Identify Risk Process | Inputs

In the Australian architecture and construction landscape, managing project uncertainty is a critical leadership skill. As outlined in the PMBOK® standards by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), the Identify Risk process is a collaborative, continuous, and iterative journey. But where do you start? You start with the inputs.

In project management, inputs are the foundational building blocks: the plans, documents, agreements, or resources that feed into a process to produce actionable outputs. To build a robust risk register, you must gather and review data across six essential input categories:

1. The Project Management Plan: This comprehensive framework houses crucial subsidiary plans (such as schedule, cost, quality, and resource plans) alongside key baselines (scope, schedule, and cost) that define project boundaries and targets.
2. Project Documents: Vital day-to-day records such as the assumption log, issue log, cost and duration estimates, and the stakeholder register that contain immediate indicators of potential uncertainty.
3. Agreements: Contracts and formal agreements with external stakeholders, builders, structural engineers, or certifiers that establish binding milestones, roles, and liabilities.
4. Procurement Documentation: Critical documents used when procuring external goods and services, including tendering files and contractor performance metrics.
5. Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs): External forces outside your firm’s direct control, such as local council regulations, zoning constraints, and commercial pricing databases.
6. Organisational Process Assets (OPAs): Your firm's internal intellectual property, including lessons learned from past projects, risk statement templates, and historical data.

What Lies Ahead?

Because each of these inputs is packed with vital information for safeguarding your design, budget, and schedule, we will be discussing each of these six categories in comprehensive detail in our upcoming posts. Stay tuned as we unpack how each document translates into practical risk identification strategies for your firm.

Explore Professional CPD Training for Architects

Ready to elevate your practice and protect your project margins? Click the image below to explore our 12-hour online risk management training for architects, aligned with 12 CPD. By visiting the landing page, you can download the complete syllabus and see how the course is fully mapped to the NSCA 2021 standards.