Project Plan > Resource Needs

Project Information

Project: PROJECT-NAME
Internal Release Number: X.Y.Z
Project Time-frame: START-DATE - END-DATE
Related Documents:
Process impact: Based on the project plan and the worksheet below, this project will need the following resources to meet its goals. If fewer resources are available, the plan for the release should be reconsidered or the process changed.
TODO: Fill in the information above and below. Add or remove rows as needed. Refer to your software development methodology and the worksheet below to help identify and scope resource needs.

Human Resource Needs

Need Resource Amount Status Comments/Responsibilities
Project Management PERSON-NAME 40 hours Pending
Gather user needs PERSON-NAME 40 hours Assigned
Specify software requirements PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 20 hours Assigned
Consultation with domain expert PERSON-NAME 4 hours Pending
Consultation with topic expert PERSON-NAME 8 hours Pending
Training on use of component/technology PERSON-NAME 16 hours Assigned
Overall design PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 40 hours Assigned
Detailed UI design PERSON-NAME 20 hours Pending
Detailed database design PERSON-NAME 15 hours Pending
Development PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 40 hours Assigned
Development PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 80 hours Assigned
Development PERSON-NAME 20 hours Pending
Development PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 40 hours Assigned
Development PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 80 hours Assigned
Development PERSON-NAME 20 hours Pending
Technical writing PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 20 hours Assigned
Technical writing PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 20 hours Assigned
QA planning PERSON-NAME 20 hours Assigned
QA testing PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME, PERSON-NAME 80 hours Assigned
Release engineering PERSON-NAME 8 hours Assigned

Capital Needs

Need Resource Amount Status Comments
Training materials Book/Course on specific technology 1 Allocated Book ordered
Development workstations 800MHz PC, 256MB RAM 4 Satisfied Dev group will use existing workstations
Development DB server Dual CPU 1GHz PC, 512MB RAM: SERVERNAME.company.com 1 Allocated
Interactive testing workstations 800MHz PC, 256MB RAM 2 Allocated
Load test server 800MHz PC, 256MB RAM: SERVERNAME.company.com 1 Pending
Load test clients 500MHz PC or Mac, 128MB RAM 4 Satisfied QA group will use existing machines
Automated testing machine 800MHz PC, 256MB RAM: SERVERNAME.company.com 1 Satisfied QA group will use existing machine
Testing DB server Dual CPU 1GHz PC, 512MB RAM: SERVERNAME.company.com 1 Rejected Testing group will use development DB server and do load testing in off hours
IDE licenses Standard development licenses N/A Satisfied Will use open source tools
SCM licenses Standard development licenses N/A Satisfied Will use open source tools
Testing tool licenses Standard development licenses N/A Satisfied Will use open source tools
DB licenses Standard development licenses 6 Pending
DB licenses Production licenses 2 CPU's
2 Pending
2 Rejected
 Testing group will use development DB server and do load testing in off hours
Software component GIS library w/ source code 1 Pending One time fee, approx. $10,000
Software component Encryption library 1 Pending Revenue sharing at 2%
Possible Status Values
  • Pending: request is awaiting management response
  • Assigned: task has been assigned to a person in the issue tracker
  • Allocated: capital request approved by management, but resource has not arrived
  • Satisfied: request is satisfied, resource has arrived
  • Rejected: requested resource will not be allocated, plan must be adjusted to work without this resource

Resource Needs Checklist

The goal of this checklist is to help expose resource needs that might otherwise be missed.

