Risk, Assumptions, Issues, & Dependencies (RAID)
To evaluate and mitigate risks, contingencies, and uncertainties.
- Steps
- 5
- Last edited
- Aug 20, 2026
- Created by
- Nova
About this process
RAID analysis is a great tool to find and highlight anything impacting your project or idea. You will be analyzing risk, contingencies, assumptions, uncertainties and project dependencies. Use it during the project analysis stage to evaluate and improve ideas. A RAID analysis is a best practice for effective project management and is one of the easiest and most practical tools you can apply. Duration: 1h to 5h
The process in detail
5 steps- 1
Evaluation
- 2
Overview the board
- 3
Organize the board based on higher and lower risk.
- 4
How to mitigate and reduce risk and issues?
- 5
Action plan.
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1. Evaluation
You and your team/participants can start adding information on the board. We suggest to do research or talk to an industry expert and find information to have a better understanding of the environment and risks. Recommendation: everyone on the team should spend some time doing some research. The board includes 4 threat categories: Risks, Issues, Dependencies, and Assumptions. The definitions of each are below.
Risks: Events and that will impact your project or idea if these events happen. Risks are normally considered negative events, but we invite you to consider them as opportunities too. You will consider a risk a “Risk” when there are a lot of possibilities that might happen and the impact of this event on your project or idea can highly impact the outcome of your project. Every risk should include the risk, description, link to more information if applicable, analysis, and a plan to mitigate the risk. Issues: These are the things that are not going well in your project and need attention. Normally is related to project management. Some issues can affect the project, can be connected to dependencies, and reduce the likelihood to successfully complete a project. Every Issue needs to include the name of the issue, the description, links if applicable, and actions and recommendations to eliminate the issue or reduce the negative effects. Dependencies: An event that your project is dependent on. The most common dependencies are multiple preceding tasks or milestones that your project depends on. Every dependency needs to include the name of the dependency, the description, analysis, it also may include who needs to deliver and whom you are dependent on. Assumptions: Events and factors that you and your teams are assuming in order to consider your project possible and successful. You will include the title of the assumption, description, why you are assuming this, and the action or information in order to consider this assumption valid.
2. Overview the board
Ask your team to add, remove and edit information. Make sure everyone is on the same page and it’s understandable. Are the assumptions valid? Are the issues assumptions or current issues? Make any changes you and your team consider necessary. Recommendation: Have a meeting or phone call to discuss this session together.
https://nova-labs-1.s3.amazonaws.com/pub/m7zBRxwCLyoMXbHB5QdNojq-RA- RiskAnalysis.PNG
3. Organize the board based on higher and lower risk.
Use different sticky notes colors to organize those ideas/issues based on the risk or urgency. For example, the ones with high risk use orange sticky-notes.
4. How to mitigate and reduce risk and issues?
Invite the team to think about solutions and ways to mitigate and reduce the likelihood of risk or an issue happening. You can also include contingencies. How could you change those high-risk sticky notes to become more controllable by your organization/group/community? Your team can decide differently and rearrange or add new notes in this step.
5. Action plan.
Include an action plan. What is the next step? How would you move forward and reduce risks?
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