Hi Dr Abdussalam

Your statement is a strong assertion. How did you come to this conclusion?

Why do project managers start project planning without having a complete risk management plan?

Not sure all project managers experience the same.  From my personal experience, during project planning stage or transition from solution team to project implementation team, the project manager will ask for risk log & its mitigation plan so that s/he is preempted.  Moreover, s/he will continue to use & update the risk plan during the project implementation stage.  Think during the planning stage, the project manager should review & agreed the risk log & mitigation plan before accepting the project.

Dear Abdussalam

I agree with both Mr Yasseri and Mr  Fung. Probably in the past projects managers did not pay too much attention to risk management, but I believe that it is changing now.

In my opinion one of the best procedures is mentioned by Mr Fung when he says 'will ask for risk log & its mitigation plan so that s/he is preempted',.  I believe that this procedure also called 'Prevention actions' must be complemented with another procedure called ' Mitigations actions', That is before a potential risk occurrence and after it.

It could also be than some project managers are not aware of the existent techniques for risk management, but I don't think that they ignore it at purpose

If you need literature about risk management let me know it.

Hi Dr Abdussalam, 

I think in reality very often Project Manager's jump straight into a Risk Register to be compliant with the documentation needs but little thought would be paid to look into lessons from the past or previous projects while analyzing potential risks. 

I think for a robust risk management plan you should involve all people in the client and implementation team to identify risks throughout the life cycle of project. Apart from that it is always beneficial to ensure that each risk has an owner, so that there will be accountability and an action plan when your risk becomes a reality. 

thanks all

I am interested in researching the barriers to risk management in the construction industry. I believe that many PMs have been managing risk so long intuitively they see any formal documentations as unnecessary or overburdening. In the construction industry, the overwhelming evidence that risk management plans improve project administration is not strong enough to change attitudes towards allocating resources to risk management.

I agree with Anthony Perrenoud, however, I believe that PMs and stakeholders do not appreciate the real magnitude of the risk issue and because of that there is no change in attitude. . Delays in finishing a project and over costs apparently are assumed to be due to intangibles, to something that is not known and can not be avoided, that are unpredictable and unforeseeable, and if they occur to be addressed at that moment.

 Risk in then seen something in a black box which is impossible to open and  decipher. I believe that this is not true or is a false idea. PMs need to have a very clear idea of potential risks and develop plans and alternatives if the effectively happen. That is developing preventive and remediation plans

In my opinion it is necessary to address the problem before the start of the project and during its execution by constantly examining which are or could be the risk factors in order to be able to prevent it..

Risk can be avoided or ameliorated, not perhaps in full, but enough to get a project developing as planned.

Anthony and Nolberto- 

I think this is an issue of the parent organization's business managers not the project manager.

Only a strong project sponsor can ensure that the Customer partners with the sub-contractor to manage in-ordinate delays. 

While I preach that project managers should manage, when possible, client's project viability - then they (and their organization) will become the darlings for the client. I feel this is a little un-realistic.

@Sruthi 

- what in your view is a robust risk management plan?

In my opinion, PM are responsible for execution of the project and they take risks as they come by. Organizational head or the person sponsoring the project generally takes up finance and  risk management. I do know some of the project manager who are not even aware of risk register. Accountability of PM as per PMBOK is surely missing ......

Dear Chakrandhar

I am afraid that I don't understand what you mean in your last two paragraphs

Who are the project sponsor, customer partners and clients?

Why do you say that the PM must manage project viability? Is it not a function of the Board of Directors? You cannot initiate a project if it is not viable