Identify risks and assumptions with your stakeholders

Because the problem tree has given you an insight in the relationship between different issues, it allows you to see what things may influence your main strategy and the achievement of your purpose. However, there may also be other elements that were not identified in the problem tree: generally you’ll find the elements that come from the context or environment. You also have to take into account other risks such as financial risks, practical or operational risks, and organisational risks.

  1. List the risks/assumptions
  2. Eliminate those that are not important
  3. Try to assess what the probability is that each risk occurs
    • If the risk is very likely to occur and the impact on the project is grave (it is doubtful you can achieve the project), then you have to redesign your project to eliminate or significantly reduce this risk. If this is not possible you should really think again about doing the project.
    • If the risk is likely to occur and the impact is important, but not life threatening, you should include it in the logframe and monitor the risk. If possible, you should try to influence the risk.
    • If the impact of the risk is low, you shouldn’t include it into the logframe.
  4. Identify whether the risk is a threat to one of the different outputs or to the achievement of the project’s purpose itself. Other risks may threaten the sustainability of the results of the project, and therefore its long term impact and contribution to the solution of some of the society’s problems.