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Risk

risk register template

Dedicated risk register with likelihood × impact scoring, owner accountability and mitigation tracking.

A risk register is a focused subset of a RAID log, it tracks only risks (and crystallised issues), scored consistently, owned individually, and reviewed on a rhythm. If your organization requires a separate risk register for audit or regulatory reasons, this template gives you a defensible structure.

Risks are scored on likelihood (1–5) and impact (1–5). The product gives a heat-map position. Anything scoring 15+ (high × high or higher) is automatically a steering committee escalation. Every risk carries a named owner, a mitigation plan, a contingency plan, and a review date.

In Pocket PMO, risks scored 15+ are automatically pulled into the weekly status report and the AI Project Team flags any risk without a review in the last 14 days.

What's inside

  • Likelihood × impact scoring matrix (1–5 each)
  • Heat-map colour banding (1–6 green, 8–12 amber, 15+ red)
  • Owner, mitigation, contingency, target close date
  • Review history column
  • Categorisation (delivery, financial, reputational, regulatory, technical)

When to use it

  • Regulated industries requiring a standalone risk register
  • Programme-level risk consolidation across projects
  • Audit and assurance reviews

Template structure

Every section below appears in the downloadable PDF as a ready-to-fill table.

Risk

IDCategoryDescriptionTrigger eventOwner

Scoring

Likelihood (1–5)Impact (1–5)Score (L×I)Heat-map bandTolerance breach (Y/N)

Response

Strategy (avoid/reduce/transfer/accept)Mitigation planContingency planCost of mitigation

Tracking

StatusLast reviewedNext reviewTarget close dateActual close date

Use it live in Pocket PMO

The PDF is fine. The live version is better: auto-fill from your project, full audit trail on every change, AI Project Team drafts the tricky sections, and steering committees see one canonical version, not a stale spreadsheet copy.