In risk management, as in many fields, the quality of the foundational data determines the effectiveness of the entire process. Just as a master chef requires the finest ingredients to produce a gourmet dish, so a skilled risk manager requires quality information inputs. And just as a chef will always taste the meal before serving it, the risk manager will assess the resulting outputs before publishing them.
Verifying the Inputs
Reviewing all the information at hand is crucial when starting a risk analysis. This encompasses various inputs, including past project reports, financial forecasts, tech assessments, stakeholder feedback, regulatory evaluations, expert opinions, and external factors. You should ensure that the information you're basing decisions on is:
- Up-to-date: Using the latest data is crucial.
- Trustworthy: You should only rely on credible sources.
- Objective: Data should be free from bias.
- Accurate: Precise information leads to correct conclusions.
- Relevant: Information must pertain to the project or business context.
Validating the Outputs
It's also imperative to authenticate the outcomes from the risk management process, such as risk assessments, response plans, and proposed mitigation strategies. The resulting artifacts should:
- Match Expectations: Outcomes should align with general projections.
- Comply with Intuition: Results should match the instincts of subject matter experts.
- Pass Alternative Checks: You should verify results against different sources whenever feasible.
Risk management is laden with subjective judgments, complicating matters further. Ultimately, these two questions are a helpful filter at every stage of the process: for inputs, "Is it true?" and for outputs, "Does it make sense?"
Risk Register by ProjectBalm
Professional risk management requires an appropriate tool. This is one reason we created Risk Register by ProjectBalm.
Our goal was to automate best practice risk management techniques, and do so via an elegant, usable interface that works with you, and not against you. Risk Register will help you to identify, analyse, treat and monitor risks more easily and effectively than ever before.
If you are experienced at risk management, you will find in Risk Register a tool that works the way you want it to work. If you are new to risk management, our documentation and videos will take you through the whole risk management process, giving lots of useful examples.
Risk Register is fully compatible with risk management standards such as ISO 31000, and can also be used for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) programs such as Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI. And, of course, Risk Register allows you to easily distinguish between opportunities and threats.

Over the last few years, we've grown to become the most popular risk management solution in the Jira marketplace and we are now an Atlassian Platinum Partner. Why not try out Risk Register by ProjectBalm for yourself?