

Project team participation and face-to-face interaction are needed to encourage open communication and trust, which are essential to effective risk identification without them, team members will be reluctant to raise their risk concerns in an open forum. In addition to technical expertise and experience, personal contacts and group dynamics are keys to successful risk identification.

Comprehensive databases of the events on past projects are very helpful however, this knowledge frequently lies buried in people’s minds, and access to it involves brainstorming sessions by the project team or a significant subset of it. There are a number of methods in use for risk identification. The risk identification function should not be left to chance but should be explicitly covered in a number of project documents: The actual identification of risks may be carried out by the owner’s representatives, by contractors, and by internal and external consultants or advisors. Because the owner may lack the specific expertise and experience to identify all the risks of a project without assistance, it is the responsibility of DOE’s project directors to ensure that all significant risks are identified by the integrated project team (IPT). This training should cover not only risk analysis techniques but also the managerial skills needed to interpret risk assessments. It is important, however, that all project management personnel receive specific training in risk management methodology. Assigning the risk identification process to a contractor or an individual member of the project staff is rarely successful and may be considered a way to achieve the appearance of risk identification without actually doing it. The sooner risks are identified, the sooner plans can be made to mitigate or manage them. Ensuring that adequate and timely risk identification is performed is the responsibility of the owner, as the owner is the first participant in the project.
