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Although risk management is among the most complex of the knowledge areas when it comes to the planning process group, the first process is the same as all the others.   It is Plan Risk Management, which has as its output the Risk Management Plan.   This post goes over the inputs to this process.

11.1.1  Plan Risk Management:  Inputs

11.1.1.1  Project Charter

The project charter contains a high-level project description and project boundaries, meaning not just what is within the scope of the project but also what is excluded from the scope.   High-level risks that the project sponsor is aware of and is concerned about can be put in the project charter as well.   That’s why it’s the first course for a project manager to find out about the risks associated with the project.   Sometimes there is a connection between the high-level scope description, including the exclusions, and the high-level description of the risks.   It may be possible that something may considered “out of bounds” for the project for the very reason that it represents taking on a higher risk than the sponsor it comfortable with.

11.1.1.2  Project Management Plan

All of the components of the project management plan, particularly the subsidiary management plans for all the other knowledge areas, and the additional ones having to do with requirements (dealing with scope management), and change/configuration management (dealing with integration management), are all sources of risk and so any risk management plan needs to be consistent with these other components.

11.1.1.3  Project Documents

The stakeholder register is probably the most important input for this process.   You will want to discuss their attitude towards overall risk, as well as getting their opinion on the identification of individual risks on the project.

11.1.1.4  Enterprise Environmental Factors

Overall risk thresholds set by the organization or by key stakeholders will influence how much risk you intend to take on during the course of the project.

11.1.1.5  Organizational Process Assets

• Organizational risk policy
• Risk statement formats, templates for the risk management plan, risk categories organized into a risk breakdown structure, and common definitions of risk concepts and terms
• Authority levels of decision making (this will affect your risk responses)
• Roles and responsibilities within the organization, especially as it pertains to risk management
• Lessons learned repository from previous similar projects

The next post will cover the tools and techniques of this process.

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