalified vendors

Selection Criteria Grid

Tool used to score and compare candidate resources based on set evaluation factors

Assigning Resources

Allocating team members to specific project tasks based on skills and availability

Resource Loading

Process of assigning work to fill available time of project team members

Project Organization Chart

Diagram showing project team hierarchy, roles, and reporting structure

RACI Matrix

Responsibility assignment chart showing who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed

Responsible (RACI)

Person who performs the task or work

Accountable (RACI)

Person who approves the work and owns the outcome

Consulted (RACI)

Person who provides input, feedback, or expertise

Informed (RACI)

Person kept updated about task progress or decisions

Tuckman Ladder

Model describing stages of team development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

Forming Stage

Team members are introduced, roles unclear, focus on individual efforts

Storming Stage

Roles clarified, conflicts and performance dips may occur

Norming Stage

Team starts collaborating and aligning on shared goals

Performing Stage

Team functions cohesively, resolves conflicts constructively, and achieves goals

Adjourning Stage

Team disbands after project completion; “mission accomplished” phase

Team Building

Activities that enhance collaboration, trust, and social relationships within the team

Team Building Examples

Quick icebreakers, volunteer events, or team decision-making involvement

Gap Analysis Purpose

Identify differences between current and desired capability to plan training or hiring

Vendor Evaluation Purpose

Compare vendors objectively to determine best fit for project needs