The most successful projects start with effective planning and management. Developing project management skills and implementing proven project management mitigation strategies can help. Even so, even the most well-developed projects come with risks.
The best way to prevent project risks is to face them head-on. Proactively planning to deal with these uncertain events with a risk management plan can help you control your project team by calmly preparing to meet them rather than appearing unprepared amid an unexpected situation.
If you have never developed a risk management plan, you may suffer the consequences of unexpected risks on previous projects. Learn more about project risk management, then try these six steps to create your own risk management plan.
Project Risk vs Project Issue
Project risk can affect the project’s success by delaying the project timeline, going over budget, or causing a reduction in project performance in some way.
- Project problems are anything that has impacted the success of the project. Problem-solving is a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach.
- With an effective risk management plan, you can address all potential risks that may arise during the project cycle and mitigate them, so your project stays on track and within budget and goals.
Risk Management Stages for Project
Managing project risk is identifying, planning, and monitoring potential threats. Not all of them will be at risk, and none may even be at risk.
However, proactive risk assessment and incident management can help you prepare and adjust quickly. This ensures you achieve all project objectives on time and within budget.
If you’re starting out with risk management, here are six steps to help write a project risk management plan.
1. Identification
To identify risks, create a project risk management plan by compiling a list of all potential project risk events. A risk event is anything that can affect the project’s schedule, budget or success.
There are various ways to start the risk identification process, including:
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Interview project stakeholders.
The best way to identify project risks is to ask stakeholders, leaders and experts about the topic. If they are running a similar project, ask them what risks they face and how they can be prevented.
Even if they have yet to run a similar project, be sure to contact key project stakeholders to ensure you have caught all-important project risks.
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Brainstorm potential risks with the project team
The project team are the people you will work with on the project every day. Before you start a project, ask them what are considered potential risks and consider holding a brainstorming session to identify the major risks to the project.
- Document and confirm your assumptions
According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guidelines, an assumption is anything about a project that you believe will happen but is not guaranteed.
You can make project decisions based on assumptions without knowing them. Doing so without documenting and testing hypotheses can expose you to project risk. If your beliefs are incorrect, the project base may become unstable and threaten the project’s success.
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Check the checklist
See if the team or department has developed a general risk checklist. If not, start documenting one to set yourself up for success in future projects.
- Perform a risk assessment matrix
The risk assessment matrix categorizes based on severity into four groups: Very severe, severe, moderate, and mild. This helps to prioritize which potential risks should be addressed first.
When identifying a significant risk event, enter it into the risk register. As the name suggests, a risk register is a special list of your project’s risks. Your risk register should answer several questions about known hazards that have been identified, including:
- What is the probability of this potential risk?
- What is the probability that it will occur?
- What are the impact and severity if the risk occurs?
- What is our risk response plan?
- Taking the probability and impact into account, what is the priority level?
- Who owns this risk?
2. Analysis
For each risk you have identified, analyze its likelihood, severity, and risk response plan. Considering the complexity of the project risks, consider conducting a risk analysis with the project team or key stakeholders.
Consider how the risk will affect your project goals to decide on severity. Will it delay the timeline, mess up the budget, or reduce the impact on the project’s final outcome?
Then, for each risk, create a risk response plan. Your risk response plan may be something other than an action item for now. Instead, it’s what your team will do to adapt and address risks quickly.
3. Prioritize
To prioritize risks, ask yourself: based on your list of risks and your analysis, which chances are most likely to occur and have the greatest potential to impact the project’s success?
Chances that must be treated are likely to occur and have a high degree of severity. You should monitor and respond to all potential dangers, but these risks should be observed and checked most often.
4. Set the owner
This step is optional but recommended. Even if the risk has yet to happen, it can help you establish a risk owner early so that team members are prepared. This person should not only monitor risks but will also be the right person to develop a risk mitigation plan.
5. Monitor
At this point, your project has started. Please keep track of the final project goals. However, ensure you actively monitor your risk to avoid unpleasant contingencies. To do this:
1. Send regular status updates so the project team and stakeholders have the same information. Remember: risk management must be proactive, not reactive.
2. Check directly with the individual risk manager. Each risk “owner” must monitor risk events for red flags. As a project manager or team leader, contact them regularly to ensure everything is running well.
3. Monitor your risk register for any updates. If there is likely to be a risk change or the risk response plan is updated, those changes should be reflected in the risk register. Like most elements of project management, your risk management plan should be a dynamic document your team uses to keep working on a plan.
Collaboration is also very important for risk monitoring. Often a new potential issue or risk that team members are aware of but may not feel compelled to flag immediately. Make sure you build a team collaboration, openness, and honesty culture.
6. Respond to risk
If a risk becomes a reality one day, it’s time to respond to it. With a risk checklist and a risk management plan, you should have a good contingency plan to deal with the risks.
Remember: risk management is not risk prevention, although it does help. In contrast, project risk management is the practice of being prepared for risks and having a good plan so you don’t appear unprepared.