Participation in Work Estimating

Summary

Contributors should proactively participate in the work estimation process to provide insight based on prior experience. This ensures effort estimates are accurate, properly scheduled, and correctly assigned to the most appropriate resource. 

Strategic resource planning involves using that data to build resource reserve flexibility into planned future workload. This helps to avoid over-committing the organization and constantly re-planning existing work or maintenance and operational activities to make way for incoming priorities.

During the initial stages of a project, when detailed information needs to be gathered to properly estimate the project, a Project Manager must often rely on the Contributors, who will make up their Project Team, as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).  The Contributor should proactively participate in the work estimation process to provide insight based on prior project experience. This ensures effort estimates are accurate, properly scheduled, and correctly assigned to the most appropriate resource.