HKSM
Resource
Any team member or physical asset required to perform project work and deliver the project.
Key Points
- Includes people on the team and tangible items such as equipment, materials, and facilities.
- May be internal or procured externally; availability, capacity, and cost must be planned and scheduled.
- Some resources are reusable (e.g., tools), while others are consumable (e.g., materials) and affect budgets and lead times.
- Managed through estimating, acquisition, allocation, and balancing techniques like resource leveling and smoothing.
Example
On a construction project, resources include a site engineer (team member), a rented crane, steel beams, and access to a testing lab. The project manager plans when each is needed, secures them in time, and tracks their use against the schedule and budget.
PMP Example Question
In preparing the resource management plan, which option best defines a project resource?
- Any document used to track project progress
- A team member or any physical item needed to complete the project
- A risk response owned by the project team
- A deliverable accepted by the customer
Correct Answer: B — A team member or any physical item needed to complete the project.
Explanation: A resource is a person on the team or a tangible asset required to do the project work; the other options are project artifacts or outcomes, not resources.
