| During Risk Identification, the system architecture, requirements, plans, schedules, etc. are examined to identify items, activities, etc. whose outcomes are uncertain. Each item needs to be examined to see what kinds of risk, i.e., cost, schedule, technical, etc., it contains. |
| The process of identifying risks should include as many of the program's staff as possible. Unfortunately the only way to identify risks is to use individuals' and organizations' past experience, so the more different experiences the better. The idea is to provide a mechanism whereby knowledgeable people can identify the risks in their areas of concern/expertise and these risks can be collected. |
| Various industries and individuals have prepared various templates and other aids that list areas that are known to have risks in the past. The INCOSE System Risk Checklist was prepared from the experiences from a large number of development programs. The idea is that one can more easily identify risks if there was some hints on where to look. The problem with these aids is: Just because a risk is not listed on your template does not mean it does not exist. |