Staffing the project

Once a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is completed, it is important to assign ownership to each task and make a reasonable assessment of the required project skills that will be necessary to complete the project. Additionally, when an assessment of the availability of personal and the requisite skills required to complete the project are completed, a firm has two options for staffing a project: 1) hire new personnel for the project (e.g., the company hires contractors or consultants for the life of the project), or 2) use and/or train current personnel to become proficient in the skills they will need to perform the task.

Discuss the advantages of using internal versus external resources to staff the project. What are some of the decisions companies need to make when deciding to use outside contractors or consultants to staff or manage a project? Be sure to assess the short-term and long-term impact of these decisions. Use at least one peer-reviewed source beyond the text, course content, and course readings to support your position.