Plan and Manage Resources

Resourcing spans both physical resources (equipment, materials, facilities) and team resources (people, roles, skills). PMI expects familiarity with the Responsibility Assignment Matrix and RACI as tools that connect scope elements to the people accountable for them.

Resource leveling vs. resource smoothing is a reliable calculation-adjacent exam topic: leveling adjusts start/end dates to resolve an over-allocation and can extend the critical path; smoothing adjusts activities only within their existing float, so it never delays the project end date but can't resolve every conflict. If a question says "the deadline cannot move," smoothing is being tested; if over-allocation must be fully resolved regardless of date impact, leveling is the answer.

Study focus: virtual and cross-functional team dynamics (time zones, cultural norms, communication norms) are explicitly part of this task's enablers.