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Sounds like a very typical situation. Too bad, really.
A good friend of mine uses the following method, I think it will work.
Give your higher-ups two possible scenarios:
1) This is what I can do alone for the next project (ie. you want an
Installation Manual, Provisioning Manual, User's Guide, Reference Guide; I
have enough time to create a User Guide and a Quick Installation Manual.)
Show metrics, how many hours you could put in to finish the two manuals.
2) This is how many people we need to produce all the documents you want.
Show the same metrics, with another person and what that other person will
write (also make a list of skills this person will need).
Offer them one scenario or the other. Then, it's up to them. They hire
someone and get all the docs they want, or they don't hire someone and they
get half the documents they want.
