What is it?
A RAID (Risk, Action, Issue, Decision) log is a central project management document that helps keep a project on track.
It includes the following components:
- Risk log – records and assesses any potential events (risks) that might affect the project’s success and identifies risk owners, controls, and mitigations
- Action log – records actions that need to be progressed, by when, and who is responsible
- Issue log – records and assesses any current problems that might affect the project’s success and identifies issue owners, and corrective actions
- Decision log – records critical choices made during the project, documenting what was decided, who made the decision, and why
When should it be used?
You may find it helpful to create a RAID log as soon as a change project has been identified.
You should regularly review the RAID log to ensure risks and issues are being addressed and agreed actions are progressing. You may wish to use the RAID log to inform any progress reporting to project governance groups.
As you progress through the change cycle you might find it useful to review the RAID log at key milestones and decision points such as the review for implementation step to help inform next steps.
A RAID log is a “live” document, you should review and update it throughout the project.
What are the benefits of using it and why use this tool?
A RAID log helps to provide process rigour throughout the project by:
- centralising information – providing a single source of truth and making information easily accessible
- enabling proactive management – enabling early identification and mitigation of potential risks and resolving of issues before they escalate
- ensuring accountability – identifying ownership of actions, risks, and issues, ensuring someone is responsible
- improving communication – ensuring transparency for all stakeholders about project status and possible barriers
- enabling decision-making – offering insights to support for informed, timely decisions