RAID Log

A one-page RAID log — the running list every project manager keeps of the four things that can quietly derail a project. RAID stands for the four colour-coded quadrants you fill in: Risks (what could go wrong and hasn't yet), Assumptions (what you're taking as true for now, and would have to rethink if it turned out false), Issues (problems happening right now that need action), and Dependencies (what you rely on from other people or teams to succeed). The point is to say each one out loud so it gets an owner instead of being forgotten — a risk that's named can be watched, and an assumption that's written down can be checked. The Issues quadrant is numbered so you can work it down like a to-do list. Bring it to every status check-in: close the issues you've resolved, retire assumptions once you've confirmed them, and keep an eye on which risks are turning real. Print it blank to run the exercise with your team on a wall.

• Landscape
• 1 page
• Planning

Best for: Tracking the risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies on a project in one view, and reviewing them at every check-in.