11. Planning project labor resources

Human resources planning is the process of defining and documenting roles, responsibilities and accountability, and creating a personnel management plan for a project [16].

11.1. Defining project roles

When assigning the roles and responsibilities necessary to complete a project, the following points should be considered.

Role in the project (project role) - a specific set of functions and powers in the project, created to distribute responsibilities among the project team members. The project role can be considered as a temporary position in the organization (company).

Powers - the right to use project resources, make decisions and approve actions or results approval. Examples of authority: the choice of the method of completion of the operation, the quality acceptance and the procedure for responding to deviations in the project.

Responsibility - the work that a member of the project team must perform to complete project operations.

Qualifications - the skills and abilities necessary to carry out project operations. The lack of the necessary qualifications of the team members affects the project schedule, the quality of the performance of work, threatens the project objectives. To improve the qualifications plan to conduct training of team members.

Forming a project management team, it is necessary to identify key project decision makers.

On the client side, the project sponsor and the project manager on the client side play key roles. The project sponsor provides the organizational side of the project and confirms the correctness of the project objectives. He is in charge of the project budget. The project may be sponsored by an individual or a whole committee, depending on the scope and complexity of the project. The project manager on the part of the customer is appointed even if the implementation of the project by the customer’s organization requires daily management. His responsibilities include providing customer resources, solving problems, and tracking project status.

Key roles on the part of the contractor are the project manager (project manager) on the part of the contractor and the business manager.

The business manager is responsible for the successful execution of the project and represents the contractor in his contractual relationship with the customer. The project manager (project manager) is responsible for both the successes and failures of the project. Its task is to manage the timing, cost, quality of work in order to meet customer expectations and achieve the contractor’s business goals.

The project management team includes a project coordinator, project administrator, and configuration manager. For large projects, several people may be involved in each of these roles. On small projects, the project manager can combine several roles. Large-scale projects require a quality manager who is responsible to the business manager of the contractor.

In large projects, a management committee, a change control committee, a controversial analysis committee can be organized [8].

The following list of key roles of the project management team is necessary to manage the work during the implementation of the information system. Some modifications of the team are possible depending on the complexity and scale of the project, for example, if necessary, you can include a deputy project manager, managers of functional areas (finance, logistics, personnel, etc.).

The composition of the management team should be sufficient to implement [11]:

• project resource management, including:

o determination of the resources required to achieve the objectives of the project;

o preparation of proposals for changing the composition of the project management team;

o approval of personal changes in the composition of the project working groups;

o project cost estimation, preparation of project budgets and budget execution reports;

• management of the project timeframe, including:

o preparation of the project work plan;

o control over the implementation of the project;

o preparation of project progress reports;

• project quality management, including:

o control of the compliance of the developed design solutions with the technical task;

o organization of the expertise of design solutions;

• project risk management, including:

o project risk analysis;

o developing risk mitigation plans;

o implementation of risk reduction measures;

• problem management of the project, including:

o analysis of project problems;

o development of measures to resolve project problems;

o implementation of measures to resolve project problems;

• control over the organization of work in project groups, including:

o approval of progress reports;

o control over the functioning of the system for collecting and distributing information;

o control of documenting project results.

The project team includes not only the project management team, but also the project executives. Examples of project roles that are specific to IT projects: functional architect, functional consultant, developer, IP administrator, tester, quality manager, system analyst. In the project, one member of the team can act simultaneously in several roles. The combination of roles is often found in small projects, which reduces project overhead. But not all roles can be combined, since such a combination may make it difficult to monitor and evaluate project results. It is allowed to combine such project roles as project manager and project administrator, functional architect and functional consultant, functional consultant and analyst, development manager and developer, quality manager and tester. But one should not combine the roles of a quality manager and a developer, a project manager and a developer, a tester and a developer.

At the planning stage as part of the human resource management process, no long-term planning is envisaged, but a plan is drawn up for the implementation of the first phase of the project. The main tasks are the development of the organizational structure of the project and the selection of personnel.

