Risk Prioritization
Following the assessment and categorization of risks, each risk should be prioritized alongside feature delivery in the product backlog. Product backlogs are managed by feature value, risks and dependencies. Features that carry risks where implementation plans will take longer to address can be moved to later delivery in the backlog where success is likelier. Features may themselves carry significant risk so it can be identified up front to divide user stories into smaller increments to better mitigate risks. Some risks cannot be mitigated by the scrum team and will need to be transferred to other stakeholders or teams who will accept responsibility for addressing implementation plans. At this point the scrum team now has a functional Risk Prioritized Product Backlog that with a dynamic set of features. Risk will be continuously evaluated through the inspect and adapt model of scrum.
Risk Management
Risks should be managed throughout the life of a project. Risks that affect a higher priority feature will need to be managed through mitigation, acceptance, or transfer earlier in the project than those impacting lower value features. As features are assigned to sprints and estimated, it will be important to include risk factors into this process. Higher risk features may take longer to deliver because of uncertainties and should be broken into smaller user stories for delivery across multiple sprints. This allows the team to “fail fast” and call a project breakdown if there is a realization that the impact of the risk or the inability to prepare an adequate mitigation plan is too great to continue with sprint delivery. This helps the scrum team and stakeholders avoid delivering a major component without milestones for evaluation of risk. The objective is to avoid losing time and money on features that are not feasible.
Risk updates should also be constant during the life of the scrum execution. New risks should be noted as they are identified. Risks that put the successful delivery of a sprint into jeopardy should be quickly addressed without waiting for the next product backlog refinement ceremony.
Risk Communication
Updates to risk registers, risk burndown charts, and subsequent feature burndown charts should be frequent throughout the life of a project. It is not enough to simply discuss risks during each product backlog refinement session. Critical risks should be identified and assessed immediately. Scrum team members need to understand that risks should be identified even if they do not believe that the risk holds much threat to a project. Discussing risks during the daily stand ups as well as communicating risks in the right forum with project stakeholders gives scrum teams the ability and support needed to successfully deliver a project.
Risk prioritization throughout the life of an Agile scrum project is important in ensuring success. Scrum team members will feel empowered to identify and proactively address potential risks in a collaborative environment. Stakeholders will feel emboldened to be more supportive of scrum team members if they understand that management of risks is the key to the success in delivery of their vision.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: