Human Resource Management involves the art and science of directing and coordinating human resources throughout a project’s lifecycle. Organizational planning is the process of selecting development and delivery approaches, which includes identifying, documenting, and assigning project roles to facilitate ongoing improvements. A project methodology, general management approach, or development strategy serves as a starting point for the project. The primary goal of these methodologies is to enhance the consistency of processes, ensuring they are repeatable and providing reliable measures of the organization's project capabilities.
In organizational planning, the inputs consist of project interfaces. First, we consider how the project relates to the organization, focusing on the necessary reports between the project and the rest of the organization. Second, technical interfaces refer to the communication structures between research and development (R&D) and the technical organization. Finally, staffing requirements outline the necessary skill sets for individuals or groups at specific time frames to provide formal guidance and control to the project team. To ensure the smooth functioning of these interfaces, human resource practices must align with corporate policies, guidelines, and practices.
What additional tools or techniques can you think of that contribute to safety-critical projects by helping to prevent errors, losses, or subsequent issues?
Laxton, D. M. (2017). Does Reframing Organizations Theory Make a Contribution to Project Managers in the IT\Finance Industry? https://core.ac.uk/download/267833268.pdf
I think using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) can be an effective approach to prevent errors, losses, or subsequent issues. It is a tool risk management would utilize to identify how the project may fail and assess the severity of the impact. This is a proactive way to prevent any negative outcomes in the project life cycle and the project itself. Also incorporating available and effective training/certification to project personnel would be incredibly beneficial. There is always the possibility of human error in making a medical product and these trainings would decrease the chance of human error. Untrained personnel may make decisions that hurt the project or even their fellow co-workers.
Finally, I think pairing FMEA with Root Cause Analysis (RCA) could be very effective as well. RCA allows members to investigate past incidents in projects that are similar. This is useful information so project members do not repeat the same actions done in the past. This also identifies the origin that is creating the issue, rather than focusing on the consequences of the problem.
The suggestions regarding FMEA and RCA are great for safety-critical projects. Organizational planning for these types of projects should also use tools that bridge the gap between system-level safety management and resource coordination. Some techniques that can be used include but are not limited to: Skills Matrix and Competency Mapping, Scenario-Based Simulation Training, and Pre-Mortems. Developing a project-specific skills matrix helps to make sure that the right expertise is prepared for the project at the right time. It can also lead to finding coverage gaps and proactively planning for these gaps by either finding an employee with the right skillset, or training an employee to be prepared to fill the gap. Scenario-based simulation training can prepare teams to respond to high-impact events by running through real world simulations. These simulations can uncover communication gaps and system problems that might not surface in regular SOPs. Finally, pre-mortem exercises allow teams to run through what could go wrong before the project even begins. This can help align cross-functional thinking early and generate a list of mitigation strategies that can be worth their weight in gold in the event that a problem arises. Have you used any of these in industry?
Many of the tools mentioned, like FMEA, RCA, and scenario-based simulations, are essential for safety-critical projects, especially regarding systems-level risk management. But what often gets overlooked, particularly for technical employees, is how the human side of performance and communication plays into project success and safety outcomes. For example, psychological safety can decide whether a team member speaks up about a potential error or questionable assumption during a design phase. In environments where mistakes carry high stakes, creating a space where engineers or developers feel safe to flag issues without fear of blame is just as critical as the technical checks themselves.
At the same time, companies often rely on performance metrics and continuous improvement initiatives to guide employee development or justify resource planning. While these can be useful, they can also introduce pressure that works against psychological safety, especially when metrics are tied to rigid productivity targets or individual accountability in highly collaborative work. For technical staff, this can lead to risk aversion, underreporting issues, or burnout from constant upskilling expectations. There’s a fine line between using metrics to support growth and using them to suppress honest communication or experimentation. Balancing these elements, especially in HR management for technical roles, requires a nuanced approach that includes cultural support, cross-functional trust, and metrics that reflect team success rather than individual output.
To touch upon the mention of scenario-based simulation training, within the company I am currently working in, we are mandated to complete certain virtual training sessions each quarter, keeping us up to date with new technologies brought to the company, maintenance of current technologies or devices in use, and either a review or introduction of company policies. While some of these comprehensive trainings ask employees on how they would respond to proposed situations, and can foster a similar sense of critical thinking needed to respond, the actual practice, greater confidence in skills, and real time decision making with immediate feedback seen in simulation training is missing. Considering the greater set of benefits associated with scenario-based simulation training, a question comes up in why certain companies decide to go for comprehensive training methods instead?
That’s a great breakdown of how organizational planning plays a role in human resource management. For safety-critical projects—especially in medical device development where lives may be at stake—it's essential to use tools and techniques that catch potential issues early and keep everyone aligned.
One key technique is Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. This helps teams systematically identify where a process or design might fail, assess the severity and likelihood of those failures, and prioritize actions to reduce risk. Another valuable tool is the RACI matrix, which clearly defines who is Responsible, Accountable, consulted, and informed for every task. This reduces confusion about roles and makes communication more efficient. Checklists and standardized work instructions are also super helpful in reducing human error, especially during testing, validation, and manufacturing.
In addition, using regular risk reviews and human factors engineering practices—like usability testing—can catch design flaws that could lead to user errors. Combining these tools with solid organizational planning ensures not only compliance but also better overall safety and quality in high-stakes environments.