The organizational planning work is carried out by the project manager on the part of the executor together with the manager on the part of the customer. By negotiation, agreement is reached on the level at which approval of the customer’s allocated resources should be made and discussion of the requirements for the members of the contractor’s team. The project administrator records the results of the negotiations.

Hierarchical organization charts are a simple and clear tool for determining the hierarchy of accountability, starting from the bottom level of the organization to the project manager.

Fig. 11.1. An example of the organizational structure of the project

There are various formats for documenting the distribution of roles and responsibilities of project team members, for example, hierarchical, matrix, or textual. Regardless of the format of documentation, organization charts allow assigning a person responsible for its execution for each work package, and also ensure that each member of the team understands his or her role and responsibility.

In fig. 11.1 presents an example of the organizational structure of the project, documenting the distribution of roles and responsibilities of members of the project team, made in the form of an organizational structure. The organizational structure is a hierarchical organizational chart of the existing divisions of the organization (departments, groups or teams). Under each department there is a list of project operations or a work package. Thus, you can see the consolidation of responsibility in a project for a given functional department (for example, an information technology department or a procurement department) in one place next to the department name.

11.2. Project Responsibility Matrix

To reflect the hierarchy of accountability on the project and indicate the responsibilities of each of the groups included in the project team, it is recommended to include a responsibility matrix in the project description document, the most common variant of which is known as the RACI matrix. The use of this tool is especially relevant in a situation where the project team consists of representatives of various legal entities (for example, a typical team on an implementation of an integrated computer system includes employees of the customer, general contractor and subcontractors). Responsibility matrix solves the problem of demonstrating inter-organizational or inter-group interaction and, as a result, avoids misunderstandings that occasionally arise in projects between departments and organizations due to ambiguities who should be approached on certain issues and who should decide on them and who - directly implement the adopted resolution.

It is important to make the delimitation of all formal powers, rights and obligations as early as possible, while the project team has not yet begun active work. Otherwise, when employees develop their own ideas about their place in the project, differences of opinion on these issues may develop into protracted conflicts and have a significant negative impact on the project implementation schedule.

Building a responsibility matrix

1. List the main work of the project.

Vertically, the matrix reflects only the main work of the project (not lower than level 2-3 of the SRI ), but with a sufficient degree of detail to ensure that it is possible to indicate the different roles needed to perform these works. When it comes to large projects and programs, it may be necessary to develop several responsibility matrices with varying degrees of detail.

2. List the groups / roles within the project team.

Horizontally in the matrix are listed groups / roles within the project team. Note that in the responsibility matrix of the group / role, and not the names and surnames of individual team members. Personal consolidation of design work is done later, at the stage of developing the project schedule .

3. Encode the responsibility matrix .

Using the codes in the cells at the intersection of the corresponding columns with roles and the lines with the project’s works, indicate the degree of participation, formal authority, and distribution of responsibility for performing each operation. A clear indication of the different levels of formal authority is especially useful in situations where many members of the project team wish to make special demands on the project.

Table 11.1. Legend of Responsibility Matrix (RACI)

Table 11.2. Distribution of functional responsibilities of the project management team

There are no restrictions on the codes used in the liability matrix , but the most widely used method is RACI (Responsible (R), Accountable (A), Consulted (C), Informed (I)), which describes the corresponding codes.

4. Initiate the use of the matrix and include the procedure for using the responsibility matrix in the document “ Project Management Plan ”.

After approval of the responsibility matrix, all further changes in it should go through the procedure of integrated change management with the participation of the authors of the original version.

The advantage of using a structured approach to changing the responsibility matrix is that the project manager receives an up-to-date document to which he can refer in case of any disputable situations concerning the distribution of powers in the project.

In particular, the liability matrix can be used to allocate core functional responsibilities. So, in tab. 6.2 in the left column lists the functional responsibilities of the project work, a list of which is based on the methodology used and the accumulated project experience, and the right part of the table is marked on the degree of responsibility and participation of each member of the project management team in the respective function.

11.3. Securing the functions and powers in the project

Earlier in the section on the formation of the project charter, we briefly described the nature of the roles and the basic job descriptions of the project management team members. In this section, we will examine this aspect in detail and form a more detailed list of functions and authorities for each of the roles mentioned below.

