The following is a guest post from our own senior consultant in technology management, Kathleen McQuilkin. This post also appears in the October 2011 edition of ASAE's TechnoScope newsletter.
Murphy's Law tells us, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." As anyone who has ever given a live presentation that depends on technology can attest, Murphy's Law certainly applies. This also holds true when undertaking technology-related initiatives.
Planning for the unknown in a project can be a daunting task, but managing project risk is a fundamental element of project planning and management, regardless of the type of project. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project risk as being "an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or a negative effect on a project's objectives."
When considering this definition, it's clear that identifying risks before they materialize and determining the effect the risks may have on the project is critical—whether the risks are threats (negative risks, e.g., storm predicted along with likely power outages) or opportunities (positive risks, e.g., wind generator is usable, thereby reducing battery costs).
While it's unlikely that anyone would say that taking the time to consider risks is a waste of time, it's often one of the tasks that gets overlooked or postponed until late in the project—often to the detriment of the project.
What can you do to ensure you are engaging in appropriate project risk management? Follow these six steps.
Plan your risk management. Determine your risk-management approach or strategy and document how related processes will be executed for your project. Ensure your stakeholders recognize the value of managing risks. Do not be swayed by those who advocate a positive or "can-do" attitude instead of considering potential risks. Those attitudes can be great but should not replace risk management. Just think about the fire-safety instructions that are given to children starting in preschool: where to go in a fire drill situation or even the simple lesson "stop, drop, and roll." It's evident that planning for a risk and identifying corrective actions is ultimately easier than having to figure out a response after the problem occurs.
Identify risks. Identify all of the possible risks that could occur with your project. Consider scheduling estimates and timelines, cost estimates, staffing, management, and scope. Determine who "owns" each particular risk (e.g., IT staff, vendor, specific department, or staff member).
Conduct qualitative risk analysis. Assess each risk and ascertain the probability of the risk occurring as well as the potential impact if it does occur. For example, list all likely risks, assign a score for probability of occurrence, assign a score for impact, and then evaluate scores to identify those risks with a higher probability and impact.
Conduct quantitative risk analysis. Analyze the effect of risks on the project to provide some numerical estimates to help you understand each risk and its impact. Examples of quantitative methods include the Monte Carlo simulation and decision-tree analysis.
Determine what type of response you'll have for each risk. Based on the analysis you have conducted, determine your risk responses, get approval for the responses or strategies, and document the risk responses. Keep in mind there are four typical strategies for handling negative risks: avoid risk, mitigate risk, transfer risk, and accept risk.
Monitor and control risks. Once you have identified the risks, calculated the impact (qualitative, quantitative), and determined responses, monitor your project and identify any new risks or changes to current risks that could impact the overall analysis. Risk management efforts must occur throughout the entire project life cycle.
Ongoing Risk Management
Risks are a part of every project, and no one benefits from avoidance that encourages one to think about difficult subjects another day. By considering risks early in the project and on an ongoing basis, you're taking proactive efforts to better manage and control your project. Below are a few resources that could be helpful: