As a project manager, you must analyze projects for known and unknown risks, anticipate project risks, and manage that risk in different ways to ensure project success. A skill in risk assessment enables you to assess the internal and external factors that influence project success by planning for the risks that could potentially interfere with meeting that success.

For this assignment, choose the provided case studies. The Executive Director case provided by John Wiley & Sons. You must choose a different case than the one you used for your Week 4 Summative Assessment: Project Proposal.

Complete a risk register based on the case study using the Risk Register Template.

Identify 6 to 8 risks for the project identified in the case study, and do the following:
o Identify each risk. Consider the most common project risks for the selected case. Other risks may exist, but if they’re highly unlikely to occur or have a very low impact, then these may not be worth including in the risk register at this time.
o Describe each risk, highlighting the risk and the area of impact if the risk were to occur. The risk description should provide adequate detail to understand the risk to the project.
o Identify the owner of each risk. The owner is responsible for monitoring triggers and implementing the risk strategy. Consider who is impacted because the owner assumes that risk and decides what to do if the risk happens.
o Identify the risk trigger. Consider how the project team and stakeholders would be able to tell if the risk has occurred or is approaching.
o Choose the risk strategy (Accept, Avoid, Mitigate, or Transfer) and explain the risk response for that risk strategy:
o Accept it. Why you will not actively try to control this risk, and what resources must be reserved in case the risk occurs.
o Avoid it. How you will remove this risk by eliminating the cause or selecting an alternative.
o Mitigate it. How you can minimize the impact of the risk within acceptable limits.
o Transfer it. How you can reduce direct impact of the risk on the project by shifting all or part of this risk to a third party, such as vendor or insurer.
o Indicate the probability of the risk occurring at the current state. This may change over time, but what is important is to identify this probability today. Select from the following levels of probability:
o High – This risk has a 75% chance or greater of happening.
o Medium – This risk has a 25%–74% chance of occurring.
o Low – This risk has less than a 25% chance of happening.
o Indicate the level of impact to the organization if this risk happens. Select from the following levels of impact:
o High – This risk will impact the organization in an extremely negative way.
o Medium – This risk will impact the organization in a negative way, with some harm.
o Low – This risk will impact the organization in a negative way, but any harm will be manageable.

Sample Answer

Sample Answer

 

Analyzing Risks in Project Management: A Case Study
Introduction
Risk assessment is a crucial aspect of project management that allows project managers to identify potential risks and implement appropriate strategies to mitigate them. In this essay, we will analyze the risks associated with a case study provided by John Wiley & Sons, focusing on the Executive Director’s project. By completing a risk register, we will identify and describe six to eight risks, determine their owners, specify risk triggers, choose risk strategies, and evaluate the probability and impact of each risk.

Risk Register for the Executive Director’s Project
Risk: Insufficient budget allocation

Description: The project may face financial constraints due to inadequate funding, leading to delays, compromised quality, or incomplete deliverables.
Owner: Finance Department
Risk Trigger: Budget review indicates a shortfall in allocated funds.
Risk Strategy: Mitigate
Response: Implement cost-saving measures, negotiate with stakeholders for additional funding if necessary.
Probability: Medium
Impact: High
Risk: Scope creep

Description: The project requirements may expand beyond the initial scope, resulting in increased workload, resource allocation issues, and potential delays.
Owner: Project Manager
Risk Trigger: Stakeholders request additional features or changes to the project scope.
Risk Strategy: Mitigate
Response: Clearly define and document the project scope, establish a formal change control process to manage scope changes.
Probability: High
Impact: Medium
Risk: Inadequate resource availability

Description: The project may experience a shortage of resources, such as skilled personnel or necessary equipment, leading to delays or compromised quality.
Owner: Human Resources Department
Risk Trigger: Resource allocation conflicts or unexpected staff turnover.
Risk Strategy: Avoid
Response: Proactively identify resource requirements, allocate resources based on project needs, and cross-train team members to reduce dependency.
Probability: Medium
Impact: Medium
Risk: Technology failure

Description: Critical technological systems or infrastructure may fail, resulting in disruption of project activities, data loss, or compromised security.
Owner: IT Department
Risk Trigger: System crashes, hardware malfunctions, or cybersecurity breaches.
Risk Strategy: Mitigate
Response: Regularly backup data, implement robust security measures, conduct system maintenance and testing, and have contingency plans in place.
Probability: Low
Impact: High
Risk: Vendor non-performance

Description: The external vendor responsible for delivering project components may fail to meet deadlines or provide subpar deliverables, causing project delays or quality issues.
Owner: Procurement Department
Risk Trigger: Vendor misses agreed-upon milestones or fails to meet quality standards.
Risk Strategy: Transfer
Response: Include penalty clauses in contracts, establish clear performance expectations, and have alternative vendors lined up if necessary.
Probability: Medium
Impact: Medium
Risk: Stakeholder resistance or conflicts

Description: Key stakeholders may display resistance to change or conflicting interests, leading to delays in decision-making or project derailment.
Owner: Project Sponsor/Management
Risk Trigger: Stakeholders express disagreement or fail to provide timely approvals.
Risk Strategy: Mitigate
Response: Establish effective communication channels, solicit stakeholder input early on, address concerns promptly, and engage in conflict resolution if necessary.
Probability: High
Impact: Medium

Conclusion
Analyzing risks in project management is crucial for ensuring project success. By completing a risk register for the Executive Director’s project case study, we have identified and described six key risks, determined their owners, specified risk triggers, chosen risk strategies, and evaluated the probability and impact of each risk. By proactively addressing these risks through appropriate strategies, such as mitigation, avoidance, acceptance, or transfer, project managers can enhance project outcomes and minimize potential negative impacts on the organization.

 

 

 

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