Workforce Planning

Correct Answer: Suddenly adding more team members may not improve productivity due to the need for orientation and training, instead optimise and reassign the current available resources.

The best course of action in such a situation, as suggested by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guide, is to optimize and reassign the current available resources. This is because adding new members to a team doesn't always result in increased productivity. New members would require orientation and training that could consume time and resources, potentially slowing down the existing team instead of speeding up the process. 'Hiring new team members immediately' can create more confusion and delay. Asking the team to 'work overtime everyday until the end of the project' is not a sustainable or healthy solution, and can lead to burnout and reduced productivity. 'Requesting extension of the deadline' should be done as a last resort, and may not be feasible if the deadline is rigid. Thus, the correct answer is to 'optimize and reassign the current available resources'.

Correct Answer: Revise the project schedule to align with the availability of the specialized team, if it does not impact the project delivery date significantly.

Project Management involves careful planning and execution, which includes anticipating and managing resources. When faced with a scenario similar to the one presented in the question, the most viable course of action would be to 'Revise the project schedule to align with the availability of the specialized team, if it does not impact the project delivery date significantly'. This approach not only maintains the quality of the project but also makes optimum use of available resources. This does not entail additional expenses or overburdening the existing team members. Now let's consider why the other answers are not the best choices. 'Hire new employees with required skill sets immediately' would lead to increased project costs and would take time for onboarding and training the new staff. 'Request the current workforce to work overtime and learn the required skills' would put additional pressure on the existing team which could potentially lower their morale and productivity. 'Cancel the project as it cannot be completed with current resources' is not a suitable option, as it disregards the possibility of problem-solving and optimally utilizing available resources. Hence, revising the project is the most feasible and effective solution.

Correct Answer: Plan for recruitment or training of the current workforce, making sure the resources are ready when required.

In project management, forecasting resource requirements is a critical aspect. The best way to handle a potential shortage is to prepare for it in advance, as mentioned in the answer 'Plan for recruitment or training of the current workforce, making sure the resources are ready when required.' This approach minimizes disruptions and ensures that the project progresses as planned. Ignoring the situation as mentioned in one of the incorrect answers is not a correct approach as it can lead to major problems down the line. Stopping current phases till we have the necessary workforce for all phases is inefficient and could lead to unnecessary delays. Immediately recruiting resources for later project phases without considering their immediate requirements might lead to a waste of resources, as new hires will be idle until their skills are indeed required.