Definition of Project Risk The PMBOK defines Risk

Definition of Project Risk The PMBOK defines Risk as – “an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, will have a positive or negative effect on one or more of a project’s objectives. ” (scope, schedule, cost and quality) • In practice, people generally associate risks with negative impacts + • Opportunities are positive risks and, if they arise, these should be exploited to increase positive impacts on a project Risks can generally be defined and predicted at the beginning of a project Adapted from PMBOK 5 th Edition

Project Risk Management • Project Risk Management decreases the probability and impact of negative events on the project • This in turn increases the chance of Project Success • Risks and issues that occur during a project can seriously impact Time, Cost, Scope and Quality • Both the Project Manager and the Project Sponsor have important roles to play in the management of risks • Both Risks and Issues need to be reviewed and managed as part of the Monitoring and Control process group

Risks vs Issues Risks – Can be predicted upfront – Mostly negative impacts – Occasional positive impacts – Responses planned in advance – Maintain a Risk, monitor and resolve – Standard categories Issues – Not predicted upfront – Can’t plan in advance – Always have negative impacts – Maintain an Issues log, monitor and resolve – Categorised depending on project characteristics

Characteristics of Project Risk • Project risk is always in the future • Risks are uncertain events or conditions, if they occur they will have an impact (usually negative) on at least one project objective – scope, time, cost and quality • Good practice dictates that ALL assumptions documented in any of the planning processes are automatically placed into the Risk Log to enable effective monitoring and control • Project risk has its origins in the uncertainty present in all projects • A negative project risk that has occurred is treated as an issue Issue

Characteristics of Project Risk • Known risks are those that have been identified analysed during project planning • Unknown risks may also occur during the project for which no risk planning has been conducted • For high risk, large and complex projects – contingency is often added to cover responses to unexpected risks if they occur • Different Project Sponsors, Project Managers and organisations will have different appetites for risk, these need to be taken into account when determining the contingency

Project Manager’s Responsibilities One of the primary responsibilities of a Project Manager is to monitor and control the project This means that they need to review the progress and status of the project regularly and make adjustments to ensure the project stays on track Risks and Issues that occur are the main reasons for slippage The Project Manager must ü undertake an overall project risk assessment ü identify, monitor and control risks ü identify, monitor and control issues

Project Manager’s Responsibilities It is vital that – ü Risks are identified during planning and monitored during execution ü Risk response plans need to be ready for immediate implementation ü Issues are logged, reviewed and resolved regularly • Risks and Issues on critical path activities require urgent action as they can have the greatest impact on the project timeline • Communicate the impacts of major risks and issues to the Project Sponsor and senior stakeholders – In Advance!

Project Manager’s Responsibilities Always maintain the following deliverables – Project Risk Assessment Risk Log Issue Log Risk Management Plan

Project Sponsor’s Responsibilities The Project Sponsor and senior stakeholders also have key roles when it comes to project risks They need to – ü Participate in risk identification ü Participate in risk management planning ü Assist in both risk and issue resolution Unfortunately they don’t always realise that they need to contribute and the burden can often unfairly fall to the Project Manager One resolution is to clearly define the expectations that the project has on the Project Sponsor and senior stakeholders, including a Steering Committee if there is one

Project Risk Management Processes PMBOK Project Risk Management Processes – 11. 1 Plan Risk Management 11. 2 Identify Risks 11. 3 Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis 11. 4 Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis 11. 5 Plan Risk Responses 11. 6 Control Risks Related processes from Project Integration Management – 4. 1 Develop Project Charter 4. 2 Develop Project Management Plan 4. 6 Close Project or Phase PMBOK 5 th Edition