What is a Resource Planning Template? Explained

Resource Planning is the process of allocating and managing an organisation's resources, such as people, time, money, equipment, and materials. Resource Planning also helps optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation's projects and operations. A Resource Planning Template is a tool that helps to create, update, and track the Resource Planning process.

In this blog, we will explain what a Resource Planning Template is, how it works, and why it is beneficial for any organisation. We will also provide some examples of Resource Planning Templates that you can use or adapt for your own purposes.

Table of Contents

1) What is Resource Planning?

2) Different Types of Resource Plans

3) When should we use the Resource Planning Template?

4) 5 Resource Planning Templates for Various Uses

5) Tips for choosing the right Resource Planning Templates

6) Conclusion

What is Resource Planning?

Resource Planning identifies, estimates, and allocates the resources needed for a project or business. Resources can be anything you require to complete your project or task, such as people, equipment, materials, money, or time.

Resource Planning involves the following steps:

a) Identifying the resources: You must determine what resources you need for your project or task and their characteristics, such as quantity, quality, type, and location.

b) Estimating the resources: You must estimate how much and how long you need each resource. You also must consider its availability and cost and how they may change over time.

c) Allocating the resources: You must assign the resources to the required activities or tasks and schedule them according to the project timeline and priorities. You must also monitor and control the resource usage and performance and adjust as needed.

 

Different Types of Resource Plans

Depending on the scope, complexity, and nature of your project or business, you may need different types of resource plans to plan and manage your resources effectively. Some of the common types of resource plans are:

1) Project Resource Plans

A project resource plan is a document that outlines the resources needed for a specific project and how they will be allocated and scheduled throughout the project lifecycle. It usually includes information such as:

a) List resources required for the project, such as human resources, equipment, materials, etc.

b) Quantity and quality of each resource, and their availability and cost.

c) Roles and responsibilities of each resource and their skills and qualifications.

d) Allocation and distribution of each resource to the project activities or tasks, as well as their dependencies and relationships.

e) Schedule and timeline each resource, as well as their milestones and deliverables.

f) Monitoring and control mechanisms for each resource and their performance indicators and metrics.

2) Work Breakdown Plans

A work breakdown plan is a document that breaks down the project or task into smaller and manageable units, such as phases, deliverables, activities, or tasks. It usually includes information such as:

a) Hierarchy and structure of the project or task and how it is divided into sub-units.

b) Description and definition of each sub-unit, as well as their scope and objectives.

c) Resources assigned to each sub-unit and their roles and responsibilities.

d) Dependencies and relationships between the sub-units and their sequence and order.

e) Duration and effort of each sub-unit and their start and end dates are also significant.

3) Team Resource Plans

A team resource plan is a document that outlines the resources needed for a specific team and how they will be allocated and scheduled within the team. It usually includes information such as:

a) List of team members and their roles and responsibilities.

b) Each team member's skills and qualifications, availability and cost.

c) Allocation and distribution of each team member to the team activities or tasks, as well as their dependencies and relationships.

d) Schedule and timeline of each team member and their milestones and deliverables.

e) Monitoring and control mechanisms for each team member and their performance indicators and metrics.

4) Human Resource Plans

A human resource plan is a document that outlines the human resources needed for a project or a business and how they will be acquired, developed, and managed. It usually includes information such as:

a) Human resources required for the project or business, such as employees, contractors, consultants, etc.

b) Quantity and quality of each human resource, availability, and cost.

c) Roles and responsibilities of each human resource, and their skills and qualifications.

d) Recruitment and selection process for each human resource and their hiring and contract terms.

e) Training and development plan for each human resource, and their learning and growth objectives.

f) Retention and motivation plan for each human resource, and their rewards and recognition schemes.

g) Performance appraisal and feedback plan for each human resource, and their evaluation and improvement criteria.

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5) Staff Skills Plans

A staff skills plan is a document that outlines the skills needed for a project or a business, and how they will be assessed, developed, and utilised. It usually includes information such as:

a) List of skills required for the project or business, such as technical, soft, or managerial skills.

b) Level and proficiency of each skill, and their importance and relevance.

c) Assessment and gap analysis of each skill, and their current and desired state.

d) Development and improvement plan for each skill, and their learning and growth objectives.

e) Utilisation and application plan for each skill, and their outcomes and benefits.

6) Budget Resource Plans

A budget resource plan is a document that lists the financial resources needed for a project or a business and how they will be estimated, allocated, and controlled. It usually includes information such as:

a) List of financial resources required for the project or business, such as income, expenses, cash flow, etc.

b) Quantity and quality of each financial resource, and their availability and cost.

c) Estimation and calculation of each financial resource, and their assumptions and variables.

d) Allocation and distribution of each financial resource to the project or business activities or tasks, and their dependencies and relationships.

e) Schedule and timeline of each financial resource, and their milestones and deliverables.

f) Monitoring and control mechanisms for each financial resource, and their performance indicators and metrics.

7) Timesheet Resource Plans

A timesheet resource plan is a document that outlines the time resources needed for a project or a business and how they will be tracked, reported, and billed. It usually includes information such as:

a) List of time resources required for the project or business, such as hours, days, weeks, etc.

b) Quantity and quality of each time resource, and their availability and cost.

c) Tracking and recording of each time resource, and their tools and methods.

d) Reporting and analysis of each time resource, and their formats and frequency.

e) Billing and invoicing of each time resource, and their rates and terms.

