Education Edge PMP PMBOK Week 6 Office Read - Human Resource Knowledge Area

Human Resource Knowledge Area

Project Human Resources Management includes the processes that organize, manage and lead the project team.

 

Project Management team is a subset of the project team and is responsible for the project management and leadership activities.

 

The knowledge area of Project Human Resource Management consists of the following four processes:

 

Process Name	Project Management Process Group	Key Deliverables
Plan Human Resource Management	Planning	Human Resource Management Plan
Acquire Project Team	Executing	Resource Calendars, Project Staff Assignments
Develop Project Team	Executing	Team Performance Assessments
Manage Project Team	Executing	Change Requests

 

Plan Human Resource Management is the process of identifying and documenting project roles, responsibilities, and required skills, reporting relationships and creating staffing management plan.

 

This plan contains

·       training needs

·       team building strategies

·       plans for recognition and reward programs

·       compliance considerations

·       safety issues

·       impact of the staffing management plan on the organization

 

Staff management plan includes the timetable for staff acquisition and release.

 

Hierarchical charts, Matrix charts and text-oriented position description are examples of Organization charts and position descriptions.

 

A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package.

 

One example of a RAM is a RACI (responsible, accountable, consult, and inform) chart.

 

Networking is the formal and informal interaction with others in an organization, industry, or professional environment.

 

Expectancy Theory – Employees who believe their efforts will lead to effective performance and who expect to be rewarded for their accomplishments will productive as rewards meet their expectations.

 

Fringe Benefits – These are the standard benefits formally given to all employees, such as education benefits, insurance, and profit sharing.

 

McGregor’s Theory of X and Y:

·       Theory X - People need to be watched every minute. People are incapable, avoid responsibility and avoid work whenever possible.

·       Theory Y - People are willing to work without supervision and want to achieve. People can direct their own efforts.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Self-actualization is the highest level in Maslow’s pyramid.

 

David McClelland’s Theory of Needs corresponds to need of achievement, affiliation and power.

 

Herzberg’s Theory – This theory deals with hygiene factors and motivating agents.

 

Halo Effect – is the tendency to rate team members high or low on all factors due to the impression of high or low rating on some specific factor.

 

The human resource management plan includes:

·        Roles and responsibilities

·        Project organization charts

·        Staffing management plan

 

Resource Histogram – Part of resource optimization strategy.

 

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Plan Human Resources Management process are given below:

 

Project Management Plan	Organization Charts and Position Descriptions	Human Resource Management Plan
Activity Resource Requirements	Networking
Enterprise Environmental Factors	Organizational Theory
Organizational Process Assets	Expert Judgment
	Meetings

 

Acquire Project Team is the process of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project assignments.

 

When project team members are selected in advance, they are considered pre-assigned.

 

Staff assignments are negotiated on many projects. The project management team may need to negotiate with:

·       Functional managers

·       Other project management teams within the performing organization

·       External organizations, vendors, suppliers, contractors, etc.

 

Acquisition - When the performing organization is unable to provide the staff needed to complete a project, the required services may be acquired from outside sources.

 

Virtual Teams - Groups of people with a shared goal but do not or rarely meet face to face.

 

By use of a multi-criteria decision analysis tool, criteria are developed and used to rate or score potential team members.

 

Resource calendars document the time periods that each project team member is available to work on the project

 

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Acquire Project Team process are given below:

 

Human Resource Management Plan	Pre-assignment	Project Staff Assignments
Enterprise Environmental Factors	Negotiation	Resource Calendars
Organizational Process Assets	Acquisition	Project Management Plan Updates
	Virtual Teams
	Multi-criteria Decision Analysis

 

Develop Project Team is the process of improving the competencies, team interaction, team environment to enhance project performance.

 

Interpersonal skills, sometimes known as “soft skills,” are behavioral competencies that include proficiencies:

·       communication skills

·       emotional intelligence

·       conflict resolution

·       negotiation

·       influence

·       team building

·       group facilitation

 

Team member may require training in order to perform on the project or to enhance their performance.

 

Five stages of Team-Building Activities:

·       Forming

·       Storming

·       Norming

·       Performing

·       Adjourning

 

Ground rules establish clear expectations regarding acceptable behavior by project team members.

 

Colocation - Placing all or almost all of the most active project team members in the same physical location to enhance their ability to perform as a team.

 

Recognition and Rewards must be clear, explicit, and achievable.

 

Personnel assessment tools give the project manager and the project team insight into areas of strength and weakness.

 

A formal or informal assessment of the team’s effectiveness is a part of project manager’s responsibility.

 

Power is the potential ability to influence behavior to get people to do things they would not normally do.

·       Legitimate (formal)

·       Coercive (punishment)

·       Reward

·       Expert

·       Referent

 

Laissez-Faire – Meaning “to let do” – Minimal or no interference by authority.

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Develop Project Team process are given below:

 

Human Resource Management Plan	Interpersonal Skills	Team Performance Assessments
Project Staff Assignments	Training	Enterprise Environmental Factors updates
Resource Calendars	Team-Building Activities
	Ground rules
	Colocation
	Recognition and Rewards
	Personnel Assessment Tools

 

Manage Project Team is the process of tracking team members performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing changes to optimize project performance.

 

Project management team observes team behavior, manages conflicts, resolves issues, and appraises team member performance.

 

Project Manager should stay in touch with the work & attitudes of project team members.

 

360 degree feedback principles may also be used to evaluate the performance.

 

Sources of conflict include:

·        Scarce resources

·        Scheduling priorities

·        Personal work styles

 

Five general techniques for resolving conflict:

·       Withdraw/Avoid – Neutral/Neutral

·       Smooth/Accommodate – Lose/Win

·       Compromise/Reconcile – Lose/Lose

·       Force/Direct – Win/Lose

·       Collaborate/Problem Solve – Win/Win

 

The Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Output of Manage Project Team process are given below:

 

Human Resource Management Plan	Observation and Conversation	Change Requests
Project Staff Assignments	Project Performance Appraisals	Project Management Plan Updates
Team Performance Assessments	Conflict Management	Project Documents updates
Issue Log	Interpersonal Skills	Enterprise Environmental Factors updates
Work Performance Reports		Organizational Process Assets updates
Organizational Process Assets