Calendar in Project Management – Definition and Meaning
In project management, a calendar defines the available working times and non-working times for the project team or specific resources. It is used to facilitate precise and realistic project scheduling by taking the actual availability of resources into account. Project calendars are typically configured in project management tools and take into account general working hours, weekends, public holidays, company shutdowns, or individual shift plans and absences (such as vacation).
Example, best practice, and further information on the term
In an internationally staffed project team, for example, the project calendar would need to consider different national holidays and possibly different weekly work time models of team members to accurately plan joint activities and estimate effort durations. A proven best practice is to carefully configure and keep up to date specific calendars for the project or for individual resources (resource calendars). This is in line with the definition of resource calendars in PMBOK and is essential for agile planning. Correct calendar data prevents scheduling errors, optimizes resource utilization, and leads to more realistic timelines.