9.2 Estimate Activity Resources

Description: the process of estimating team resources and the type and quantities of material, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform project work. The process is very close to the process Estimate Cost.

Key benefit: it identifies the type, quantity, and characteristics of resources required to complete the project.

Frequency: periodically throughout the project as needed.

Process/ Asset Group	Input	The Process	Output	Process/ Asset Group
Project Management Plan	Resource management plan	9.2 Estimate Activity Resources	Resource requirements	Project Documents
	Scope baseline		Basis of estimate
Project Documents	Activity attributes		Resource breakdown structure
	Activity list		Activity attributes
	Assumption log		Assumption log
	Cost estimate		Lesson learned register
	Resource calendars
	Risk register
Enterprise/ Organization	Enterprise environmental factors
	Organizational process assets

9.2.1 Inputs

9.2.1.1 Project Management Plan

Include:

• Resource management plan. The approach to identify the different resources needed for the project, the methods to quantify the resources needed for each activity and aggregates this information.
• Scope baseline. The project and product scope necessary to meet the project objectives.

9.2.1.2 Project Documents

• Activity attributes. The primary data source for use in estimating team and physical resources.
• Activity list.
• Assumption log. Information on productivity factors, availability, cost estimates, and approaches to work.
• Cost estimates.
• Resource calendars. The working days, shifts, start and end of normal business hours, weekends, and public holidays when each specific resource is available.
• Risk register. The individual risks that can impact resource selection and availability.

9.2.1.3 Enterprise Environmental Factors

Include:

• Resource location,
• Resource availability,
• Team resource skills,
• Organizational culture,
• Published estimating data, and
• Marketplace conditions.

9.2.1.4 Organizational Process Assets

• Policies and procedures regarding staffing,
• Policies and procedures relating to supplies and equipment, and
• Historical information regarding types of resources used for similar work on previous projects.

9.2.2 Tools and Techniques

9.2.2.1 Expert Judgement

In team and physical resource planning and estimating.

9.2.2.2 Bottom-up Estimating

9.2.2.3 Analogous Estimating

9.2.2.4 Parametric Estimating

An algorithm or a statistical relationship between historical data and other variables to calculate resource quantities needed for an activity.

9.2.2.5 Data Analysis

Alternatives analysis. Various levels of resource capability or skills, different sizes or types of machines, different tools (manual versus automated), and make-rent-or-buy decisions.

9.2.2.6 Project Management Information System (PMIS)

9.2.2.7 Meetings

Planning meetings with functional managers to estimate the resources needed per activity, level of effort (LoE), skill level of the team resources, and the quantity of the materials needed. Participants at these meetings may include the project manager, the project sponsor, selected project team members, selected stakeholders, and others.

9.2.3 Outputs

9.2.3.1 Resource Requirements

The types and quantities of resources required for each work package or activity in a work package and can be aggregated to determine the estimated resources for each work package, each WBS branch, and the project as a whole.

9.2.3.2 Basis of Estimates

• Method used to develop the estimate,
• Resources used to develop the estimate (such as information from previous similar projects),
• Assumptions associated with the estimate,
• Known constraints,
• Range of estimates,
• Confidence level of the estimate, and
• Documentation of identified risks influencing the estimate.

9.2.3.3 Resource Breakdown Structure

A hierarchical representation of resources by category and type.

Resource categories

• Labor,
• Material,
• Equipment, and
• Supplies.

Types:

• Skill level,
• Grade level,
• Required certifications, or
• Other

9.2.3.4 Project Documents Updates

• Activity attributes.
• Assumption log. Assumptions regarding the types and quantities of resources required.
• Lessons learned register.