So the first thing you need to do is create a simple template for your risk log. An obvious choice is MS Excel. I fully accept that there are many powerful tools out there within which to manage your risks (and multiple programme management toolsets such as Niku Clarity, Mercury ITG, Planview, Primavera P3e etc which possess this functionality as standard in their offering) but the focus of this article is simplicity of implementation and execution. This simplicity needs to be reflected not only in the content we are capturing but in the tools we are using to capture the content and the supporting process we are using to drive the capture. If you get any of those elements wrong you will face an uphill struggle to successfully implement RM.

Type ‘Risk Log Sample’ or ‘Risk Register Sample’ into Google and you’ll get a plethora of results. Choose one and customise it to your needs.

As you increase the size of your project you may need to start categorising the risks by area (e.g. development team, programme management, research and development, operations, finance, sales etc). For the purposes of this article we will assume the project / programme is not of sufficient size to build in multiple ‘feeder’ risk logs.