Best Practices for Resource assignments

[ccunning99]

I am using MS Project 2003 Professional.

I have multiple projects that I display in a Master Plan. I have als
implemented a Resource Pool Sharer file so that I have one location fo
all resource information.

The issue that I am having is that my team of developers have severa
misc. tasks that they do that do not have a specific tie to task
within the development schedule. For example, they attend a weekly tea
meeting for an hour, and they each attend various other service tea
meetings.

Also, on one specific project I have two people that are acting as th
project leads. Many of there tasks are just keeping the projec
running, having quick meetings to get the other developers on task, an
providing direction for the project.

So, I have two questions:

1. What is the best practice for scheduling the misc team meetings an
other tasks that are non development related? Do I just assign th
resource at 90% for example and create a separate project for the othe
tasks for the other 10%. Or do I just count the misc tasks as part o
the development time??

2. For the leads. What is the best practice for scheduling their time
Ocationally they are assigned to a specific task, such as Peer Revie
or something like that, but what do I do about the rest of the time.

Please help!!!!

Thanks
Chri

 

[Jim Aksel]

Here's one opinion from in the trenches, others will post I am sure.

If you have non-project related tasks that are level of effort such as
weekly team meetings, training class, annual fire drill, etc. we do not put
these tasks in any schedule. Instead, we usually list a resource
availability as 85% and try to keep them loaded that way. So, a trip to the
dentist doesn't necessarily hang us up. In short, if the program is not
paying for it, don't put it in the schedule.

Project related activites such, even if not development related, are still
part of the project. Perhaps a weekly project status meeting, cleaning up a
lab at the end of the day, etc. They are project related, but are perhaps
not quantifiably "value added." For these type of Level of Effort tasks, we
have a separate schedule work package and sometimes even a schedule where
these items are piled. In the separate LOE work package are things like the
PM time, preparing monthly activity report, program security refreshers and
the like. So, they are in an LOE file .... if we choose to even do it.
Generally, we have these hours/charge numbers in a separate system such as
COBRA. LOE does not really need to be tracked in Project and it can obscure
your critical path as well.

If you want to get very tedious, there is the case of the Project Lead who
you want to have charge to Peer Review. Well, is he using a separate charge
number for that activity? Isn't this part of his LOE? If you want him to
charge it out separately, you can then total the costs of the meeting.
However, we don't usually do that --- just keep him LOE and keep smiling.

If that level of rigor is mandated, you'd have to look at the Resource Usage
View and have an LOE line item such as "Program Oversight and Leadership".
Now, take a look (day by day) at all the activities the Lead will be
performing. On any given day, if he does not charge 8 hours to discrete
tasks (such as Supervise Test), then you add in the remaining hours under
"Program Ovesight" to bring him up to 8 hrs for that day. We don't do that.
Instead, the leadership is LOE. That would start to look like real work....
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim

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[ccunning99]

Jim,

Thanks for taking the time to help. I hope that I get a few other
opinions as well. My sponser really wants to tie up a best practice,
and I am mostly a novice.

Thanks
Chris