The project curator (sponsor) is the project role of the official responsible for the strategic management of the project implementation. The curator decides on the strategic issues of the project, approves the main changes in the scope of work, deadlines, stages, and project budgets that are beyond the competence of the project manager. As a rule, the project supervisor (sponsor) is the senior manager of the organization.

Main functions:

• general management of the project implementation;
• ensuring the allocation of the necessary resources to carry out the project, providing financing for the work
• consideration and approval of regulatory documents necessary for the organization and implementation of the project;
• obtaining and analyzing a summary of the progress of the project;
• managing changes to the basic parameters of the project and solving problems that are beyond the competence of the project manager.

Basic powers :

• approval of project objectives;
• approval of the appointment of a project manager;
• approval of the overall plan and budget of the project;
• receiving from the project manager a summary report on the progress of its implementation;
• making fundamental decisions when critical changes occur that affect the time, cost and quality of project results.

Project manager - project role of the official responsible for project management . The project manager is directly responsible for achieving the objectives of the project within the allocated budget, in accordance with the planned project implementation timeframes and with a given level of quality.

Main functions:

• formation of the project team and project management team;
• planning, organizing and monitoring the implementation of work to achieve the objectives of the project with the required quality, cost, and in the specified period;
• distribution of project resources and organization of interaction of the project team in the process of its implementation;
• organization of interaction with the customer and provision of all necessary communication links with other project participants;
• accounting of actual expenses of resources for project execution;
• generation and submission of project reporting to the curator.

Basic powers :

• assigning tasks to the project team (its individual members) and monitoring their implementation;
• the requirement from the project team to perform their role functions;
• confirmation or rejection of reports on the actual costs of the project executors;
• justification of the need and request of the project supervisor for the allocation of additional resources for the project;
• appeal to the curator for support if necessary.

The system architect is the project role of the official responsible for the project subject area. The system architect reports directly to the project manager.

The system architect is directly responsible for the development of the information system in accordance with the planned project deadlines and with a given level of quality.

The specialist who is most competent in the information system being implemented is assigned to the role of the system architect. The system architect must know the methodology and technology of building IP, standards and regulatory documents in the field of design and creation of IP, development and execution of technical documentation.

Main functions:

• determination of the composition, duration and technology of work on the development and implementation of an information system;
• identification of resources that are necessary for the development and implementation of IP within the framework specified by the project conditions;
• determination of qualification requirements and the composition of the working groups of specialists in areas of activity, their distribution according to tasks, work organization and verification of results in the process of project implementation;
• ensuring the integrity of the functional architecture of the information system being implemented;
• organization of preparation, coordination and approval of all technical documentation necessary for the creation of IP in the framework of the project;
• planning and coordination of actual labor costs of specialists in the execution of the project;
• Forming and providing the project manager with necessary reporting
• analysis of the implementation and intermediate results of the creation of IP;
• organization, conduct and documentation of the transfer procedures developed by the customer IC.

Basic powers :

• participation in the scheduling of work on the creation of IP;
• assigning tasks to project teams and monitoring their implementation;
• the requirement from the executors of high-quality performance of the assigned tasks and timely information on emerging problems;
• justification of the need and request the project manager to allocate additional resources to the project.

Project Administrator - the project role of the official responsible for the information support of the project manager, organization and management of the project document flow. The project administrator is functionally assigned to a specific project and reports directly to the project manager.

Main functions:

• providing the project manager with structured information enabling the control of the project, plans, resources and priorities;
• meeting minutes;
• ensuring timely preparation, movement and archiving of project documents.
• Basic powers :
• transfer and receipt of project documentation from project participants;
• контроль соблюдения участниками проекта установленной системы документооборота;
• требование от конкретных исполнителей по проекту оперативной информации и отчетов о ходе работ по проекту.

Для того чтобы закрепить функции и обязанности по проекту, составляют ролевые инструкции или положение по проектной роли . В ролевой инструкции должно быть определено следующее:

• какие цели стоят перед сотрудником, назначенным на данную роль;
• кому подчиняется сотрудник, назначенный на ту или иную роль;
• каковы его функции, обязанности, полномочия .

