Staffing Plan

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 [Project Name] Staffing Plan

Table of Contents
[Update this Table of Contents after completing the remainder of this document.]

Purpose...................................................................................................................................... 1

Staffing Estimates..................................................................................................................... 1

Staff Acquisition Plans.............................................................................................................. 1

State Staff Acquisition........................................................................................................... 2
Consultant and Contract Staff Acquisition.............................................................................2

Staffing Assumptions and Constraints....................................................................................2

Staff Training Plan..................................................................................................................... 2

Specialized Training Needs...................................................................................................3
Project Orientation................................................................................................................. 3

Staff Tracking and Management...............................................................................................3

Staff Transition.......................................................................................................................... 4
State Staff Transition to Other Projects/Organizations..........................................................4
Replacement of Contracted Staff..........................................................................................4

Project Organization.................................................................................................................. 4

Roles and Responsibilities.......................................................................................................5

Roles and Responsibilities.......................................................................................................5
Project Sponsor/Business Owner..........................................................................................5
Project Steering Committee...................................................................................................6
Project Manager.................................................................................................................... 7
Functional Lead..................................................................................................................... 9
Technical Lead.................................................................................................................... 10
Subject Matter Expert/Project Team Member......................................................................11

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Template Guide
[Delete this section after completing the remainder of this document.]
What is a Staffing Plan?
The staffing plan identifies the process and procedures used to manage staff throughout the
project’s life. The plan describes the planning and acquisition of both state staff and consulting
staff, describes the responsibilities assigned to each staff, and discusses transition of staff to
other assignments.

Why a Staffing Plan?

The purpose of the Staffing Plan is to capture ‘how’ the project will manage staff resources
throughout the life of the project. The Staffing Plan will document that the project has enough
staff possessing the correct skill sets and experience to complete the project.

How to Use this Template

This template provides a guide for project managers to develop a staffing plan for a project.
Additional sections may be added or removed according to the specific business circumstance
and need. Example tables and charts have been included to provide further guidance on how to
complete each relevant section.
Italicized instructions are included throughout this template to explain the purpose of and how to
complete each section of the Staffing Plan. These should be deleted from the final
document.

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Purpose
The Staffing Management Plan details the project’s human resources requirements and how
those requirements will be fulfilled. The Staffing Management Plan includes the following
sections:

 Staffing estimates. Identifies estimated staffing requirements.

 Acquisition strategy. Describes when, how, and from what sources staffing will be
acquired.
 Training plan. Identifies skills gaps and details specific training requirements for each
Project Team member.
 Project roles and responsibilities. Summarizes the responsibilities for each role required
to conduct the project work.
 Organizational chart. Displays project reporting relationships.

Staffing Estimates
[This section describes the required resources, and how they will be acquired to conduct project
work. The table below is an example of how to document needed staff.]

The following lists the roles that are needed to execute the project. The terms used in the table
are defined as follows:

 Role. High-level identification of each required function on the project (e.g., Project
Manager).
 Team. Identification of the team(s) to which the role is assigned.
 Responsibilities. Description of the primary responsibilities of the role.
 Required skills. Description of the skill set necessary for each role for the project to be
successful.
 Estimated start date. Description of the estimated date when the resource will be needed.
 Estimated duration. Description of the length of time the resource will be required.
 Time requirement. Description of the required time commitment of each resource.

Time
Required Estimated Estimated Requirement
Role Team Responsibilities Skills Start Date Duration (Part/Full-time)

Staff Acquisition Plans

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[This section identifies resources if known and whether the resource identified has any gaps in
skills needed and acquisition strategy.]

The following table lists the staff that are needed to execute this project. If resource is known,
name is listed, along with any skill gaps. The table also includes the strategy for acquisition.

Acquisition Strategy
(Existing Staff/Contract/
Role Resource Name Skill Gap(s) New Staff/Other)

State Staff Acquisition

[Describe how state staff are identified and assigned to the project.]

State staff will be acquired using the normal state hiring or assignment process. Position
descriptions and minimum qualifications will be prepared and processed through the normal
channels. The Project Manager coordinates with the resource managers to coordinate staff
assignment and availability.

