Risk Assessment Template¶

Version: 1.0
Purpose: This template provides a structured approach to identifying, analyzing, and managing risks that could impact testing activities and project quality. It helps teams proactively plan mitigation strategies.
When to Use: During Test Planning (Phase 1) and continuously throughout Test Execution (Phase 4) and Test Results Analysis (Phase 5). Update as new risks emerge or existing risks change.

Usage Guidance¶

Who Should Use This Template?¶

• Test Managers identifying and managing testing risks
• Test Leads planning risk mitigation strategies
• Project Managers assessing overall project risk
• Quality Assurance teams evaluating quality risks
• Stakeholders reviewing risk exposure and mitigation plans

How to Use This Template¶

1. Identify Risks: Brainstorm potential risks through team discussions, lessons learned, historical data
2. Analyze: Assess probability and impact for each risk
3. Calculate Risk Score: Use Risk Score = Probability × Impact to prioritize
4. Plan Mitigation: Develop strategies to prevent or minimize each risk
5. Assign Owners: Designate who is responsible for monitoring and mitigating each risk
6. Monitor: Regularly review risks and update status
7. Update: Add new risks as discovered, close risks that are no longer relevant

Tips for Effective Risk Assessment¶

• Be Proactive: Identify risks early before they become issues
• Be Realistic: Assess probability and impact honestly
• Be Comprehensive: Consider technical, resource, schedule, and external risks
• Be Specific: Vague risks lead to vague mitigation plans
• Review Regularly: Risks change as projects progress
• Learn from History: Review past projects for common risks
• Engage the Team: Multiple perspectives identify more risks

Document Control¶

Field Explanations: This section tracks document metadata and approval workflow.

Revision History¶

Risk Rating Scale¶

Purpose: Defines how to rate probability and impact consistently across all risks.

Probability Ratings¶

Definition: Likelihood that the risk will occur during the project.

Impact Ratings¶

Definition: Consequence if the risk occurs, measured by effect on schedule, quality, or resources.

Note: Rate based on the highest impact category. A risk with high schedule impact but low quality impact is still "High Impact."

Risk Score Calculation¶

Formula: Risk Score = Probability Weight × Impact Weight

Weight Values: - High = 3 - Medium = 2
- Low = 1

Risk Score Interpretation:

Risk Register¶

Purpose: Complete list of all identified risks with assessment and mitigation details.

Risk Entry Template¶

For each risk, complete all fields below. Add one section per risk.

Risk #[1]: [Risk Title]¶

Risk Description: What to include: Clear, specific description of what could go wrong.

Example: "Key test engineer with domain expertise may leave the project mid-cycle due to planned resignation, creating knowledge gap and potential delays."

[Detailed description of the risk]

Risk Category: Selection Guide: Choose primary category that best fits the risk.

• Technical - Technology, tools, architecture, complexity
• Resource - People availability, skills, turnover
• Schedule - Timeline, dependencies, deadlines
• Requirements - Unclear, changing, or missing requirements
• Environment - Test environment availability, stability, configuration
• External - Third-party dependencies, vendor issues, regulatory
• Organizational - Process, communication, decision-making
• Quality - Defect rates, test coverage, code quality

Probability: [High / Medium / Low]

Impact: [High / Medium / Low]

Risk Score: [Calculate: Probability Weight × Impact Weight]

Example: High (3) × Medium (2) = 6 (High Priority)

Impact Details: What to include: Specific consequences if this risk occurs.

Example: - Schedule: 2-3 week delay in test execution - Quality: 30% reduction in test coverage for complex features - Resources: Need to hire contractor at additional cost - Business: Potential delay in release affecting market window

• Schedule Impact: [Specific timeline impact]
• Quality Impact: [Specific quality consequences]
• Resource Impact: [Specific resource needs or losses]
• Business Impact: [Business consequences]

Triggers/Warning Signs: What to include: Early indicators that this risk is materializing.

Example: - Test engineer submits resignation - Test engineer mentions job dissatisfaction - Test engineer reduces documentation of work - Knowledge transfer sessions stop

[List observable signs that indicate risk is occurring] 1. [Trigger 1] 2. [Trigger 2] 3. [Trigger 3]

Mitigation Strategy: What to include: Specific actions to prevent the risk or reduce its probability/impact.

Prevention Actions (reduce probability): Example: - Conduct knowledge transfer sessions weekly - Document all critical test scenarios and domain knowledge - Cross-train two additional team members on complex features - Improve retention through recognition and engagement

[Actions to prevent risk from occurring] 1. [Prevention action 1] 2. [Prevention action 2]

Mitigation Actions (reduce impact if risk occurs): Example: - Maintain documentation of all test cases and procedures - Identify backup resources (contractor list with required skills) - Create contingency schedule with extended timelines - Prioritize testing to ensure critical features are covered first

[Actions to minimize impact if risk occurs] 1. [Mitigation action 1] 2. [Mitigation action 2]

Contingency Plan: What to include: Detailed plan to execute if risk materializes.

Example: "If test engineer leaves: (1) Immediately engage contractor from pre-approved list within 3 days, (2) Assign backup team member as interim lead, (3) Extend test schedule by 2 weeks, (4) Prioritize critical path testing, (5) Delay low-priority test scenarios"

[Detailed plan to execute if risk occurs]

Risk Owner: [Name] Responsibilities: Monitor triggers, implement mitigation, escalate if needed

Target Closure Date: [Date or Milestone] When to close: When probability is reduced to Low or risk is no longer relevant

Status: [Open / In Progress / Mitigated / Closed / Occurred]

Status Definitions: - Open: Identified but mitigation not yet started - In Progress: Actively implementing mitigation strategies - Mitigated: Mitigation complete, risk reduced to acceptable level - Closed: Risk no longer relevant or probability reduced to very low - Occurred: Risk materialized, executing contingency plan

Current Status Notes: [Update as status changes - track mitigation progress, trigger observations, status changes]

Date Last Reviewed: [Date]

Additional Risk Template¶

Copy the above template for each additional risk identified. Number risks sequentially (Risk #1, Risk #2, etc.).

