10. Resources, Team & Communication¶
At a glance
- Module: 10 of 13 · Part III — Planning Knowledge Areas
- Sessions: S20–S21 (Weeks 10–11)
- Level: Intermediate
- Estimated time: ~6 hours
- Prerequisites: Module 03
Overview¶
Software is built by people, and most project problems are ultimately people problems. This module covers the human side of management: how teams are structured, what motivates people, how conflict arises and how to handle it, and how to plan communication so that the right people get the right information at the right time.
It also covers resource planning: deciding who is needed, when, and what to do when someone is not available.
Learning outcomes¶
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- Describe common team structures and their effects on communication and decision-making.
- Explain how team development stages affect a project's behaviour over time.
- Identify sources of motivation and de-motivation in software teams.
- Handle conflict constructively, including principled negotiation.
- Build a communication plan and a RACI matrix for a project.
- Plan resource allocation and recognise over-allocation.
Lesson plan¶
| # | Lesson | Session | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Team Organization and Resource Management | S20 | Available |
| 02 | Communication and Stakeholder Management | S21 | Available |
Team structures, development stages, motivation, resource planning, and over-allocation are in Lesson 1; communication planning, RACI, stakeholder engagement, and reporting are in Lesson 2. Conflict and negotiation are developed within Lesson 1's treatment of group development.
Lab¶
- Lab 12 — Preparing a Communication Plan — audiences, cadence, channels, and the real person-hour cost of a plan, using the Communications Plan template.
- Lab 21 — Resource Allocation Conflicts — find over-allocations, then resolve them by smoothing, substitution, or levelling.
Lab 05 — Creating a Stakeholder Register supplies the engagement levels and the RACI Matrix template the decision rights.
Case study¶
A case on a team conflict and its resolution is planned. See the Case Studies overview.
Self-assessment¶
A module quiz is planned. See the Self-Assessment overview.
Key terms¶
RACI · Communication plan · Resource levelling · Over-allocation · Team development · Negotiation · Escalation — see the Glossary.