Resource scheduling/allocation

Resource scheduling or allocation involves selecting resources and allocating them to tasks on a day-to-day basis (NIMS, 2009). This process must be done in an effective way to ensure high levels of match between resources and tasks. The day-to-day nature of this process requires more specific and accurate information and differentiates it from resource planning, which involves a forecast of required resource needs. This may explain why enterprise resource planning (under tools and techniques in Figure 2-3) is an appropriate tool for planning and not for scheduling/allocating resources to tasks. Resource allocation is also referred to as resource scheduling by some authors. For example, Owusu et al. (2007) discuss the scheduling of tasks concurrently with the allocation of those tasks.

Resource allocation in project management, viewed as a subset of the broader theory of resource management in this thesis, is a complex hierarchical decision making process (Hartman and Boyd, 1998; Jennings and Wattam, 1998; Keeney and Raiffa, 1993; Kocaoglu, 1984; Patanakul, 2004). This process takes place at different levels in the organization. In the context of this thesis, resource allocation can be viewed at three different levels namely: strategic level, program or portfolio level and project level (see Figure 2-4).

The principal focus of this study is on the middle level (Figure 2-4), where the responsible authority makes PM2P allocation decisions. The intent is to improve these PM2P allocation decisions, from an overall approach that is contextual in Botswana.

Organizational Strategic level

Program/Portfolio level (Project, Program or Portfolio Head)

· Responsible for prioritizing projects

(Senior management)

· Responsible for PM2P allocation decisions Project level

(Project managers)

· Responsible for implementing projects, following PM2P allocations decisions

Figure 2-4 Levels of resource allocation decisions

The PM2P allocation decision (as a process) comprises inputs, management tools and techniques, that a decision maker uses to guide his/her decision making about the allocations (output). The responsible authority may have different titles, depending on the specific organization and its hierarchy. The discussion in this section is more comprehensive than other sections, given the emphasis on resource allocation.

Management literature (Adams et al., 1979; Badiru, 1996; Brown and Eisenhardt, 1995) has established that this decision is treated casually by some practitioners, yet it is among the critical factors to performance. The literature findings are consistent with the arguments in section 2.2 about existing PM2P practices from a Botswana context, and section 2.4 about the author’s anecdotal evidence. Empirical evidence on PM2P practices in MPEs reveal that this practice has been explored in countries such as USA, in terms of improving working practices and that there has been some value derived from improving those PM2P practices. Given the discussions in sections 1.1, 2.2 to 2.4, there is need to improve the PM2P practice in the context of Botswana, to derive the benefits associated with improved organizational performance.

An example of a resource allocation problem is the task of selecting field engineers by identifying their profiles and allocating them to incoming service jobs, to optimize service quality while reducing operational costs (Owusu et al., 2007). The term profiles, refers to the attributes of the resources in terms of their capabilities and location (ibid).

In the case of British Telecoms (BT), the managers responsible for this decision making task use an information system called Work Manager, to aid their decision making process regarding which engineers to allocate to which incoming service jobs (ibid). The relevance of this decision making process at BT can be linked to this study by replacing the engineers with project managers and the incoming service jobs with projects. The intent of this thesis is to practically contribute to allocating project managers-to-projects in a specific organization based in Botswana, given absence of empirical evidence that suggests the use of effective tools and processes to allocate resources, from a Botswana context. In the context of resource allocation, efficient use of these resources is vital to improving productivity for national and international economic competitiveness (ibid).

Hartman and Boyd (1998) propose three theoretical approaches that can be used to examine the motivations, objectives and constraints impacting on a decision-making behaviour. These are: the rational, bureaucratic and political approach. The rational approach attempts to address the question of whether the decision-maker has the knowledge and understanding of the inputs required in the decision making process of allocating resources. The bureaucratic approach emphasizes standard operating procedures, rules and ‘fixed’ procedures for doing things as pre-determined by senior management (Alison, 1971). The political approach is associated with power, control and self-interest on the part of the decision-maker (Hartman and Boyd, 1998). These three theoretical approaches may be used to characterize the contextual factors faced by the decision-makers’ resource allocation process (ibid). Therefore, the link between these theoretical approaches to this study lies in their role in influencing or constraining the motivations and objectives on the decision maker’s behaviour, in terms of his/her PM2P allocation decisions.

The decision making process of allocating resources to utilize them effectively, within the confinements of organizational constraints, is fundamental to organizational performance (Patanakul et al., 2007; PMI, 2008, 2013). The constraints in which this decision making process is made require an understanding of the organizational structures, on the part of a decision maker (Hartman and Boyd, 1998). These organizational structures, which may include internal and external influences, have an impact on the constraints faced by the decision maker, in a PM2P practice context.

The contents of the resource allocation process, for both generic and specific project manager resources, are outlined in Figure 2-5. The generic resource allocation process

(left-hand side) can be applied to the PM2P practice, in the context of project managers as a type of resource (right hand side in Figure 2-5). Examples of the inputs to the generic resource allocation process are: organization’s mission, strategic goals and the portfolio of work to be carried out to deliver the business strategy (Patanakul et al., 2007; PMI, 2006, 2008). The mechanisms for converting these inputs to outputs include: reports on past resource performance, multi-criteria decision making techniques, and improvement plans for current resources to upgrade their capabilities.

An example of a significant output is effective utilization of resources (left hand side in Figure 2-5). This effective utilization implies high levels of match between project managers and projects, arising from optimum PM2P practices. However, the discussions in sections 2.1 to 2.6 suggests low levels of match between project managers and projects, in the context of Botswana’s existing PM2P practices. There is therefore, an opportunity to improve the existing PM2P practice in the context of Botswana.

Figure 2-5 Resource allocation process and link to this thesis