Resource Management Plan

What is a Resource Management Plan?

A Resource Management Plan is a foundational document in project management that outlines how resources—such as people, time, technology, space, and money—will be allocated, tracked, and managed throughout the life of a project or initiative. In higher education, where budgets are tight and staffing is often shared across departments, planning for resource needs is crucial to keeping projects realistic and sustainable.

This plan helps answer key questions like:

• Who will do the work?
• How much time will it take?
• What tools or systems are required?
• What budget or materials are needed?

Whether you’re launching a new academic program or redesigning a student support process, a Resource Management Plan helps ensure that you’re setting your team up for success—not burnout.

What are the benefits of a Resource Management Plan?

Taking time to develop a Resource Management Plan offers many advantages in higher education settings:

• Realistic Planning: It helps scope projects appropriately based on what’s available—not just what’s ideal.
• Improved Efficiency: By mapping out who is doing what and when, you reduce duplication and clarify roles.
• Better Budgeting: A thoughtful resource plan helps you advocate for funding or justify resource requests.
• Stronger Accountability: You can track how resources are being used and whether adjustments are needed.
• Prevention of Scope Creep: When new requests arise, the resource plan can help you evaluate whether you have capacity to take them on.

For example, a team tasked with overhauling a faculty onboarding process could use a Resource Management Plan to identify available staff time, necessary communications tools, and funding needed for materials or events.

Where might you see a Resource Management Plan in higher education?

You’re most likely to encounter or need a Resource Management Plan in situations where multiple people, departments, or systems are involved. Examples might include:

• New program development, where faculty time, administrative support, and instructional design services must be coordinated.
• Technology implementations, which require staff capacity for training, testing, and ongoing support.
• Large-scale events, like orientations, commencements, or conferences, where staffing, space, and vendors must be tracked.
• Grant-funded initiatives, where resource use must align with budget justifications and reporting requirements.

For instance, a department launching a student leadership program might build a plan that includes advisors’ time, space reservations, event support, and printing costs—ensuring each piece is accounted for before kickoff.

A step-by-step guide to creating a Resource Management Plan

1. Start by clearly outlining what the project is expected to deliver (you might reference your charter and deliverables) so you can align your resource needs accordingly.
2. Consider people, time, space, tools, systems, and budget; make sure to include indirect resources (like IT support or communications help) that may not be obvious at first.
3. Document how much of each resource you will need and when. This helps you align with academic calendars, peak work periods, and availability of shared staff or tools.
4. Clearly define who is responsible for each task and whether their capacity aligns with what’s needed. Be mindful of workloads to prevent burnout.
5. As the project progresses, track how resources are being used and update your plan if changes occur. If additional needs arise, consider documenting these in your change log.
6. Share your plan with stakeholders and sponsors so they understand what’s needed to keep the project on track. Use it to support your decisions and requests.

Reflective questions

• How do you currently plan for people, time, and tools when starting a new project?
• Where have you run into resource constraints in past initiatives—and how might planning have helped?
• What hidden or indirect resources should you consider in your next project?
• How could a Resource Management Plan help you advocate for what your project needs?
• What’s one current or upcoming project where creating a Resource Management Plan would reduce uncertainty or prevent scope creep?
• How do you track resource usage and adjust plans when unexpected issues arise?