UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

COURSE NAME: SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING (SRD)

INTRODUCTION TO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (SE 1)
TITLE (UNIT 3): Risk Analysis
READING: Pressman Chapters 3-7
Breugge and Dutoit Chapter 7
Shari Lawrence Pfleeger Chapter 3

Risk Identification
This is a systematic attempt to specify threats to the project plan (estimates, schedules,
resources, loading, etc.) by identifying known and predictable risks. The project
manager takes a first step towards avoiding them when possible and controlling them
when necessary. The following is a checklist of risk items:
- Product size
- Business impact
- Customer characteristics
- Process description
- Development environment
- Technology to be built
- Staff size and experience

Risk Projection
Also called risk estimation, attempts to rate each risk in two ways
- The likelihood or probability that the risk is real and
- The consequences of the problems associated with the risk, should it occur.

Risk Mitigation, Monitoring and Management

An effective strategy for dealing with risk must consider three issues:
1. Risk avoidance
2. Risk monitoring
3. Risk management and contingency planning

(Risk Mitigation, Monitoring and Management) RMMM

The RMMM Plan

The RMMM plan documents all work performed as part of risk analysis and is used by
the Project Manager as part of the overall project plan. The following is an outline of a
RMMM plan.

1. Introduction
i. Scope and purpose of Document
ii. Overview of Major Risks
iii. Responsibilities

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Prepared by A. B. Campbell Page 1 of 2
 a. Management
b. Technical

2. Project Risk Table

i. Description of all risks above cut-off
ii. Factors influencing probability and impact

3. Risk Mitigation, Monitoring and Management

n. Risk # n
a. Mitigation
i) General Strategy
ii) Specific steps to mitigate the risk

b. Monitoring
i) Factors to be monitored
ii) Monitoring approach

c. Management
i) Contingency Plan
ii) Special considerations

4. RMMM Plan Iteration Schedule

5. Summary
Once the RMMM Plan has been developed and the project has begun, risk
mitigation and monitoring steps commence. Risk Monitoring is a project tracking
activity with three primary objectives:
(a) To access whether a predicted risk does, in fact, occur;
(b) To ensure that risk aversion steps defined for the risk are being
properly applied; and
(c) To collect information that can be used for future risk analysis

Another job of risk monitoring is to attempt to determine its "origin". That is, "what
risk or risks caused which problem"?

Examples can be found at:

1. http://www.perceptek.com.au/kteam/docs/rmmm.html
2. http://www.mhhe.com/engcs/compsci/pressman/graphics/Pressman5sepa
/common/cs2/rmmm.pdf

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Prepared by A. B. Campbell Page 2 of 2