

Advanced Techniques in PRM
What advanced techniques might be applied in quantitative project risk analysis?
Advanced Techniques - 1
·
To make effective decisions regarding
risk
· You need to know the potential outcomes
· From action alternatives, risk factors and given quantities
·
The key to risk analysis
· Develop a model
· Clearly indicating risk factors and their relationships
· Without getting into unnecessary detail
Advanced Techniques - 2
Approaches typically used
· The successive principle
· Cost relevance analysis
· Influence diagramming
· Sensitivity analysis
· Each approach has its own strengths & weaknesses
Advanced Techniques - 3
·
The successive principle
· Starts with the total project
· Looks for elements with greatest uncertainty
· Selected for closer study
· Repeated until acceptable overall level is achieved
· Or further detailing is impractical
·
Cost relevance analysis
· Examines specific characteristics of the project
· Relative to a set of factors
· Usually associated with cost overruns
Influence diagramming
·
Influence diagrams
· Are displayed graphically
· Can get very complex
· And must be approached systematically
·
So start with a detailed description
· Of the entire project or major element
· As best known at the time
· Such as a detailed project schedule
Influence diagramming: Basics
·
The four basic elements
· Of the influence diagram are
· Decision alternatives
· Risk factors or uncertainties
· Given quantities
· Calculated quantities or value models
·
These provide the basis
· For developing the influence diagram
· See details on the next pages
Decision alternatives
·
Assemble the decision alternatives
· Including various project alternatives
· Such as the project organizational structure to use
· Or in-house work versus service providers
·
Note
· Decision alternatives are mutually exclusive
· Implying only one option can be selected
· Typically at a specific time in the project's life span
Risk Factors
·
Risk factors specific to the project
· Are risks beyond the control of the project team
· E.g. political influence, or inflation
· Can be either positive or negative
· Relative to the expected value
· Some may be distributed over a broad range
· Or have a single deterministic value
·
Given or calculated quantities
· Given quantities are preset by external conditions
· Calculated quantities result from the chosen model