Managing Risks, Assumptions and Dependencies

The Risks and Assumptions column is the fourth column of the logical framework. The assumptions describe the situations, events, conditions or decisions which are necessary for the success of the project, but which are largely or completely beyond the control of the project's management. Risks are events that may have a negative impact on the project.

Logframe with assumptions column on the right

The fourth column and the first column have an if… then… relation. If the assumptions in column four are met, or if the risks do not occur, then we'll achieve what we've set out to do in column one.

If... then relationship between the Assumptions and the Project Logic columns
 

RAID

Logframer allows you to use the RAID typology. RAID stands for:

  • Risks: events that may have a negative impact on the project
  • Assumptions: these are the situations, events, conditions or decisions which are necessary for the success of the project, but which are largely or completely beyond the control of the project's management.
  • Issues: these are problems that you have to deal with today in order to ensure your project runs smoothly. Issues occur during the execution of the project. They are not things that may occur like risks, but actual problems that you encounter
  • Dependencies: this means that your project needs the output from another project (or partner); or that another project depends on an output of your project.

Risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies exist in different parts of the project's time-line:

  • Risks: you identify risks during the design phase. Risks may or may not occur during the execution phase and it’s therefore important to follow them up using the Risk Register.
  • Assumptions: you identify assumptions during the design phase and you think of ways to deal with them so your project can start up. If there are any critical assumptions, it’s possible that you won’t be able to start the project unless you redesign it completely, or postpone it until the circumstances have changed.
  • Issues occur during the execution phase of the project
  • Dependencies can have an influence during the design phase (because your project can’t start without certain external outputs) or during  the execution phase. They can also influence the course of future projects because they depend on the results of your project.

Use the Details pane to specify whether an item of the fourth column is a risk, an assumption or a dependency. Because issues only occur during the execution phase, you can’t identify an item as an issue in Logframer.

Selecting the RAID type in the assumptions detail pane

 

Dealing with Risks

To identify an item as a risk, use the RAID type selector (first field) and select ‘Risk’ from the drop-down list.
Here you can:

  • Assess how likely the risk is and what impact it would have on your project. Logframer will then calculate a Risk percentage.
  • Specify how you want to deal with the risk once it occurs: will you try to avoid, reduce, share, transfer or accept the consequences of the risk? How will you deal with it and who will be responsible for dealing with the risk and its consequences (the owner)?


 

Tools: the Risk Register

The Risk Register is a report that you can either print or export to MS Word or MS Excel. The print version and the MS Word version give you an overview of the risks and what you will do in response; the objectives they may influence and the risk level at the onset of the programme.

You can select if you want to view all risks or the risks of a specific category (operational; financial; objectives; reputation risks)?

If you export the Risk Register to MS Excel, you will get an interactive tool to assess the likelihood and possible impact of each risk over the course of your project. This will allow you to see how each risk evolves over time and what measures you must take to deal with them.

Example of a Risk Register generated in MS Excel

 

Assumptions

To identify an item as an assumption, use the RAID type selector (first field) and select ‘Assumption’ from the drop-down list.

Here you can:

  • Explain the reason for the assumption
  • How you will validate whether it influences your project and whether the assumption has been validated
  • Once validated how may the assumption have an impact on your project?
  • How you've dealt with this assumption in the design of your project
  • Who is responsible for dealing with this assumption (the owner)

Example of the kind of information you can fill out in the Assumption detail window
 

Tools: the Assumptions Table

The Assumptions Table is a report that you can either print or export to MS Word. It provides an overview of the assumptions of each objective.

In print preview, you can select if you want to view all assumptions, or only the assumptions of a certain level (goals, purposes, outputs, activities).

Print preview of an assumptions table

Dependencies

To identify an item as a dependency, use the RAID type selector (first field) and select ‘Dependency’ from the drop-down list.

Here you can:

  • Specify the type and possible impact of the dependency
  • What deliverables you expect and when
  • How you will deal with the situation if the necessary inputs don't show up
  • Who is responsible for dealing with this dependency (the owner)

Example of the kind of information you can include in the Dependency detail pane
 

Tools: the Dependencies table

The Dependencies Table is a report that you can print. It provides an overview of the dependencies of each objective.

In print preview, you can select if you want to view all dependencies, or only the dependencies of a certain level (goals, purposes, outputs, activities).