Consultant and Contract Staff Acquisition

[This section describes how consultant and contracted staff are acquired and assigned to the
project.]

Consultants and contracted staff will be utilized on the project when state staff does not possess
the necessary qualifications for specific focus areas, or the services are of an urgent or
temporary nature. The process for acquiring consulting contractors is directed by the resource
manager. This process starts with the development of the Statement of Work (SOW) and by
determining the minimum and desired qualifications. The project manager will coordinate with
the state’s procurement team to select the appropriate contract vehicle, solicit proposals or
offers from the bidder community, coordinates the proposal or offer reviews, schedule vendor
interviews, and participate in the final vendor selection.

Staffing Assumptions and Constraints

[List the assumptions and constraints about staffing estimates. Consider assumptions regarding
resource availability, costs, required level of effort, and environmental factors.]

Assumptions and constraints associated with the staffing estimates are:

Staff Training Plan

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[This section describes the staff training plans.]

Specialized Training Needs

[After determining all skill gaps above, assess whether staff members require any training to
competently fulfill their project duties. Training needs should be considered for all Project Team
members, including state employees and contractors. Summarize the results of this analysis in
the table below. If anticipated project team members do not have the required level of
competency, identify the training required and include the training costs in the baseline cost of
the project. Also, consider helping project team members obtain professional certifications that
will benefit the project. Please note that this section should be focused on the training
necessary for Project Team members to conduct the project. A separate Training Plan is
encouraged for the training required for end users to utilize the system during the Operations
and Maintenance Phase]

The staff training plan requirements are detailed in the following table. The training detailed is
required to enable the skill to successfully execute the project.

Required Required Estimated Training

Role Name Training Timeframe Cost Source

Project Orientation
[This section describes how project staff will be oriented to the project.]

When new staff joins the project, the project manager provides an orientation to the project. The
orientation discusses the following topics:
 Background of the project.
 Current status of the project.
 Specific job duties and expectations.
 Introduction to the staff and consultants.
 Overview of the facility and infrastructure.
 Overview of the project processes, including time reporting, attendance, and status
meetings.
 Review of confidentiality and conflict of interest.

Staff Tracking and Management

[This section describes how project staff time and performance will be managed.]

Day-to-day management of the project staff is the responsibility of the Project Managers and
designated resource managers. Performance evaluations, performance issues and recognition,

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promotions, and disciplinary actions are the responsibility of the state staff respective
organizational chain of command.

Staff Transition
State Staff Transition to Other Projects/Organizations
[This section describes how state staff will transition off the project. Include parameters for
identifying when the staff will no longer be needed and who is responsible for reassigning the
staff.]

In the event state staff desire to transition to another project prior to the completion of the
project, the resource manager will assume or re-assign the departing staff responsibilities. The
resource manager is responsible for ensuring any pending work is transferred to a remaining
project team member to ensure timely transition and completion of the work. If appropriate, the
receiving team member may request additional training to support the new responsibilities. At a
minimum, job shadowing is performed for at least one week before staff transition off the
project.

Replacement of Contracted Staff

[This section describes how project contracted staff will be replaced. Refer to contractual
agreements to ensure compliance.]

Contracted staff will be replaced in accordance with the procedures of contract. The contracted
vendor must notify the agency in advance of adding, removing, or replacing any staff assigned
to the project. Resumes for proposed replacements must be submitted for state approval.
Replacement staff must meet the original minimum qualifications for the position and generally
are subject to an interview in addition to a review of their resume and qualifications. Prior work
references will be checked. Where possible, the replacement staff should begin work prior to the
original staff departure to ensure appropriate transition of responsibilities and knowledge. At a
minimum, job shadowing is performed for at least one week before staff transition off the
project.

Project Organization
[This section identifies organizational structure and decision-making about project staffing.
Include vendor staffing structures and assignments as appropriate.]
The following figure identifies the organizational structure for the project. Their respective
project roles and responsibilities are detailed below.

Project Organizational Structure

[Insert Project Team Organization Chart here. Chart “boxes” should contain, at a minimum,
name, title and role of team members. Reporting relationships should be indicated.]

