Back Up Project Resources

 

You are checking that a critical task is done, so you call your contact for the quick update. She's out of the office. Not coming back for days. No problem, you check for someone else on her team. But none of them have been briefed on the task nor have they been assigned to work with you. "Can they help you?" you ask.  Unfortunately no, they are not able to assist you.

Now you don't know if the task is completed and whether other related work can continue.

In general, it should not be hard for someone to answer your question, but no one has been assigned as an alternate or backup, so you hit a wall. With your head. Over and over.

Sure resources may be tight all over. But if someone is responsible to complete tasks for a project, then that worker should assign someone as a backup when out of the office for a day or more. The backup does not have to do a lot of work necessarily, just provide basic information to keep the ship on course. And the backup must know in advance and get a briefing of the project work in general.

What can you do if this is not routine in your project environment?

• Make it a part of regular preparation for someone leaving to be backed up. Tell project workers in advance. Remind team members during the project
• Make it formal in your resource list by adding a column for backup.
• If, for some reason, an individual cannot assign a backup, then make sure steps are taken to provide updates to you and any required completed work prior to extended time out of the office.
• Require reports before resources leave for prolonged periods (whatever is appropriate for your project). These reports can be just an update of the status of the task, but they can also explain what is going to happen and not going to happen while they are out.
• Understand and account for the effect on the project of certain key unique resources being out.

Key unique Key resources in this case are those who play a major project role that cannot be duplicated over a particular period. When key unique resources are away during this period, then adverse impacts on the schedule are likely and you need to know what they are in advance. This would best be handled in detailed planning before a phase begins.

First, you identify resources with major roles - that cannot be duplicated - during  a specific period. Second, you make sure they are not in Aruba for two to three weeks during that period. If they are, make schedule adjustments for that task/activity to stop until the resource returns.

Key unique resources are not always one person. A specialized work team (design, training, etc.) can be a key unique resource. If a team is scheduled to be out for an off-site annual planning session, you experience the same problem in your project.

• You can tell people to do this at the beginning of your project and remind them during it. Reminders are especially useful before major holidays and summer vacation time.
•  When you create your resource list, request backups to be added at that time.
• Keep team schedules where people can post their outages and you can review months ahead to stay ahead of problems.

When the timeline is tight and resources are thin, you will wage a constant battle with time away. Make it a little easier to manage by improving your documentation and communication. You will benefit and others I your project will benefit. And they will remember you for that.