

Benefits & Practices
What are the benefits and best practices of Project Risk Management?
Possible Reasons for Risk Taking
Some potential rewards include:
· Achieving a desired result using limited resources
· Advancing the "State of the Art"
· Meeting an urgent end date
· Or recovering a schedule slippage
· Enhancing profitability
· Increasing a budget or schedule contingency allowance
· Saving money or offsetting a fiscal variance
· Improving the firm's market position
· Enhancing customer or user satisfaction
Benefits of Project Risk Management
The benefits of project risk management include:
· An objective assessment of the project management process
· Proper accounting for project risks and uncertainties
· Increased confidence in investment and management decisions
· Following a thorough analysis of the data
· Contingency planning permits controlled and predetermine responses
· Without the delay of figuring out what to do
· Risks and responses can be documented as an historic record for future reference
Avoiding Unnecessary Project Risks - 1
·
With careful planning and good management
some inherent risks in the project management process can be much
reduced
· Or virtually eliminated
·
Steps towards this goal include:
· A thorough and realistic appraisal of the project's concept
· And hence the ability to solidify the project scope definition
· Through the planning phases
Avoiding Unnecessary Project Risks - 2
· Observing good project management planning practices
· Including genuine and realistic estimating of time and cost
· For defined scope and quality requirements
· Identifying key uncertainties and risks associated with the project
· In clear and precise terms
· Openly examining these risks
· And identifying ways of mitigation
· And/or making appropriate reserve allowances
· Where the scope of work is uncertain
Avoiding Unnecessary Project Risks - 3
· Seeking innovative but practical solutions to offset potential risk areas through project risk management
· Preparing contingent action plans and workarounds
· Verifying quality and constructability, assemblability, or otherwise practicality of designs
· Developing a sound procurement strategy
· Supported by an appropriate organizational structure
· And proper distribution of responsibility
Avoiding Unnecessary Project Risks - 4
· If contracts are employed, ensuring that contract wording is clear and appropriate
· Includes appropriate allocation of responsibilities
· And terms for handling changes and disputes
· Assigning responsibilities for project risk in such a way that motivates by recognizing that risk and reward go together
· Avoiding incompatibility of contractual representatives
· Or personality conflicts between