Project related training

[Steve Wade]

We use MS-PRoject 2003 Standard with a shared resource calendar.

Normally we simply mark all time off (including training) as non working time.

We now have a situation where we want to include the effort spent on project
specific training in the plan with appropriate milestone.

My understanding of project is that:
1) If a resource is assigned to a task and that resource has non-working
time in their calendar, then the task is delayed until the resource is
available. Unfortunately we then cannot include the training effort in the
baseline.

2) If we simply schedule the individual to a training task (and leave their
calendar as working time) there is a possibility of a conflict with another
project and the resource usage will show as an overallocation. This means
that the project manager have to sort out the conflict for them selves. In
this case the effort gets included in the baseline.

Is there a way to committ a resource to a task without making them available
to another project?

Is there a way to schedule a task

 

[Rod Gill]

You could mark the time as non-working in the resource pool then assign the
Standard calendar to the Training task in a project and select the calendar
over-rides the resource calendar option.

To do this double-click the training task, click the Advanced tab and in the
Calendar drop down select Standard then click the override option.

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

I would suggest using your second option and consider the training to be a
task in the project. After all, it's required so they can do the project's
work is it not? And it's part of their workday and they're paid for it.
Thus it's a real activity that is specific to the project and needs to be
scheduled and managed like any other project-specific activity.

 

[davegb]

I would suggest using your second option and consider the training to be a
task in the project. After all, it's required so they can do the project's
work is it not? And it's part of their workday and they're paid for it.
Thus it's a real activity that is specific to the project and needs to be
scheduled and managed like any other project-specific activity.

I might approach it a little differently. I'd decide whether to include
it as a task in the project or to just show it as non-working time
based on whether or not the training has dependencies. If the training
is dependent on other tasks in the project, which in most cases, it
isn't, and if the project has tasks that can't be done until the
training is done, which their usually aren't, I'd link it into the
project. In my experience, the training is going to occur on certain
dates, regardless of other progress on the project. Ergo, it's not
dependent on other tasks. The training doesn't occur after some other
task is done, but whenever it's scheduled to occur, regardless of the
project task completions. Same thing applies with regards to
successors. Are there tasks that can't be done until the training is
done? Remember, we're talking dependent because they need some result
from the training, not just because the resources are in training and
can't work on the project until they're done with the training.
In most cases, the training is going to occur on the scheduled dates
and is unaffected by the other tasks, and has on direct effect on the
other tasks. They'll just be interupted while the training is going on.
In that case, make the training a task on a separate project, or make
it non-working time for the resources attending it. If it has no
dependency relationships to the other tasks, it's not part of the
project. If, on the other hand, there are tasks that can't be done
until the people in the class have been taught how to do them, make it
a task and link it appropriately.
Hope this helps in your world.

 

[Steve House [Project MVP]]

I was thinking of the training as being required do do the project - that
there are tasks in the project that require certain skill sets that we don't
presently have available and we've elected to "grow our own" by training
staff in those skills rather than hiring outside. In that case the training
is part of the work required to create the project's deliverables and if we
weren't doing the project we wouldn't be doing that training. The tasks
that use those skills are certainly going be dependent on the completion of
training because we can't do them until the required skill sets are in
place. If we are sending that staff to an outside source of training - a
scheduled class conducted by a training vendor, for example - where we have
no control over the dates where the training takes place, that might be one
of the very few places I can think of where Must Start On would be valid
constraint, to be applied to the Training task.