Identifying project risks

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which of these is a project risk?

A Our team leader got sick last week and we are already behind

B Our team leader might get sick the week before the deadline

2. When should a team identify project risks?

A Only after something has gone wrong

B Early in planning, before the problems happen

3. Your group is building a game, and the laptop with all the files might break or be lost. What type of risk is this?

A Technical risk

B Team risk

4. Which one is a time risk?

A Testing might take longer than planned and we could miss the deadline

B The coding software might crash while we are working

5. Which one is a team risk?

A The only person who knows how to build the database might be absent

B The school Wi-Fi might go down during the upload

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Risk: Teammate sick on due date		AThis is not a risk because it names no specific thing that might go wrong. Teams need to identify time, technical or team risks.
2Risk: Laptop crashes, files lost		BRisk log (week 1): Wi-Fi may drop during upload
3A time risk is something that could make the project run late, so it is listed before the deadline arrives		CRisk: Testing may take longer than planned
4A risk is something that might happen, so it is written down before it occurs rather than after		DA team risk: a member being absent could leave a task unfinished
5Risk: Our app crashed yesterday and we lost our work		EThis describes a problem that has already happened, not a risk. A risk is something that might go wrong and is listed before it happens.
6Risk: Nothing will go wrong with our project		FA technical risk: a tool failing or data being lost could stop the project

Definitions

project risk

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Risk: Deadline is missed Type: ____

Risk: Laptop crashes and files are lost Type: _________

Risk: Team member is away sick Type: ____

risks ← [] ADD "Wi-Fi outage" TO _____

Risk: Tool stops working Status: listed ______ it happens

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Risk: Laptop failed yesterday

B Type: technical

C Listed: before it happens

Question 2

A Risk: Deadline may be missed

B Type: time

C Cause: tasks take too long

D Listed: after it happens

Question 3

A Risk: Member may be absent

B Type: technical

C Listed: before it happens

Question 4

A Project: School app

B Risk: Wi-Fi may drop out

C Type: time

Question 5

A Risk: Software may crash

B Cause: old school computer

C Type: team

Answer Key

Identifying project risks

Section A: Quick Questions

B — Our team leader might get sick the week before the deadline

B — Early in planning, before the problems happen

A — Technical risk

A — Testing might take longer than planned and we could miss the deadline

A — The only person who knows how to build the database might be absent

Section B: Match the Pairs

Risk: Teammate sick on due date → A team risk: a member being absent could leave a task unfinished

Risk: Laptop crashes, files lost → A technical risk: a tool failing or data being lost could stop the project

A time risk is something that could make the project run late, so it is listed before the deadline arrives → Risk: Testing may take longer than planned

A risk is something that might happen, so it is written down before it occurs rather than after → Risk log (week 1): Wi-Fi may drop during upload

Risk: Our app crashed yesterday and we lost our work → This describes a problem that has already happened, not a risk. A risk is something that might go wrong and is listed before it happens.

Risk: Nothing will go wrong with our project → This is not a risk because it names no specific thing that might go wrong. Teams need to identify time, technical or team risks.

Section C: Definitions

project risk — Something that might go wrong and harm a project plan, such as a late deadline, a tool failing or a team member being absent. Risks are listed before they happen.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Risk: Deadline is missed
Type: time

Risk: Laptop crashes and files are lost
Type: technical

Risk: Team member is away sick
Type: team

risks ← []
ADD "Wi-Fi outage" TO risks

Risk: Tool stops working
Status: listed before it happens

Section E: Spot the Error

A — A risk is something that might go wrong in the future. A laptop that already failed is a problem, not a risk. It should read 'Risk: Laptop may fail'.

D — Risks must be listed before they happen so the team can plan for them. It should read 'Listed: before it happens'.

B — A team member being absent is a team risk, not a technical risk. It should read 'Type: team'.

C — Wi-Fi dropping out is a technical risk because it is about equipment or tools failing. It should read 'Type: technical'.

C — A software crash caused by an old computer is a technical risk, not a team risk. It should read 'Type: technical'.