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Roles and Responsibilities

[This section identifies roles and describes responsibilities for each role. Include project roles for
any contracted staff or vendors.]

Roles and Responsibilities

[The typical roles and responsibilities of the following project stakeholders who can be assigned
to oversee, manage or participate in Washington state IT projects are:
 Project sponsor/business owner.
 Project steering committee.
 Project manager.
 Functional lead.
 Technical lead.
 Subject matter expert/project team member.

For each of identified roles on the project, this section is intended to answer:
1. What is the purpose of my project role and what general authority do I have?
2. How was I identified to serve in this role?
3. What key behaviors will make me successful in this role?
4. During each project phase (i.e., Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring/Controlling,
Closeout), what are my key responsibilities?

The section below is included as a sample, update to reflect roles and responsibilities
appropriate to your project.]

Project Sponsor/Business Owner

Purpose and Authority
The project sponsor or business owner serves as the primary champion of the project. They
manage the initial project justification and overall benefits realization. They also have final
authority to approve changes to scope, schedule, and budget. The project sponsor may or may
not also serve as a member of the steering committee.

While a single project sponsor is best practice to ensure accountability, on select

occasions multiple project sponsors may be identified to meet unique business needs or
circumstances.

Selection
The sponsor for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Whose strategic initiative, organizational goal, or operational requirement is driving the

project?
2. Who will be held ultimately accountable if the project is not successful?
3. Who is best positioned to champion the project throughout the organization?

An effective project sponsor:

 Serves as champion of the project, advocating for the business change and resulting
benefits.
 Builds and maintains support for the project among key decision makers.

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 Emphasizes project team recognition and acknowledges team and individual

accomplishments.
 Remains involved throughout the project.
 Makes timely decisions.

Responsibilities
The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the project sponsor during each phase
of the project.

Initiation  Approve the preparation of the business case and commit to the
realization of expected benefits.
 Secure project funding.
 Work with the project manager to identify steering committee members
and other project stakeholders.
 Work with the project manager to define scope and identify project
assumptions, risks, dependencies, and constraints.
 Approve (with the steering committee) the project charter.
 Participate in the project kickoff.
Planning  Approve the benefits measurement plan.
 Approve the project work plan and schedule.
 Review and be familiar with the project management plan.
Execution  Provide guidance and direction to the steering committee and project
manager.
 Monitor risks and approve (with the steering committee) risk management
strategies.
 Resolve issues escalated by the steering committee.
Monitoring/  Review project status as reported by the steering committee or project
Controlling manager.
 Ensure successful management of project scope, schedule, budget, and
issues.
 Approve or deny changes to scope, schedule, and budget recommended
by the steering committee.
Closeout  Approve project close-out.
 Measure and report on benefits realization.

Project Steering Committee

Purpose and Authority
The steering committee provides oversight for the project, regularly monitoring status and
reviewing project milestones and deliverables. The committee has the authority to commit
resources to the project and make decisions and resolve issues escalated by the project team
(except where scope, schedule, or budget is significantly impacted, in which case these issues
are escalated to the project sponsor).

Selection
The steering committee for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Who represents one or more project stakeholder groups which will be significantly
impacted by the project?

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2. Who has authority to make project decisions and recommend changes to scope,
schedule, and budget?
3. Who represents key organizations that will be contributing resources to the project?

An effective steering committee:

 Serves as champion of the project, advocating for the business change and benefits
realization.
 Builds and maintains support for the project among key decision makers in the
organization.
 Emphasizes project team recognition and acknowledges team and individual
accomplishments.
 Remains involved throughout the project and actively participates in project reviews.
 Makes timely decisions.

Responsibilities
The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the project steering committee during
each phase of the project.

