Resource owners

The people who provide human and other resources to projects and assignments.

Resource owners:

• Compile projects’ needs for competencies and resources in the short and the long-term.
• Are responsible for ensuring that their staff have the necessary competencies and can follow established routines and processes.
• Are responsible for ensuring that other resources (equipment, methods, materials, etc.) meet requirements and norms.
• Support individuals assigned to projects so that they can focus on the project.
• Communicate regularly with project managers, assignment managers, and team members regarding the need for competencies and resources.
• Reallocate resources if necessary.

Resource owners – who are often line managers – ensure that the company’s collective resources are used in a good way. Theirs is the difficult job of balancing supply and demand for resources. They need to maintain an up-to-date picture of the need for resources in day-to-day activities, and to familiarize themselves with the needs of each project. They also need to be able to say no when ends don’t meet.

By planning ahead, resource owners can ensure a good work environment both in the project and the line to avoid stress.

Resource owners are also largely the people who make it possible for the staff to focus on individual projects and assignments.