TODO: Answer the questions below. If multiple sample answers are provided, chip away the ones that do not apply. Edit any provided answers as needed. Use this exercise to help you fill in or revise the tables above.
Does this project need more than a few days work?
Yes. A project manager role is needed to oversee the project.
No. The developers can manage their own work.
Are the requirements already completely defined and validated?
Yes. No effort is needed for requirements.
No. Additional time is needed to gather user needs, write a precise SRS, and validate it.
What aspects of the system need to be designed?
General design. All types of design effort is needed.
User interface. UI designer and domain experts effort is needed.
Database design. Developer and DBA effort is needed.
Security design. Developer and topic expert effort is needed.
Other design. Developer, domain, and/or topic expert effort is needed.
Does the project plan include complex configuration of existing components? (e.g., databases and web servers)
Yes. Component expert is needed. Also time is needed to coordinate with development and operations teams.
No. No component experts are needed.
Does the development team have knowledge of all tools, components, and technologies to be used?
Yes. No training time needed.
No. Effort is needed for training. We will need training materials, courses, or time with experts or mentors. We have listed specific training needs individually.
Does the entire development team have an agreed upon software development methodology?
Yes. No effort is needed to define a methodology.
Yes. But, effort is needed to refine the methodology to fit this project.
No. Effort is needed to define and document a methodology and train all team members. Additional effort will be needed for refinements throughout the project.
Does the product include end-user documentation?
Yes. Technical writing resources must be allocated.
No. Basic usability of the product should be carefully reviewed and evaluated.
What is the complexity of the internal documentation?
Significant. Technical writing resources must be allocated.
Average. Developers can produce technical documents as they go.
Will the technical support, training, operations, or services groups deal with the product?
Yes. Effort must be allocated to train the staff in those departments.
No, but other developers will need training to reuse this component.
No. Effort put into producing good technical documentation should be enough.
Will this product be sold to customers, directly or indirectly?
Yes. The full SDM must be followed, including effort by a change control board and release engineering.
No, it is for internal use only but it will be used repeatedly to help build a shipping product. Release engineering and CCB effort is still needed.
No, it is for internal use only and will only be used once. Release engineering and CCB effort is not needed.
Does the QA plan call for the running of automated unit tests?
Yes. Development effort will be needed to implement unit tests.
No. Additional QA effort will be needed for manual testing.
Does the QA plan call for more than the running of automated unit tests?
Yes. QA effort will be needed.
No. Unit tests will be enough for this component, full QA can be done on products that use this component.
How many development workstations will be needed?
1 per developer.
1 per developer, plus one for each supported platform.
1 per developer, plus extra for...
What development servers are needed?
None.
One for the whole team.
One for one branch of development, another for another branch.
One for ONE-ASPECT-OF-DEVELOPMENT, another for ANOTHER-ASPECT.
What database servers are needed?
None. No database is being used.
None. The database is integrated into product and does not require a separate server.
One for the whole team.
One for the developers, and one for QA.
One for one branch of development, and another for another branch.
One for the developers, one for QA, and one for load testing.
One for each developer or tester, and one for load testing.
What machines are needed for automated testing?
None. Automated testing will not be done.
None. Automated testing will be done on workstations.
One for all nightly automated tests.
One for one branch of development, another for another branch.
One for ONE-ASPECT of nightly automated tests, another for ANOTHER-ASPECT.
What machines are needed for load testing?
None. Load testing will not be done.
None. Load testing will be done on workstations.
One machine will do all load testing.
Several machines needed to act as clients and servers.
One cluster of load testing machines for each branch of development.
What development tools must be licensed for this project?
None. Everything is implemented by us.
None. All development tools are open source.
Some tools: IDE, database, testing tools. These tools have already been purchased, installed, and configured.
Some tools: IDE, database, and testing tools. Budget must be allocated to purchase these tools. Effort must be allocated to research and select tools for purchase, install, and configure them.
What software components must be licensed for this project?
None. Everything is implemented by us.
None. All reused components are open source.
Some components: database, server software, and libraries. These components have already been selected, purchased, installed, and configured.
Some components: database, server software, and libraries. Effort must be allocated to research, select, install and configure these components. Budget must be allocated to purchase them.
Are any of the personnel assignments or capital allocations conditional?
Yes. All such conditions are written in the comments column above. We have a contingency plan that will still achieve (an acceptable subset) of the project goals.
No. Management has set aside these resources as promised, and the needs of this project will take priority over any other project that is likely to need the same resources.
Have these resource assignments been communicated to the people being assigned and their managers?
Yes, everyone understands. Feedback is welcome.
No, this is a risk that is noted in the risk management worksheet.
TODO: Check for words of wisdom for additional advice on this template.
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