Initiation  Approve (along with the project sponsor) the project charter.
 Participate in the project kickoff.
Planning  Develop and recommend the benefits measurement plan.
 Review and be familiar with the project work plan and schedule.
 Approve the project management plan.
Execution  Provide guidance and direction to the project manager and project team.
 Review and approve deliverables as identified in the scope of work and
project work plan.
 Monitor risks and approve (along with the project sponsor) risk mitigation
strategies.
 Resolve issues escalated by the project manager whenever possible.
 Escalate issues to the project sponsor as necessary.
Monitoring/  Update project sponsor and project manager on ongoing business
Controlling environment and potential project impacts.
 Attend regular project status review meetings and monitor scope,
schedule, and budget as reported by the project manager.
 Ensure successful management of project scope, schedule, budget, and
issues.
 Evaluate and recommend to the project sponsor changes to scope,
schedule, and budget.
 Ensure the successful and timely completion of the project.
Closeout  Recommend project close-out.
 Support benefits measurement according to the benefits measurement
plan.

Project Manager
Purpose and Authority
The project manager manages the project scope, schedule, and budget. They have the
authority to make most decisions regarding day-to-day project activities.

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Selection
The project manager for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Who can apply the project management methodologies, processes, and tools to the
project?
2. Who has relevant experience with projects of similar scope and complexity?
3. Who has knowledge of the primary impacted business unit(s) and process(es)?

An effective project manager:

 Is proficient in planning and organizing work.

 Demonstrates critical thinking and strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
 Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills.
 Focuses on results.
 Adapts to changing environments.
 Emphasizes project team recognition and acknowledges team and individual
accomplishments.

Responsibilities
The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the project manager during each phase
of the project.

Initiation  Work with the project sponsor to identify steering committee members
and project stakeholders.
 Work with the project sponsor to define scope and identify project
assumptions, risks, dependencies, and constraints.
 Assist project sponsor, steering committee, and business unit
stakeholders in defining requirements, and desired outcomes.
 Develop the project charter for steering committee and sponsor review
and approval.
 Develop high-level project schedule for steering committee and sponsor
review and approval.
 Create project library and collaboration site.
 Support the negotiation of vendor contracts, including leading the
negotiation of the statement of work, following procurement guidelines.
 Schedule and facilitate project kickoff, presenting the project objectives,
desired outcomes, scope, schedule, budget, high-level work plan, and
roles and responsibilities.
Planning  Assist in refining project scope.
 Develop detailed project work plan and schedule.
 Prepare the project budget plan.
 Develop project management plan.
 Assist project sponsor/client organization to develop benefits
measurement plan.

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Execution  Schedule tasks and project activities.

 Assign project tasks and allocate project resources.
 Ensure deliverable quality meets requirements.
 Coordinate change management activities.
 Facilitate project team meetings.
 Facilitate the production readiness assessment.
Monitoring/  Manage project scope, schedule, and budget.
Controlling  Identify, track, and manage risk and issues.
 Escalate issues to the steering committee as necessary.
 Assist in the impact analysis of proposed changes to scope, schedule,
and budget.
 Track change requests.
 Regularly report project status to steering committee, project sponsor,
and other stakeholders.
 Ensure the successful and timely completion of the project.
Closeout  Create the operational cutover and transition plan and transition all
deliverables for ongoing support/ownership.
 Perform project close-out activities.
 Solicit [satisfaction] feedback from key stakeholders.
 Document lessons learned.
 Celebrate project success.

Functional Lead
Purpose and Authority
The functional lead represents the business or functional requirements of the project. They have
the authority to make or coordinate decisions regarding future business processes.

Selection
The functional lead for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Who has relevant knowledge of the primary impacted business unit(s), systems, and
process(es)?
2. Who can assess impacts of business process changes?
3. Who has authority to make or coordinate decisions regarding business processes?

An effective functional lead:

 Serves as a business representative on the project team.

 Represents the business requirements of the project.

Responsibilities
The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the Functional Lead during each phase
of the project.

Initiation  Participate in the project kickoff.

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Planning  Develop or refine user requirements.

