This textbook is an adaptation of a practical human resources book for project management. It has been re-designed to include theoretical perspectives; and teacher and student resources. The purpose of this textbook is to provide a free resource to college students studying Project Management (PM) principals as they relate to Human Resources.  By linking Project Management to Human Resources, the text is able to show the important role that Human Resources play at a strategic and theoretical level. Human Resources focuses on people, both organizing them and managing them to achieve project success.

The book is comprised of eleven chapters which can be delivered over a one semester course. Each chapter discusses a project management concept in the context of the Human Resources field. The chapters themselves cover the definition of Project Management and its cycles and elements. It also describes Project Management from an organizational perspective including the effect of culture and structure on Project Management. The five steps of the processes are then discussed individually in different chapters, in addition to the sub-processes such as: budgeting, scheduling, international PM, and communication. Both the project manager and the project team are introduced, separately, so that their characteristics and relationship are appreciated. Thereafter, in the last chapter, Agile Project Management is presented as a contrast to traditional Project Management.

The text discusses the strategic role Human Resources plays in Project Management, either in a strategic direct way or a supportive indirect way.  The text includes recruitment and selection, training and development, career counselling and coaching, communication, managing, and evaluation and assessment as it weaves through the reading and learning of Project Management.

The text delivers all the necessary theory, knowledge and skills to align Project Management and Human Resources.  The text is organized into eleven chapters covering the project management process including the life cycle, risk management, scheduling resources, and budgets. This unique educational resource includes the following:

1. Various Human Resources roles as a support to projects, or how they can be directly involved with the project team and the project
2. Theoretical perspectives of Human Resources and Project Management concepts, approaches and models
3. Critical thinking and reflective thinking activities for students through each chapter
4. HR in Focus sections that hones HR skills and applications to the field
5. Easy to follow steps and processes for Human Resources Specialists to implement throughout the project cycle
6. Check your Knowledge question and answers for each chapter
7. Chapter Key Terms
8. Chapter Summaries for study purposes and chapter synergy
9. Supplemental Resources for teachers and students including active learning classroom activities and exercises
10. Human Resources Strategies designed as Scope Statements including Action Plans (to be used as resources or student activities)
11. Ask An Expert interviews to provide insight, knowledge and resources about the Human Resources world of work
12. Video resources have been embedded in the text, and are listed at the end of the text

The learning activities at the end of each chapter can be completed by the students on their own as a learning opportunity to integrate the materials from the textbook for assignments or tests/exams. They may also be used by the teacher as learning activities in class, or for short answer questions on tests/exams.

Feedback

Please share your adoption, and any feedback you have about the book with us at oer@fanshawec.ca