Template
Risk review template
A regular look at the list of things that could go wrong: which have grown, which are new, and whether the steps meant to stop them are actually happening.
The agenda, with a time for each part
- What changed since last time5 min
- Which risks happened, and which went away?
- The top risks, one by one15 min
- Is it more or less likely than last time, and why?
- New risks10 min
- What worries you now that is not on the list?
- Are the safeguards happening10 min
- Which of the steps we agreed are done, and which slipped?
- Decisions5 min
- Do we change the plan, the date or the scope because of any of this?
How the notes read afterwards
A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.
Gone. The supplier contract is signed.
Grown. The new data centre may not be ready until March; we need it by February. Ravi checks with the provider weekly.
New. Only one person knows the billing code. Pair a second engineer with her this month (Chen).
Decision. None needed this week.
Running it well
- Give every risk an owner and a date to look at it again. A risk with no owner is a worry, not a plan.
- Rate each one by how likely it is and how much it would hurt, and only discuss the top five. A list of forty risks read in full every week becomes background noise.
- Ask what would tell you early that a risk is turning real — a number, a date, a missing email — and watch that instead of the risk itself.
Ways to change it
When to skip it. For short, low-stakes work. Keep it for anything where a surprise would cost real money or a public date.
Questions
What is a risk review meeting?
A regular meeting to update a project's list of risks: how likely and serious each one now is, which are new, and whether the steps to prevent them are being done.
What is a risk register?
A list of the things that could go wrong on a project, each with how likely it is, how bad it would be, an owner and what is being done about it.
How often should risks be reviewed?
Every two to four weeks for most projects, and weekly near a major date.
What happens in the room
Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.
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