Крайне важное замечание, высказываемое многими экспертами, состоит в том, что определение ролей и ответственности в проекте должны производиться с учетом факторов внешней среды предприятия. In tab. 11.3 приведены примеры возможного влияния организационных, технических, межличностных, политических и прочих факторов на процесс планирования команды проекта.

Table 11.3. Влияние факторов внешней среды на планирование команды проекта

На этапе планирования для каждой роли должен быть определен список навыков, необходимых членам команды проекта. Для разработки списка рекомендуется использовать реестр навыков - список категорий и компонентов навыков для определенного класса команды исполнителей проекта (см.табл. 11.4).

To provide an analysis of skill sets, the components are grouped into four categories: technical skills, administrative, interpersonal skills, strategic skills. For each skill, rating and ability rating are noted [12]. To assess the rating, it is customary to use a 4-point scale (see Table 11.5).

Table 11.4. The skills register for the project team

11.4. Skill registers

Skills inventories should be compiled for each class of personnel, such as, for example, a project manager, a system architect, a quality specialist. The criticality of skills for a project manager is largely determined by the scale of the project and the organizational structure of the project. The greatest authority is vested in the project manager in the project organizational structures, and therefore, the highest demands must be placed on him. The list of skills can be determined based on professional standards in the field of information technology. The distribution of skills depends on the level of administrative responsibility. Rating критичности смещается от "технических" в сторону "административных", а затем в сторону "межличностного общения" и "стратегических навыков" по мере роста административной ответственности. Следует подчеркнуть важность навыков межличностного общения. Команда проекта может многократно снизить количество возникающих проблем и повысить взаимодействие сотрудников, если будет понимать настроение членов команды проекта, предвидеть их действия, внимательно выслушивать и признавать их мнение и решать их проблемы. Для управления командой проекта и работы в проекте такие навыки, как умение сопереживать, оказывать влияние, творческий подход к работе и способность облегчать работу группы, приобретают значение ценных активов. После того как реестр сформирован, он может быть использован с минимальной точной подстройкой к новой проектной ситуации

Пример разработки реестра навыков

Ниже (табл. 11.5, табл. 11.6) выделены категории навыков для консультантов и менеджеров проектов: технические, административные, навыки межличностного общения, стратегические навыки. Для каждого консультанта (как при приеме на работу, так и при зачислении в команду проекта) необходимо проводить оценку навыков по шкале 1-4 ("плохо", "удовлетворительно", "хорошо", "отлично" соответственно)

Стоит подробно остановиться на том, каким образом оценивать технические компетенции консультантов компании. Это наиболее важные навыки, которые необходимо учитывать при планировании сотрудников на проекты.

Table 11.5. Scale of ratings of criticality and abilities

Table 11.6. Skills inventory for team members

Table 11.7. Roster skills project management team members

В консалтинговых компаниях, в том числе системных интеграторах, довольно сильно распространена практика разделения консультантов на так называемые грейды, или уровни, в соответствии с их технической компетенцией и возможностями выполнения тех или иных задач ¹ Пример четко сформулированных требований к грейдам представлен в сводной табл. 11.8 - в ней приведен пример описания технической компетенции консультанта по внедрению модуля управления человеческими ресурсами в системе SAP .

Таблица 11.8. Реестр технических компетенций

In the " Weight " column, the maximum value for the skill is determined based on the overall significance of the skill for knowledge of the component as a whole.

The next step is to determine the level of employees in the context of each skill and calculate the overall rate.

Further, according to the technical competence, the grade of each employee is determined. The coefficient is defined as the total value of all weight values ​​for each skill.

Table 11.9. An example of assessing the technical skills of the project team members

In tab. 11.10 presents the requirements for grades, developed on the basis of the experience of implementing projects on the functionality of SAP HCM -1.

It is important not just to make a register of this kind, but also to set a goal - to develop the skills of the maximum number of young employees; only then can the organization accumulate and maintain the knowledge and skills that it sells in the market.

