In project management, common shortfalls in manpower assignment can include:

1. **Overstaffing or Understaffing**: Assigning too many or too few people to a task can lead to inefficiencies and project delays.

2. **Inadequate Skill Matching**: Failing to align team members' skills with project requirements can lead to poor performance and lower quality outcomes.

3. **Lack of Clarity in Roles and Responsibilities**: If team members are unsure of their specific roles, it can result in confusion, duplication of efforts, and tasks falling through the cracks.

4. **Poor Communication**: Ineffective communication among team members can hinder collaboration and lead to misunderstandings about tasks and expectations.

5. **Neglecting Resource Availability**: Not considering team members' availability, such as vacations or other commitments, can cause resource conflicts and project delays.

6. **Ignoring Team Dynamics**: Disregarding how team members work together can lead to interpersonal conflicts and decreased morale, which can affect productivity.

7. **Failure to Monitor Workloads**: Not regularly reviewing the workload of team members can result in burnout or underutilization of resources.

8. **Insufficient Training and Development**: Not providing team members with necessary training can lead to a lack of confidence and poor performance on tasks.

By addressing these potential shortfalls, project managers can optimize manpower assignment and improve project outcomes.