When should we use the Resource Planning Template?

Resource Planning is a vital and ongoing process that should be done throughout the project or business lifecycle. However, there are some situations where using a Resource Planning Template can be beneficial, such as:

a) When starting a new project or business, you need to define and plan your resources from scratch.

b) When working on a complex or large-scale project or business, you need to manage multiple and diverse resources across different phases, deliverables, activities, or tasks.

c) When working on a dynamic or uncertain project or business, you need to adapt and adjust your resources to the changing requirements, constraints, or risks.

d) When working on a collaborative or interdependent project or business, you need to coordinate and communicate your resources with your team and stakeholders.

e) When working on a competitive or challenging project or business, you need to optimise and improve your resources to achieve your goals and objectives.

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5 Resource Planning Templates for Various Uses

There are many types of Resource Planning Templates available online or offline that you can use for your project or business. However, not all of them are suitable or compatible with your needs and preferences. Therefore, you should choose the Resource Planning Template that best fits your project or business's purpose, scope, and nature.

To help you with that, we have selected and reviewed five Resource Planning Templates that are useful and versatile for various uses. These are:

ClickUp’s Template for Resource Allocation

ClickUp is a cloud-based project management software that offers a variety of features and functionalities to help you plan and manage your projects and resources. One of these features is the resource allocation template, which allows you to:

a) Create and customise your resource allocation plan, or use one of the pre-made templates.

b) Assign and schedule your resources to your tasks, and view them on a Gantt chart, a calendar, or a timeline.

c) Track and monitor your resource utilisation, availability, and capacity, and see them on a dashboard, a report, or a graph.

d) Adjust and optimise your resource allocation and resolve any resource conflicts or issues.

Spreadsheet-Based Resource Plan Template

A Spreadsheet-based Resource Plan Template is a simple and essential tool that you can use to create and edit your resource plan utilising spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc. It usually consists of:

a) A table or a matrix that lists your resources, tasks, and periods and shows the allocation and distribution of your resources to your tasks over time.

b) A chart or a graph that visualises your resource plan and shows the resource utilisation, availability, and capacity over time.

Google Sheets Resource Planning Template

Google Sheets is a web-based spreadsheet software that allows you to create and share your spreadsheets online. It also offers a variety of templates that you can use for different purposes, including Resource Planning. One of these templates is the Resource Planning Template, which allows you to:

a) Create and customise your resource plan, or use one of the pre-made templates.

b) Assign and schedule your resources to your tasks, and view them on a table or a calendar.

c) Track and monitor your resource utilisation, availability, and capacity, and see them on a chart or a report.

d) Share and collaborate on your resource plan with your team and stakeholders, and access it from any device.

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ClickUp’s Weekly Resource Allocation Template

Clickup’s Weekly Resource Allocation Template is another feature that ClickUp offers to help you plan and manage your resources. It is similar to the resource allocation template but focuses on the weekly allocation and scheduling of your resources. It allows you to:

a) Create and customise your weekly resource allocation plan, or use one of the pre-made templates.

b) Assign and schedule your resources to your tasks, and view them on a weekly calendar or a timeline.

c) Track and monitor your resource utilisation, availability, and capacity, and see them on a weekly dashboard, a report, or a graph.

d) Adjust and optimise your weekly resource allocation and resolve any conflicts or issues.

ClickUp’s Project Resource Management Template

Clickup’s Project Resource Management Template is another feature that ClickUp offers to help you plan and manage your resources. It is similar to the resource allocation template but covers the entire project resource management process, from planning to execution to closure. It allows you to:

a) Create and customise your project resource management plan, or use one of the pre-made templates.

b) Identify, estimate, and allocate your resources to your project, and view them on a Gantt chart, a calendar, or a timeline.

c) Track and monitor your resource usage, performance, and quality, and see them on a dashboard, a report, or a graph.

d) Control and optimise your resource management and resolve any resource issues or changes.

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Tips for choosing the right Resource Planning Templates

As you can see, there are many types of Resource Planning Templates that you can use for your project or business. However, not all are equally effective or appropriate for your needs and preferences. Therefore, you should choose the Resource Planning Template that best fits your project or business's purpose, scope, and nature.

To help you with that, here are some tips that you can follow when choosing a suitable Resource Planning Template:

a) What is the intended outcome of the plan? 

You should consider what you want to achieve with your resource plan and the goals and objectives of your project or business. For example, if you optimise your resources, use a resource allocation template. If you want to improve the quality of your project, use a project resource management template.

b) Who constitutes the target audience? 

You should consider who will use and view your resource plan and their needs and expectations. For example, if you want to communicate and coordinate your resource plan with your team and stakeholders, use a Google Sheets Resource Planning Template. If you want to share and collaborate on your resource plan with your clients and customers, you may wish to use ClickUp’s template for resource allocation.

c) Replicating Successful Approaches

You should consider the best practices and standards for Resource Planning in your industry or domain and the examples and models of successful resource plans you can emulate. For example, if you want to follow the project management methodology or framework that you are using, you may want to use a spreadsheet-based resource plan template. If you follow the latest trends and innovations in Resource Planning, you may want to use ClickUp’s weekly resource allocation template.

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Conclusion

Resource Planning identifies, estimates, and allocates the resources needed for a project or business. It is an essential and ongoing process that helps you optimise the use of your resources, avoid resource conflicts, improve the quality of your project or business, reduce the risk of your project or business, and enhance the communication and collaboration of your team.

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