ABSTRACT
As regards the people project planning activities, initial risk identification is a chicken-and-egg dilemma. On the one hand, the people would like to have the project’s risks identified as input to the project planning, since they certainly will affect the budget, schedule, and other plans. On the other hand, the people simply will not have enough information to adequately identify project risks until they can present their team with a solid description of the project. To discover project risks using the schedule, prepare a large version of the schedule (at least a meter—roughly 3 feet) and post it on the wall. This schedule must include all departments with even moderate involvement in the project, and it should also include critical suppliers or other partners. Ask if the risks could have been anticipated, and if so, how they could have been mitigated through early planning. In other words, build a case for proactive risk management in their organization.
