WBS and Risk Management

The WBS is valuable for identifying and monitoring risks. During the cost estimating phase, the WBS is used to flag elements likely to encounter risks, allowing for better contingency planning. During program execution, the WBS may also be used to monitor risks using the EVM system.

The WBS can help identify activities in the schedule that are at risk because resources are lacking or because too many activities are planned in parallel. In addition, risk items can be mapped to activities in the schedule and the results can be examined through a schedule risk analysis.17

  1. More information on best practices for schedule risk analysis can be found in GAO, Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules, GAO-16-89G (Washington, D.C.: December 2015).↩︎