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9 - PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

9.2.1.1 Human Resource Management Plan

See Section 9.2.1.1 of the PMBOK Guide.
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9.2.1.2 Enterprise Environmental Factors

See Section 9.2.1.2 of the PMBOK Guide.
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Special considerations may apply for software developers when setting up a physical work environment.
Collaborative software workers require facilities for interaction and sharing, but also require individual physical
space and a quiet environment at times. Computing facilities, lighting, and other ergonomic issues are important
for software developers.

9.2.1.3 Organizational Process Assets

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See Section 9.2.1.3 of the PMBOK Guide.
In addition, software organizations sometimes acquire software project team members by hiring contract
personnel to perform various project duties. Contract personnel may be members of the software development
team or they may be hired to perform specialized tasks such as traceability or testing. These contracted personnel
do not always have allegiance to the organization or the project and may not adapt readily to the corporate culture
of the organization.

9.2.2 Acquire Project Team: Tools and Techniques

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The tools and techniques for acquiring a project team in Section 9.2.2 of the PMBOK Guide are applicable to
acquiring a software project team. In addition, the following considerations address some particular aspects of
acquiring a software project team.
Since software project team members share and manipulate information rather than tangible materials, team
stability and dedicated team members are important attributes that reduce reiteration of the goals, the agreed-to
approach, and the mechanisms for determining project status, which occurs when there is turnover in the team.
Software project teams work best within strong matrix and projectized environments, where a dedicated team
can work on a single project with few interruptions. Team members work together most effectively when they are
colocated and face-to-face communications can occur on a continuous, ongoing basis.

The goal of acquiring software project team members is to create stable, colocated teams that have all of the
skills needed to conduct the project. Silo teams with matrix reporting structures are less likely to be committed
to shared project goals since some of their allegiance will be to their host group. When colocation is not possible,
stable cross-functional teams in different time zones are preferable to silo teams.

When acquiring new team members, the involvement of present team members, in addition to the project manager
and human resources personnel, increases the likelihood of building a cohesive, integrated team. Human resource

166 ©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition
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