2 AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES

Staffing plan

Generate a staffing plan showing:

• Types of people required

• Number of each type required

• When the different people will be required

Calculate the manpower available to the project

Typically, apart from your project, the members of your team will spend their time in a number of other areas:

• Definite other projects in which they are involved.

• Vaguer, support/maintenance/quality/other request sorts of things which take up a definite chunk of time every week.

• Annual leave, public holidays.

• Unpredictable things which can't be anticipated. Sick leave comes under this heading.

The first three things can all be quantified , while some assumption can be made about the last point thereby quantifying it.

Steps to take

1. Work out for each person how much of their time (measured in days per week, hours per day or any other measure that means something to you) is being spent on these activities and hence how much time (measured in the same units) is available for your project.

2. Document each person's availability in your project plan and your PC-based project planning tool if you are using one.