Here's how you can resolve resource allocation conflicts fairly and efficiently as a consultant.

Resource allocation should be driven by strategic vision / objectives (OKRs) of the organisation which in turn will define the priorities to deliver the business outcomes, both short & long term. Incremental planning need to happen regularly / quarterly to help prioritise / reprioritise to continously deliver the strategy keeping up to pace with the market. Outliers could be an external event something like COVID / pandemic that might result in emergency allocation of resources to ensure business continuity.

In my brief two months in the consulting industry, one thing has become evident: clients frequently struggle to identify their needs clearly. As consultants, we often find ourselves in the role of uncovering hidden issues, akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. Navigating through these complexities is crucial because transformative changes demand thorough root cause analysis and meticulous need assessment. This process not only guides our team but also empowers our clients by defining actionable steps to move forward

En esta evaluación se tienen que ver las necesidades de cada parte para así saber exactamente con qué se cuenta y qué se necesita para así empezar a tomar las medidas necesarias que permitan avanzar el proyecto de manera sólida, el asignar los recursos de manera justa creará un mejor ambiente laboral y mejorará las relaciones sobre todo de confianza entre las partes.

I prefer taking a bottom-up approach when assessing needs as a lot of times there's a disconnect between what the stakeholders want and what the project needs. IMHO, it's better to engage the ground team first, analyse and understand the situation before roping in the stakeholders. If we become biased towards the stakeholders' perspective, it may be counter productive and disassociate us from uncovering the real issues.

In my experience, I've found that conducting a thorough needs assessment to prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact is essential. For instance, while leading a project to integrate patient portals and EHRs, we conducted detailed assessments to identify critical tasks that needed immediate attention, such as securing patient data and streamlining access to medical records. Transparent communication and data-driven decision-making are crucial for making fair and efficient resource allocation decisions without adding unnecessary assumptions. By involving clinical staff, IT team, and patients in decision-making, we effectively addressed concerns and achieved successful project implementation, enhancing patient care and satisfaction.

Si se trata de un proyecto para un cliente el primer paso es tener claras las prioridades del cliente y sus motivaciones. Puede haber un plazo de entrega que responda a un compromiso adquirido por el cliente, por ejemplo. Para esto es preciso realizar preguntas adecuadas al cliente, mostrando que estamos de su lado, y tratando de entender si hay varias prioridades contradictorias en función del interlocutor. El equipo directivo puede tener unas prioridades, mientras que los usuarios finales necesitan con urgencia algo distinto. Detectar esto a tiempo y clarificar cuál es el camino adecuado, o colaborar para que haya a un entendimiento entre ambas partes nos ahorrará conflictos futuros.

identifique e priorize os fatores mais críticos, como impacto estratégico, urgência, e retorno sobre investimento (ROI). Considere também a viabilidade e os recursos necessários para cada projeto. Envolva as partes interessadas na definição desses critérios para garantir alinhamento e transparência. Documente e comunique claramente os critérios estabelecidos, para que todos compreendam as bases das decisões tomadas.

Considerando que las necesidades pueden ser variadas, es importante (si es para un cliente) establecer una comunicación rápida, eficaz y clara. Para definir los criterios de acuerdo a sus necesidades. Tomando en cuenta el valor del proyecto, retorno de inversión, alineación estratégica de acuerdo al proyecto.

A definição de critérios claros é crucial na resolução de conflitos corporativos, pois fornece uma base objetiva para decisões justas e imparciais. Isso alinha expectativas, garante transparência e facilita soluções que atendam às necessidades de todos os envolvidos, promovendo aceitação e adesão. Além disso, previne mal-entendidos, constrói confiança e melhora o clima organizacional, assegurando um processo de resolução eficiente, equitativo e sustentável.

One aspect of calculating ROI which many often struggle with is the weight factor of qualitative returns. An opportunity to work and network with a big firm has a high ROI but how does it compare to a smaller recurring clients with good pay. Here you need to consider your firm as a whole and if it can risk the smaller client both from a financial and business perspective.

In many projects what I have found useful, is to keep different options on the table and discuss with stakeholders. Key things to keep in mind are- 1. Allocate resources you have handy 2. Outsource, preferably non critical client tasks only as you can not take quality and delivery risk with onsite team 3. Look for collaborators from the clients as they maybe happy to shore up resources wherever there is extreme need and joint outcomes are sought

Outsourcing would be ideal except for critical tasks, as the risk is too high to allow someone else to take control of tasks that could potentially harm the company if delayed or not completed on time.

The main resources of any project are energy and attention/focus. As you understand the core value and the goal of the project you can easily see the top priorities that will draw maximum attention, processes and tasks that will need maximum of your attention. Non-critical tasks then could be outsourced for example and managed on weekly or monthly basis in a form of brief meetings or reports.

Para llegar a un acuerdo debe haber varias opciones alternativas que sean viables, estén bien estudiadas, y tengan sentido. En ocasiones no hay muchas alternativas, y puede tener sentido proponer algo que sabemos que no funcionará para hacer ver que la única opción posible es la que nosotros vemos clara. Eso puede ser un error. Es mejor proponer caminos actualmente imposibles sujetos a condiciones que dependen de los demás actores en el proyecto. Es posible que nos sorprendan eligiendo esa opción y estén dispuestos a aceptar nuestras peticiones.

Maintaining an up-to-date and detailed skills matrix is essential for understanding your resourcing options. Skills should be aligned with project tasks. Resources should be expected to regularly update their skill ratings. Once skills, tasks, and ratings are in place, managers and resource planners are able to strategically allocate resources to tasks where they can make the most impact.

