60 to 90 minutes
Explain the purpose of the activity and write it down on the board or mind map.
Risk introduction
Spend a minute or two explaining the difference between risks (desirable or undesirable uncertain events in the future that impact our targets) and issues (desirable or undesirable events in the past or present that differ from our original plans or expectations). Make sure you don’t spend too much time on technicalities – a simple understanding is enough for our purpose. After all, P3.express doesn’t distinguish between different types of follow-up actions but uses the same artifact and process to manage all of them.
Note that we will have more discussions about follow-up actions in Part 3, and especially in Part 4; so, keep it simple here and add more information later.
Give them one example of a risk composed based on its cause/effect/impact/response; e.g.,
- Cause: Users in the finance department are not tech-savvy and not completely comfortable with change.
- Effect: They may not want to migrate from their old-fashioned accounting application to a modern, cross-platform one.
- Impact: We’re supposed to make exceptions only when the alternative application is inferior to the existing one, which is not the case here. So, we either have to create new exceptions or implement the new application and possibly face a lot of resistance and trouble in the department.
- Response: TBD
- Status: Open
- Custodian: TBD
Explain that every follow-up action and deliverable needs to have a custodian. However, because of the limitations in the context of the scenario, we won’t assign custodians during the workshop.
Risk identification
Give them 10 minutes to compose precisely 3 risks in the cause/effect/impact/response format, and leave the response empty for now. Let them know that it’s fine to use their imagination.
When the time is up, ask each facilitator to present one risk, and then move to the next facilitator. Repeat this three times to review all the identified risks.
After each risk, ask the participants whether they have any comments, and then give your own comment if needed.
These are a few examples:
- Cause: Designers have built a strong muscle-memory in using their existing CAD application.
- Effect: Changing the application will slow them down.
- Impact: It may take 6 to 12 months for the designers to get used to the new application and regain their previous speed. During this time, their performance will be lower and they may be annoyed with it.
- Response: TBD
- Status: Open
- Custodian: TBD
- Cause: Most clients use common proprietary applications.
- Effect: They may expect to receive designs/files in those proprietary formats.
- Impact: They may find it annoying or difficult to work with us because of this change.
- Response: TBD
- Status: Open
- Custodian: TBD
- Cause: Some users need to access files from outside the company using their personal devices, which use proprietary applications.
- Effect: It may cause inconsistencies and problems.
- Impact: The inconsistencies and problems may prevent them from accessing the files freely, which may have a negative impact on performance.
- Response: TBD
- Status: Open
- Custodian: TBD
Don’t put too much emphasis on having realistic items, but rather on having well-structured ones that can be integrated into the project management system.
Plan responses
Explain what we mean by responses, and then ask them to come up with responses for the first example you gave them before (free conversation rather than group exercise). These are a few example responses to the risk:
- Cause: Users in the finance department are not tech-savvy and not completely comfortable with change.
- Effect: They may not want to migrate from their old-fashioned accounting application to a modern, cross-platform one.
- Impact: We’re supposed to make exceptions only when the alternative application is inferior to the existing one, which is not the case here. So, we either have to create new exceptions or implement the new application and possibly face a lot of resistance and trouble in the department.
- Response:
- Show them that most companies are using modern applications.
- Prepare a list of the best alternatives and let them select one.
- Bring an accounting expert to help with them their decision.
- Have a new, cross-platform application developed with the exact same functionalities and user interface.
- Retire some of the oldest accounting personnel and hire younger ones (!)
- Check the public sector to see whether they’ve had such a problem, and if so, see what they did in response.
- Status: Open
- Custodian: TBD
Now that they know how to plan responses, give them 5 minutes to work in groups and plan responses for their own risks.
When the time is up, ask each facilitator to explain their responses, and then ask all participants if anyone has any comments. Add your own comments if necessary.
Explain that some of the responses may require the addition of new deliverables to the Deliverables Map, the schedule, or the Project Description. In fact, this activity can be considered a way of refining our understanding of the project.
Composing the Follow-Up Register
Explain the concept of a Follow-Up Register, and give them 5 minutes to store their existing follow-up items in the register.