The world of project management is fraught with risk. Some risks are foreseeable, while others can be completely unexpected. No matter how much you plan for them, there will be times when the things you’re most worried about happening anyway. And this doesn’t just apply to projects – it applies to life in general! To help prevent these surprises from happening, we’ve put together a list of some of the most common project risks and how they might play out if not managed properly.
Identify
The first step of project risk management is to identify the risks. After all, it’s impossible to manage a problem you don’t know about! Since every company and project has different goals, no two lists will be exactly alike. Here are some common examples:
Technical – Your team might not have enough expertise on hand to complete the project on time or within budget.
Financial – The cost of the project might exceed your budget, or you might not be able to find funding for it at all.
Time Management – You may miss deadlines due to unexpected setbacks, leading to penalties and increased costs.
Scope Creep – As the project progresses, the client may request more and more features, expanding the original scope of the project.
Human Error – Mistakes made by team members can cause delays or even lead to disastrous results.
Prioritize
Once you’ve identified the risks, it’s important to assess their severity. Some risks might be serious enough to warrant a full-blown disaster recovery plan, while others might require only a contingency. The ranking system you use doesn’t really matter – just make sure everyone on your team is aware of the risks and knows how to prioritize them.
Predict
Once you’ve identified and prioritized the risks, it’s time to predict their likelihood of occurring, as well as how they might play out.
First, make a list of what you think are the most likely risks to happen – these will be your top priority when it comes time to plan for disaster recovery or mitigation strategies.
Second, consider how each risk could affect the project if they do occur. You’ll want to look at things like costs, schedules, and even the end goal of the project.
Finally, come up with a plan for what you’ll do if each risk actually happens. This might include anything from changing your timeline to renegotiating your budget.
Prepare For the Worst
No matter how much planning you do, there will always be some risks that are impossible to predict or prevent. That’s why it’s important to have a plan for dealing with disasters when they do occur. This might include anything from having extra personnel on hand in case of an emergency to setting up backup systems for critical data.