

Risk Event Examples
Can you provide some examples of "risk events" we should consider?
Recurring-type Risk Events
·
Recurring risk events are predictable to
some extent
· You know they will happen, but not the degree!
·
Some examples of this type are:
· Changes in market conditions
· Changes in operational requirements
· Changes in social, political and environmental considerations
· E.g. public opposition for one reason or another
· Changes in taxation or currency exchange values
· Changes in inflation
· Extreme and unusual weather conditions
Non-Recurring Risk Events
·
Non-recurring risk events tend to be
unpredictable
· I.e. they happen at random
· You know of them but hope to avoid them!
·
Some examples of this type are:
· Natural hazards: off-site accidents, fire, flood, earthquake
· And their side effects
· Unavailability of resources, transportation, services
· Project financing cash flow restrictions
· Commercial failure of service provider
Internal Business Risk Events
·
These risks, within the business
organization or their immediate stakeholders, should be more obvious:
· Management over-optimism
· Over-aggressive schedule demands
· Management incompetence
· Failure of communication
· Inadequate staffing, or staff overloading
· Failure of internal support
· Financing or budget shortfall
· Insolvency
Project Management Risk Events
·
These risks arise from undisciplined
project management:
· Milestone failure due to unrealistic schedule
· Failure due to inappropriate delivery system
· Realization of error in a planning assumption
· Inability to provide or obtain bonding coverage
· Damage to professional reputations
Technological Risk Events
·
These risk events arise out of the
technology involved in the project:
· Working in unsafe conditions resulting in accident
· Unacceptable operational and maintenance or safety
· Design unsuitable or inappropriate as a solution
· Design not completed or not feasible
· Technology suddenly becomes obsolete
· Performance unattainable
· Sheer size of project or its complexity causes collapse
· Technological incompetence revealed
Legal Risks
·
There are always legal risks, such as:
· Unexplained contractual failure
· Suit by an insider disrupting this project
· Suit by an outsider affecting this project
· Liability claim
· Licensing challenge or delay
· Patent rights contested
· Force majeure:
· "Irresistible compulsion excusing contract completion"
· E.g. war, strike, act of god, etc
Classification of Risk Events
If you are developing checklists of possible risk events to be considers for your programs and projects
· Organize them by the source of the problem
· This greatly facilitates allocation of responsibility
· Either before or after the event!