Resource Calendars
Resource calendars identify the working days, shifts, start and end of normal business hours, weekends, and public holidays when each specific resource is available for project work.
Explanation
Resource calendars document when individual team members and physical resources are available for project activities. They account for vacations, training days, commitments to other projects, local holidays, and any other factors that affect resource availability. This information is critical for accurate schedule development and resource management.\n\nResource calendars are an output of the Acquire Resources process and an input to several processes including Estimate Activity Durations and Develop Schedule. Understanding actual resource availability prevents the project manager from creating unrealistic schedules that assume resources are available full-time when they are not.\n\nFor team resources, the calendar may show that a developer is available Monday through Wednesday on this project and Thursday through Friday on another project. For physical resources, the calendar may show that a piece of equipment is available only during certain shifts or is scheduled for maintenance on specific dates. Resource leveling and resource smoothing techniques use this information to optimize the schedule.
Key Points
- •Shows when specific resources are available for project work
- •Accounts for vacations, holidays, other project commitments, and shifts
- •Output of Acquire Resources, input to schedule development
- •Critical for realistic schedule planning and resource leveling
Exam Tip
Resource calendars show when resources are available. Do not confuse them with the project calendar, which shows when project work can be performed. They are related but different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Acquire Resources
Acquire Resources is the process of obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and other resources necessary to complete project work.
Estimate Activity Resources
Estimate Activity Resources is the process of estimating the team resources and the type and quantities of materials, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform each activity.
Control Resources
Control Resources is the process of ensuring that the physical resources assigned and allocated to the project are available as planned, and monitoring planned versus actual utilization to take corrective action as necessary.
Develop Schedule
Develop Schedule is the process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule model for project execution, monitoring, and controlling.
Most-studied PMP concepts
High-yield topics our learners drill most before exam day.
Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of work remaining versus time in a Sprint or release, showing whether the team is on track to complete the planned work.
Resource Leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project schedule to keep resource usage at or below a defined limit, often resulting in a longer project duration.
Risk Register
The risk register is a project document that records the details of individual project risks, including their identification, analysis results, response plans, and current status.
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the visual representation of stakeholder relationships, influence, interest, or other attributes using grids, matrices, or diagrams to support analysis and engagement planning.
Relative Estimation
Relative Estimation is an agile technique where work items are sized in comparison to each other rather than in absolute units like hours or days, providing faster and more accurate estimates.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Cost Performance Index (CPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures cost performance as the ratio of earned value to actual cost: CPI = EV / AC.
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures schedule performance as the ratio of earned value to planned value: SPI = EV / PV.
Earned Value Management (EVM)
Earned Value Management (EVM) is a methodology that integrates scope, schedule, and cost data to assess project performance and progress objectively.
Power/Influence Grid
The power/influence grid is a stakeholder classification model that groups stakeholders based on their level of authority (power) and their active involvement or ability to affect the project (influence).
Part of
Resource Management
Test your knowledge
Practice scenario-based questions on this topic with detailed explanations.