 Assist in refining project scope.
 Assist in developing the detailed project work plan.
 Assist project sponsor/business owner to develop benefits measurement
plan.
Execution  Participate in project team meetings.
 Facilitate functional team meetings as needed.
 Participate in design sessions.
 Review and approve project deliverables as identified in the project
management plan.
 Participate in change management activities.
 Lead the development of user test plans.
 Coordinate user testing.
 Lead the development of the training plan.
 Coordinate user training.
 Facilitate the development of user documentation.
 Approve user documentation.
 Assist in the development of the deployment plan.
 Participate in the production readiness assessment.
Monitoring/  Identify and help analyze risks and issues.
Controlling  Update the project manager on status of functional activities.
Closeout  Assist in the transition of all deliverables for ongoing support/ownership.
 Assist in project close out activities.
 Participate in project lessons learned meetings.
 Support the benefit measurement effort.

Technical Lead
Purpose and Authority
The technical lead represents the technical requirements of the project. They have the authority
to make or coordinate decisions regarding application architecture and technical infrastructure.

Selection
The technical lead for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Who has relevant knowledge of the primary impacted applications and infrastructure?
2. Who can assess the technical impacts of business process changes?
3. Who has authority to make or coordinate technology decisions?

An effective technical lead:

 Serves as a technical representative on the project team.

 Represents the technical requirements of the project.
 Brings a “big picture” view of technology impacts as well as relevant technology policies,
standards, and guidelines.

Responsibilities

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The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the technical lead during each phase of
the project.

Initiation  Identify the appropriate technical project team members.

 Participate in the project kickoff.
 Provide or coordinate the collection of initial hardware, software, and
technical labor cost estimates.
Planning  Develop or refine technical requirements.
 Assist in refining project scope.
 Assist in developing the detailed project work plan.
 Develop detailed hardware, software, and technical labor budgets.
Execution  Coordinate the procurement and set-up of the necessary technical
environments (e.g., development, test, quality assurance, production).
 Participate in project team meetings.
 Facilitate technical team meetings.
 Participate in design and configuration/development sessions.
 Review and approve technical deliverables as identified in the project
management plan.
 Lead the development of system test plans.
 Coordinate system testing.
 Ensure compliance with technical standards and guidelines (e.g., security
standards, ADA guidelines).
 Facilitate the development of technical documentation.
 Approve technical documentation.
 Lead the development of the operational support guide.
 Lead the development of the deployment plan.
 Lead the development of operations and maintenance transition plans.
 Participate in the production readiness assessment.
Monitoring/  Identify and help analyze risks and issues.
Controlling  Update the project manager on status of technical activities.
Closeout  Assist in the transition of all deliverables for ongoing support/ownership.
 Assist in project close out activities.
 Participate in project lessons learned meetings.

Subject Matter Expert/Project Team Member

Purpose and Authority
Subject matter experts (functional and technical) make up the core of the project implementation
team and perform the bulk of the implementation activities. Together with the leads, they
represent the business or functional and technical requirements of the project. SMEs make or
coordinate decisions regarding business processes in collaboration with the Leads and as
authorized in the project charter.

Selection
SMEs for a new project can be identified by answering the following questions:

1. Who has deep knowledge of the primary impacted business unit(s), existing work
processes, systems, or applications?

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2. Who can assess impacts of process or system changes?

3. Who can be assigned authority to make or coordinate implementation decisions as
identified in the project charter?

Effective SMEs:

 Together with the leads, serve as business or technical representatives on the project
team.
 Represent the requirements of the project.
 Bring subject matter expertise to the project.

Responsibilities

The following table highlights the key responsibilities of the Subject Matter Experts during each
phase of the project.

Initiation  Participate in the project kickoff.

Planning  Develop or refine requirements.
Execution  Perform functional (e.g., business process design/redesign) or technical
(e.g., installation, development, configuration) project activities as
assigned.
 Participate in project meetings and working sessions as necessary.
 Review and approve project deliverables as identified in the project
management plan.
 Participate in change management activities.
 Assist in the development of test plans.
 Conduct testing.
 Assist in the development of the training plan and materials.
 Conduct training as identified in the training plan.
 Develop documentation as identified in the project work plan.
Monitoring/  Identify and help analyze risk and issues.
Controlling
Closeout  Assist in the creation of the operational cutover plan and transition of all
deliverables for ongoing support/ownership.
 Participate in project post mortem/lessons learned meetings.
 Support the measurement of benefits realization as requested.

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