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The project Resource List is a list of all individuals working on the project with their contact information and all special equipment and facilities required to accomplish project tasks.

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Quick reference

Resource List

The project Resource List is a list of all individuals working on the project with their contact information and all special equipment and facilities required to accomplish project tasks.

When to use

If the project team is large, a Team Resource List is normally required to facilitate communication.  If the project team is in different locations, especially different countries, a Team Resource List is often needed to ensure timely communication through appropriate communication channels.  If the project requires special equipment, special facilities or special access to systems a Resource List is often needed to manage the coordination.  This list is a living document that is updated throughout the project lifecycle.  On very small projects, the lists are not normally needed because everyone knows each other and their area of responsibility.

Instructions

Ideally, the resource lists are specific.  The name of the individuals, location or facilities, or designation of special equipment is clearly identified.  However at the beginning of the project, some of the project team members or items of equipment are not yet identified.  They may not be needed for several months, or their organization may not have been placed on contract yet to support the project.  A Resource List can identify the team members or equipment by title until a specific person or system is identified for the project. 

The individual on the Resource List often changes at the beginning of a new phase of the project because the team members involved in that phase may be different from previous phases.  In many organizations the Resource List also includes the point of contact for key suppliers and vendors working on the project.  The inability to identify someone for each role within a reasonable amount of time should become a project risk and tracked on the Risk Register.

  1. Identify the roles for the Core Team based upon the project goals and project scope.
  2. Contact appropriate business managers to assign Core Team members.
  3. Obtain contact information for each Core Team member and the project stakeholders.
  4. At the beginning of each phase, add the extended team members who will be working on the project to the Resource List.  Note their role and obtain their contact information through their manager or Core Team member.
  5. When key or strategic facilities, equipment or suppliers are required to support the project, create a non-personnel list and add the key point of contact and their contact information.

Hints & tips

  • Update the Resource Lists at the beginning of each phase. 
  • Only use business contact information.  Normally you should not put personal contact information (home address or home phone number) on a Resource List.
  • The Resource Lists are to assist in project communication management.  Include the contact information for whatever communication channels you will be using on the project.
  • Project Team: “A set of individuals who support the project manager in performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.”  PMBOK® Guide

This definition is taken from the Glossary of the Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017.

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  • 00:05 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen, let's talk now about resource planning and
  • 00:09 the use of resource lists.
  • 00:13 The project management body of knowledge to PMBOK Guide, defines a project team as,
  • 00:17 a set of individuals who support the project manager.
  • 00:20 In performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.
  • 00:24 Let's look at this definition.
  • 00:25 The project team is actual people, not just faceless departments.
  • 00:30 The team resource list is the list of project team members.
  • 00:33 When a project leader needs to communicate with the team,
  • 00:36 the information is sent to people, not impersonal departments or suppliers.
  • 00:41 Second, the team resource lists is the people who are performing the work of
  • 00:45 the project.
  • 00:46 That's why you need a resource list,
  • 00:48 to identify the people actually doing the work on the project.
  • 00:51 Finally, the PMBOK definition makes it clear that these are the people
  • 00:55 who are actually going to achieve the project objective by working together
  • 01:00 towards a common project goal.
  • 01:03 The structure of the ream resource list or team list is pretty simple.
  • 01:07 You have the list of all the individuals who are signed on the project
  • 01:10 both the core team members and the extended team members.
  • 01:14 Granted sometimes at the beginning of a project,
  • 01:16 you might not know the names of all of your extended team members.
  • 01:20 But as you get closer to the time of the work actually being started on a specific
  • 01:23 project task, you need to identify the name of who's doing that work.
  • 01:28 Your list should include contact information.
  • 01:30 Things like phone number, email address, Skype accounts or
  • 01:33 whatever other time of contact information you use.
  • 01:37 This will then be your primary tool to actually coordinating work on
  • 01:40 small projects.
  • 01:41 On small projects, you often only have one individual from each department.
  • 01:45 Once you know who that person is for that department, you can then coordinate
  • 01:49 with them and either work must be done in that department.
  • 01:52 Now, another point about this resource list, it doesn't mean that individuals on
  • 01:56 the list are working 100% of their time, every day on your project.
  • 02:01 Often only a few hours here and there, all that's necessary for
  • 02:05 them to support the project.
  • 02:06 But when there is a question you know who to contact, this list identifies the focal
  • 02:10 point to the department to make sure that all the project work from that department.
  • 02:14 Is being completed correctly and on time.
  • 02:17 We use this again to drive communication and decision making.
  • 02:21 You know who to call when you need to communicate project information.
  • 02:24 In addition to the team list,
  • 02:26 non personnel resource lists may be required on the project.
  • 02:31 The list might include things like facilities,
  • 02:33 you need to have a special test lab, or some special type of computer equipment or
  • 02:38 other unique equipment that's required for the project.
  • 02:41 There maybe special materials that are needed to complete the project work or
  • 02:45 access to facilities system require for some of the activities.
  • 02:48 In such as, updating data bases or
  • 02:50 information in a way that will not interfere with normal work activities.
  • 02:54 Just like with the team list, this list should include the contact information for
  • 02:59 whoever is the control point for each of this resource items.
  • 03:03 So you can coordinate the use of those resources.
  • 03:06 At some time during the project there sure to be a conflict or a schedule change.
  • 03:10 When this happens this list is used to drive the communication.
  • 03:15 With this resource list you're in an excellent position
  • 03:18 to contact the right individuals and
  • 03:20 coordinate the activities of the project to ensure that they stay on track.

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