HKSM

The process of obtaining the people, equipment, materials, and facilities needed to do the project work, whether from internal departments or external suppliers, and making them available when required by the schedule and budget.

Purpose & When to Use

• Secure the right team and physical resources at the right time and cost so execution can start and continue without delays.
• Used after resource needs and the schedule are planned, and repeated as new phases or iterations begin.
• Applies to both internal assignment and external procurement of people, equipment, materials, and facilities.
• Triggered when staffing changes, resource conflicts arise, or lead times and contracts must be finalized.
• In adaptive or agile work, resources may be acquired just in time, with stable teams preferred when possible.

Mini Flow (How It’s Done)

• Confirm needs: review the resource management plan, activity resource estimates, schedule, and budget constraints.
• Check internal availability: consult resource calendars and functional managers, consider pre-assignment, and validate skills fit.
• Decide sourcing: apply make-or-buy thinking and follow the procurement approach for external labor, equipment, or rentals.
• Select candidates and suppliers: use clear criteria such as capability, cost, availability, location, and contract terms.
• Negotiate and secure: agree on start dates, service levels, quantities, and rates; issue internal requests or external agreements.
• Onboard and assign: communicate roles and responsibilities, grant tool and system access, and align working agreements.
• Set calendars and logistics: update resource calendars, shifts, and time zones; schedule deliveries, installation, or training.
• Update baselines and documents: revise the schedule, cost forecasts, resource matrix, and risk register; raise a change request if approved baselines are impacted.
• Monitor early performance and utilization: verify that acquired resources meet expectations and adjust as needed.

Quality & Acceptance Checklist

• Skills and capacity match the need, confirmed by resumes, interviews, or samples/tests.
• Availability fits required dates, with start and end times locked in resource calendars.
• Rates and total cost align with the budget, with approvals recorded.
• Agreements in place: internal confirmations, purchase orders, or contracts with clear service levels and deliverables.
• Compliance verified: legal, security, safety, labor rules, insurance, and data protection obligations met.
• Physical resources meet specifications and quantity, inspected on receipt, with warranties or support documented.
• Access provided: facilities, accounts, licenses, tools, and equipment are available and working.
• Onboarding and training completed, including working norms and communication channels.
• Roles, reporting lines, and escalation paths communicated to the team and stakeholders.
• Logistics arranged: delivery, storage, installation, maintenance, and disposal plans clarified.
• Risks and backups identified, including substitution options and knowledge transfer plans.
• Acceptance documented with sign-offs and records stored in the project repository.

Common Mistakes & Exam Traps

• Confusing processes: Acquire Resources secures people and physical resources; Develop Team improves team skills; Manage Team addresses performance and issues; Control Resources oversees physical resource usage.
• Assuming resources will arrive without formal agreement or written confirmation of start dates and quantities.
• Bypassing procurement rules or skipping vendor evaluation, leading to cost, quality, or compliance issues.
• Failing to update the schedule and cost forecasts when resource choices change availability or rates.
• Not negotiating with functional managers in a matrix organization before escalating or changing baselines.
• Overlooking onboarding and access, causing delays even after people are assigned.
• Ignoring virtual team needs such as time zones, collaboration tools, and language considerations.
• Committing to specific individuals instead of required skills and capacity, creating unnecessary single points of failure.
• Exam trap: issuing a change request first. The better action is to attempt negotiation or alternate sourcing per the plan before changing baselines.

PMP Example Question

A project in a matrix organization needs a specialized engineer next week, but the functional manager says the person will be available in three weeks. What should the project manager do first?

1. Submit a change request to delay the schedule.
2. Negotiate with the functional manager and explore external sourcing per the procurement approach.
3. Assign a generalist and plan to fix quality issues later.
4. Escalate immediately to the sponsor.

Correct Answer: B — Negotiate with the functional manager and explore external sourcing per the procurement approach.

Explanation: In acquiring resources, the project manager should first attempt to secure needed resources through negotiation and approved sourcing options before changing baselines or escalating.