Table 11.10. Description of grade consultants

When planning a project team, in addition to defining roles, responsibility and accountability in the project, a personnel management plan is created that includes defining the terms and methods for recruiting project team members, criteria for their release, recommendations for additional training. In the planning process, a concept of motivation is formed, ways of resolving conflicts are determined, a schedule of meetings of the project team and its participants is developed.

11.5. Project staff evaluation and management

Assessment of the competence of employees to their tasks is performed by comparing the qualification requirements for performing planned operations (see the vocabulary in the content management section) with the competence of employees determined using the skills register.

Evaluation of personnel qualifications is recommended only for work planned for implementation in the current and subsequent phase.

If there are concerns that the qualifications of some team members involved in the project may not be sufficient, a training plan for staff should be developed as part of the project plan. The plan may also include training programs for team members and their obtaining certificates, the presence of which contributes to the successful implementation of the project.

11.6. Definition of updated project requirements

The use of the quality function, which was originally considered in the section “Formation of Project Requirements”, is recommended during the entire life cycle of the project. For this purpose, it is recommended to develop three more “quality houses”: iteratively derived requirements (project requirements in the first quality house being developed at the planning stage) are moved to the primary (customer requirements in the first quality house) - this will ensure correct and consistent translation of customer requirements ( see fig. 11.2):

• to the level of product requirements - 2nd quality house;
• to the level of design work - the 3rd quality house;
• before the quality program - the 4th quality house.

Each of the above iterations (see Fig. 11.2) solves the tasks of one of the three main project documents: the project's charter, a description of the content, and a management plan. At the same time, the contradictions found on the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th iterations of the formation of a multi-level quality house can be traced to the root causes, which are, for example, at the level of the customer's requirements, using the control loop mechanism.

Fig. 11.2. An example of the consistent use of the quality function

11.7. Monitoring project content and scope

This process, which is implemented at the design stage, is aimed at ensuring continuous monitoring of the project status and product content (project delivery result), as well as making changes to the basic plan for the project content. All changes to the project must be carried out in accordance with the procedures of the integrated change management project.

Table 11.11. Project status report template (adapted from [8]

In addition, it is recommended to keep a log of project status monitoring using the following template (see Table 11.11).

11.8. Management of project requirements

In accordance with the recommendations of the expert [5], requirements management activities include:

• determination of the main version of the requirements (in other words, their documentation in the description of the content of the project);
• assessing proposed changes in requirements and assessing the likelihood of the impact of each change before it is accepted;
• consideration and adoption of resolutions for each change made in accordance with the adopted procedures;
• discussing new commitments based on the estimated effect of changing requirements;
• tracking the status of individual claims, -

Thus, project requirements management is implemented in accordance with the steps described in the project change management matrix (see the relevant section).

11.9. Assessment of user training needs

As part of the process of assessing user training needs, it is necessary to classify project participants in the context of the groups below, which will accurately determine and optimize the intensity of training individually for each group.

1. End users

These are employees who perform the bulk of transactions in the system being implemented. Most often they are called "users".

2. Key users

Key users are usually appointed from among the leaders of functional groups , they play several roles at the same time and are responsible for on-site training in their groups.

3. Information Users

As a rule, employees from among the managers who make management decisions, using the information obtained through reports from the information system.

4. Specific individual users

Table 11.12. Factors of choice of content and teaching methodology

Table 11.13. Forms of education (adapted from [5])

These are employees whose implementation of IT has little impact; nevertheless, they need to possess a number of skills to perform specific, narrow and clearly defined tasks.

5. Supervisors

This is a group of employees that does not directly work in the system being implemented; At the same time, its representatives should be aware of the principles of the process approach embodied in the implemented integrated IS.

After identifying groups of project participants from the point of view of their further work in the implemented system, it is also necessary to determine the combination of training tools. One of the approaches to solve this problem is the method described in the book by Luc Galoppen [5], - according to him, the choice of educational material and methodology depends on the factors and components, the characteristics of which are given in Table. 10.4.

Taking into account the result of the survey, a combination of types of training is formed from the standard list in Table. 10.5.

Thus, the result of this process at the design stage becomes the classification of various project participants by user groups and the formation of an optimal combination of types of training.