This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Risk Responsibility and Accountability
The distinction between these two terms was discussed earlier in this chapter. But they merit an extended discussion because it’s easy to misinterpret a question about responsibility as being about accountability, and vice versa. As project managers, we need to know that our stakeholders are also aware of the distinction, because, in many cases, they are the parties whom we try to hold accountable for carrying out the risk processes.
Risk Responsibility in the Risk Management Plan
The term “risk responsibility” should be pervasive in the RMP. In using it, the project manager is defining the level of effort required to carry out a particular process. The person who will take on that effort should have some clarity on what their work is going to entail. Writing up a responsibility assignment for building the risk lexicon may involve more responsibility than some might consider. Take a look at the responsibilities associated with this process in Table 5-5.
Table 5-5 Risk Management Plan Responsibility Description
Process |
Task Responsibilities |
Lexicon Development |
Attend project meetings and capture risk commentary. Document terms used and definitions thereof. Validate new terms with project office or project manager. Share information with project stakeholders. Share information with project office for enterprise lexicon. |
Lexicon Maintenance |
Review entire lexicon on a timely basis (e.g., quarterly, semiannually). Update terms only as appropriate. Document updates and definitions thereof. Share information with project stakeholders. Share information with project office for enterprise lexicon. |
Again, as with most aspects of the risk management plan, it’s easy to see how this information could be applied in multiple projects and that it provides clarity and minimizes misunderstanding about the nature of being responsible for a given subset of risk management.
Risk Accountability in the Risk Management Plan
The term risk accountability will be far less pervasive than “responsibility” in the RMP.
Accountability is defined as being held liable for the implementation and/or outcomes of a risk approach. Someone who is accountable can be held to blame if anything goes wrong, and, on the other hand, is the individual who should ultimately receive the credit when the risk process functions as designed.
In many instances, the person who is accountable is also the person responsible for a given risk or risk approach.
If the project was to create a documentary, the documentarian who developed the concept, the approach, and the idea is likely the accountable individual. The editors, sound/audio staff, and production personnel are responsible for realization of the idea. For a simple YouTube documentary, all the roles can potentially fall to a single person.