Esto es vital, que la comunicación sea transparente, clara, nítida sin ocultar nada ni mucho menos que queden dudas, sin duda una buena comunicación va a mejorar el caminar hacia los objetivos trazados, no dejemos pasar esto por alto, el que domina la buena comunicación, tiene un buen trecho recorrido y siempre estará con la confianza de el mensaje llega claro y sin problema.

La comunicación clara requiere que el gestor del proyecto invierta tiempo extra en ello. En ocasiones es necesaria la comunicación general y después ir hablando individualmente para volver a comunicar lo mismo, pero asegurándonos de que las implicaciones para cada individuo se comprenden perfectamente y estamos todos alineados.

Considero que la comunicación, y la claridad de los objetivos son fundamentales para solucionar cualquier inconveniente, de manera que en el momento oportuno es ideal para buscar la solución que beneficie a la organización y al equipo de trabajo.

In my experience, this usually happens people are stretched- resources like manpower are limited and pulled to cover multiple projects and to meet different timelines. At the end of the day it may be due to competing priorities. Communicate and voice out concerns early. Once we schedule regular project check ins, we may be better able to allocate resources to meet more pressing project timelines

I advise using a non-violent communication : Name the facts (without judgment); Express our feelings triggered by the situation; Associate our feelings with our needs or values; Formulate a concrete and negotiable request.

Fairness comes from aligning to the overall objective. Rather than placating individual stakeholders to give a mirage of fairness, I would approach it objectively by considering what's needed for business growth. If that results in far lower allocation to certain groups, then so be it. That would help allocate in the growth areas.

Once we know what is causing an inefficient spread of resource allocation, next we evaluate our options and solutions. Execute an implementation such that trade offs are taken into consideration. This includes assessing the criticality of tasks, what can be pushed back and redeploy resources. It will be good to negotiate internally with project stakeholders to reprioritise. Implement resource levelling and resource smoothing to optimize resource allocation and reduce conflicts. These seek to adjust schedules or reallocate resources within a team

Assess project priorities and team capabilities, then allocate resources according to urgency and impact. Facilitate discussions to reach consensus and make necessary adjustments to ensure fairness and efficiency.

There are two classes of metrics (a.k.a. measurements) that can be applied. First are outcomes. These measure the results of your resource allocation efforts. You can use outcome metrics to assess the impact your choices have had on your organization. Second are capabilities. These measure how well your team(s) operated while delivering the outcomes in the first metric. These look at the efficiency and effectiveness of how you operate. Depending on the scope of your assignment, you may focus on one or both of these classes of metrics. If you are hired to deliver bottom-line results, you care more about the outcome metrics. If your job is to improve how teams work, e.g. a SAFe adoption coach, focus on capability metrics.

Outcome evaluation will always be incomplete without taking into consideration the required inputs. This way you can better quantify the ROI of any resource allocation initiative. If the outcome is greater, still, assess whether the inputs required are worth it. These typically have to do with time, money or effort needed to invest.

estabeleça métricas claras e específicas para medir o desempenho e o impacto dos projetos alocados. Monitore regularmente o progresso dos projetos em relação aos objetivos definidos. Coleta feedback das partes envolvidas para entender os sucessos e desafios encontrados. Analise os dados para identificar padrões e áreas de melhoria, ajustando as estratégias de alocação conforme necessário para garantir a eficácia contínua e a otimização dos recursos.

Although consulting space is very fluid and often requires a lot of flexibility and ability to adapt to new circumstances the key to successful resource allocation management is trying to avoid allocation conflicts to begin with. This can be achieved by full transparency around resources availability as well as realistic forecasts for the foreseeable future. Knowing what the resource realistic availability in 4 weeks is going to be will allow project managers to allocate resources fairly and staff the projects adequately.

In addition to the strategies mentioned, leveraging technology can significantly enhance resource allocation. Tools like project management software and AI-driven analytics can provide real-time data and predictive insights, enabling more informed decision-making. Furthermore, fostering a culture of transparency and continuous feedback within the team ensures that resource allocation remains dynamic and adaptable to changing project needs.

To resolve resource allocation conflicts fairly and efficiently as a consultant, 1. *Listen actively*: Understand the needs and concerns of all stakeholders involved. 2. *Identify objectives*: Clarify the goals and priorities of each department or team. 3. *Assess resource availability*: Determine the resources available. 4. *Analyze conflict roots*: Identify the underlying causes of the conflict. 5. *Develop alternatives*: Generate potential solutions that meet stakeholders' needs. 6. *Evaluate options*: Assess the pros and cons of each solution, considering fairness, efficiency, and impact. 7. *Collaborative decision-making*: Work with stakeholders to choose the best. 8. *Implement and monitor*: 9. *Communicate effectively*:

These are the steps which I follow in these circumstances; 1. carefully assessing the situation and decide how many resources we need and what are their skill set. 2. Deciding priorities among different project if I am handling program or portfolio management . 3. A well established criteria needs to be devolved before we start working on resource plan 4. Using tools like MPP to implement the plan and then continuously monitoring for conflict, 5. Adjustment if required through out the life cycle of project.

Le concept de ressource obéit à une notion de rareté. Le processus d'allocations de ressources doit par conséquent obéir à une démarche de rationalité. La seule préoccupation du consultant doit être une démarche d'optimisation ( Comment maximiser des opportunités fondamentales de la ressource et comment minimiser des contraintes fondamentales de la même ressource ). C’est une logique économique et une exigence managériale qui doivent être le socle de tout processus d'allocation de ressources.