You are running a PMO and need to estimate the resources you require for the next five years while delivering a roadmap of programs and projects of the same length
I'd use a rolling wave approach and focus on planning in detail for the short term resource requirement but keep the mid/longer term planning at a higher level focusing more on the types of skills which are likely to be needed at greater levels and identifying gaps between existing capacity and the needs.
Planning in greater detail beyond a reasonable timeframe is a waste of effort given the extreme likelihood of significant changes both within and without.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Nope. Not a trick question, Kiron!
​​​​Think of it as an opportunity to staff up to deliver identified portfolios of programs and projects over five years, knowing that the the roadmap will likely expand to take up any resource slack. Saving Changes...
For each project, we build a distribution of labor requirements over time, and stack those together into a sand-pile chart with around 20% extra for overhead on top of billable work.
It always shows the company going out of business in 5 years as the resources taper off project by project. As the staffing curve goes down, we backfill that with new projects. If we want to adjust our headcount either for growth or to lean out the organization, we set a target line and backfill to the target level.
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1 reply by Mike Frenette
Dec 08, 2024 4:45 PM
Mike Frenette
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I like the idea of a sand pile chart, Keith.
Do you use layer colors for various roles?
Do you use analogous estimating for the resources needed in the projects, or a detailed bottom up approach? Or both, depending on how much you know about each oroject?
Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Dec 07, 2024 2:18 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
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For each project, we build a distribution of labor requirements over time, and stack those together into a sand-pile chart with around 20% extra for overhead on top of billable work.
It always shows the company going out of business in 5 years as the resources taper off project by project. As the staffing curve goes down, we backfill that with new projects. If we want to adjust our headcount either for growth or to lean out the organization, we set a target line and backfill to the target level.
I like the idea of a sand pile chart, Keith.
Do you use layer colors for various roles?
Do you use analogous estimating for the resources needed in the projects, or a detailed bottom up approach? Or both, depending on how much you know about each oroject?
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1 reply by Keith Novak
Dec 08, 2024 5:03 PM
Keith Novak
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Mike,
We do use colors, but often use 2 different types of charts. One is by project and shows the whole projected staffing for the entire organization because that shows which projects have the largest impact. That is more for Finance to calculate the budgetary requirements.
The second is by roles so that we can see the staffing requirements for individual groups within the organization. That is more for functional managers to understand their staffing requirements.
The type and fidelity of the estimates very much depend on the project, and what stage of estimation they are at. For our more important projects, they are typically bottoms-up developed from the WBS. On others, we often use either using analogous or parametric estimating for the whole project and either level-load it for a 1st order analysis, or build a staffing curve showing it ramping up and tapering off.
Do you use analogous estimating for the resources needed in the projects, or a detailed bottom up approach? Or both, depending on how much you know about each oroject?
Mike,
We do use colors, but often use 2 different types of charts. One is by project and shows the whole projected staffing for the entire organization because that shows which projects have the largest impact. That is more for Finance to calculate the budgetary requirements.
The second is by roles so that we can see the staffing requirements for individual groups within the organization. That is more for functional managers to understand their staffing requirements.
The type and fidelity of the estimates very much depend on the project, and what stage of estimation they are at. For our more important projects, they are typically bottoms-up developed from the WBS. On others, we often use either using analogous or parametric estimating for the whole project and either level-load it for a 1st order analysis, or build a staffing curve showing it ramping up and tapering off.