Risk Summary Dashboard¶

Purpose: Quick reference of all risks by priority for stakeholder review.

Critical Priority Risks (Score 9)¶

High Priority Risks (Score 6)¶

Medium Priority Risks (Score 3-4)¶

Low Priority Risks (Score 1-2)¶

Risk Trends and Analysis¶

Purpose: Tracks how risk exposure changes over time.

Risk Trend Analysis¶

Track over time: - Total number of risks identified - Number of risks by priority (Critical/High/Medium/Low) - Number of risks closed or mitigated - Number of new risks identified - Number of risks that occurred

Period: [Week/Sprint/Month]

Trend Interpretation: - Increasing risk count may indicate project complexity or issues - Decreasing high-priority risks shows effective mitigation - Many occurred risks suggests inadequate mitigation or unrealistic assessment

Lessons Learned from Occurred Risks¶

Purpose: Captures insights when risks materialize to improve future risk management.

Common Testing Risks Reference¶

Purpose: Examples of typical risks to consider during risk identification.

Technical Risks¶

• Complex technology or architecture requiring specialized skills
• Integration challenges with third-party systems
• Legacy system dependencies with limited documentation
• Performance issues under load not discovered until late testing
• Insufficient test automation coverage
• Technical debt impacting testability

Resource Risks¶

• Key personnel unavailability or departure
• Insufficient test team size or skills
• Lack of domain knowledge on test team
• Competing priorities reducing test team availability
• Training needs not addressed
• Contractor dependencies

Schedule Risks¶

• Compressed testing timeline
• Late delivery of test environment
• Development delays pushing testing schedule
• Insufficient time for regression testing
• Dependencies on external teams or vendors
• Holiday or vacation impacts on availability

Requirements Risks¶

• Unclear or ambiguous requirements
• Frequent requirement changes during testing
• Missing acceptance criteria
• Incomplete or outdated requirements documentation
• Requirements not testable as written
• Conflicting requirements from different stakeholders

Environment Risks¶

• Test environment instability or frequent downtime
• Environment not matching production configuration
• Insufficient test environments (conflicts between teams)
• Environment setup delays
• Data management issues (test data availability, privacy)
• Infrastructure dependencies (network, database, services)

External Risks¶

• Third-party API unavailability or changes
• Vendor delays in providing necessary components
• Regulatory or compliance requirement changes
• External security audits required
• Client unavailability for UAT or feedback
• Production environment access restrictions

Quality Risks¶

• Higher than expected defect rates
• Critical defects discovered late in cycle
• Defect fix rate slower than discovery rate
• High defect reopen rate indicating fix quality issues
• Insufficient code review or unit testing by development
• Poor code quality or maintainability

Best Practices for Risk Assessment¶

Identifying Risks¶

Techniques: - Brainstorming: Team sessions to identify risks collaboratively - Historical Analysis: Review past projects for recurring risks - Checklist: Use common risks reference as starting point - Expert Judgment: Consult experienced team members - SWOT Analysis: Identify threats from weakness and external factors - Assumption Analysis: Question project assumptions for hidden risks

Do: - ✅ Involve entire team in risk identification - ✅ Consider risks across all categories (technical, resource, schedule, etc.) - ✅ Be specific about what could go wrong - ✅ Document even low-probability risks - ✅ Look for patterns from past projects - ✅ Review risks at regular intervals

Don't: - ❌ Rely on single person's perspective - ❌ Use vague descriptions like "things might go wrong" - ❌ Dismiss risks because they seem unlikely - ❌ Forget to update risk register as project progresses - ❌ Ignore "soft" risks like communication or morale issues

Assessing Risks¶

Be Objective: - Base probability on evidence, not gut feel - Use historical data when available - Consider multiple factors (schedule, quality, resources) - Get input from subject matter experts - Review assessments with stakeholders

Avoid Common Biases: - Optimism Bias: Don't underestimate probability or impact - Anchoring: Don't over-rely on first assessment - Groupthink: Encourage dissenting views - Recency Bias: Don't over-weight recent events

Managing Risks¶

Prioritization: - Focus mitigation efforts on high-risk score items first - Don't ignore medium risks - they can escalate - Review priorities regularly as risks change - Balance risk reduction with resource constraints

Mitigation Strategies: 1. Avoid: Change plans to eliminate the risk (e.g., remove risky feature) 2. Reduce: Take actions to lower probability or impact 3. Transfer: Shift risk to third party (e.g., insurance, vendor warranty) 4. Accept: Acknowledge and monitor risk, prepare contingency

Monitoring: - Assign clear ownership for each risk - Set regular review schedule (weekly, sprint, monthly) - Watch for trigger indicators - Update status promptly when risks change - Escalate critical risks to management immediately

Communication¶

Regular Reporting: - Include risk summary in status reports - Highlight new or escalating risks - Report on mitigation progress - Celebrate risks successfully mitigated or closed

Stakeholder Engagement: - Present risk assessment to stakeholders for buy-in - Seek input on mitigation strategies - Escalate high-impact risks requiring management decisions - Keep stakeholders informed of risk status changes

Related Documentation¶

Phase Documentation¶

• Phase 1: Test Planning - Incorporate risk assessment into test planning

Related Templates¶

• Test Plan Template - Reference risks in the overall test plan

Methodology Guides¶

• Methodology Comparison - Risk considerations by methodology

End of Risk Assessment Template