Risk Canvas

5 minutes 5 Questions

A Risk Canvas is a visual tool that is used to identify, categorize, and prioritize risks in a Scrum project. The Canvas is divided into various sections, each representing a different aspect of the project or the risk management process. The team can then fill in these sections, using color coding…

Guide on Risk Canvas in Scrum Risk Management

Risk Canvas is an essential tool in the Scrum Risk Management process.

Importance: It is important as it helps in identifying, visualizing, and handling potential risks in a scrum project. This proactive management of risks prevents any unforeseen problems that could derail the progress of the project, thus ensuring its success.

What it is: Risk Canvas is essentially a visualization tool where potential risks are identified and plotted against the likelihood of their occurrence and their potential impact. The canvas is usually divided into different zones: low, medium, and high risks.

How it works: Risks identified are plotted into the Risk Canvas after being assessed for both their likelihood and impact. This visual representation aids in deciding which risks should be prioritized for action, with those in the high impact-high likelihood area getting attended to first.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Risk Canvas

Read the question carefully and identify what exactly is being asked, whether it's about the importance, functionality or the process of using Risk Canvas.
Be clear on definitions and functionalities of Risk Canvas. Don't confuse it with other scrum tools.
Use practical examples where possible to illustrate your understanding of Risk Canvas.

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CSM - Risk Canvas Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Risk Canvas

Question 1

Your Scrum team is about to work on a new project and you're in charge of creating a Risk Canvas. In this scenario, what is the first step you should take?

Start by assigning risk responsibilities to your team members. Identify and describe all the potential risks that might affect the project. Start developing mitigation strategies for all potential risks. Prioritize the risks before identifying all of them.

Correct Answer: Identify and describe all the potential risks that might affect the project.

The first step in creating a Risk Canvas for a new project should always be to 'Identify and describe all the potential risks that might affect the project.' This is done to understand the scope of potential issues that might arise, so appropriate plans can be put into action. As for the other answers: 'Start by assigning risk responsibilities to your team members.' is not correct because before assigning responsibilities, we first need to identify what those risks are. 'Prioritize the risks before identifying all of them.' is also incorrect because it's not logical to prioritize something before fully understanding what that thing is. Finally, 'Start developing mitigation strategies for all potential risks.' is not the appropriate first step because mitigation strategies should be developed after identifying and understanding all possible risks, not at the beginning of the process.

Question 2

The Scrum team reviews the Risk Canvas and everyone perceives the risks differently. As a ScrumMaster, how should you manage the situation?

Allow the team to move forward with their individual understandings. Guide a discussion to reach a consensus on the perception and handling of each risk. Ignore the differences in perception. Decide on the perception of risk on your own.

Correct Answer: Guide a discussion to reach a consensus on the perception and handling of each risk.

The ScrumMaster should guide a discussion to reach a consensus on the perception and handling of each risk. The ScrumMaster's role is not to control the team or make decisions on their behalf, but to facilitate, coach and guide them, helping them navigate challenges and ensuring that everyone on the team is heard and consensus is reached. Ignoring the differences in perception or deciding on the risk perception on your own bypasses team consensus, which doesn't conform to Scrum values. Allowing the team to move forward with their individual understandings could result in lack of alignment and common understanding, which could cause further issues down the road.

Question 3

The development team has identified a new high-impact risk during the sprint. As a ScrumMaster, what is the most appropriate action to take?

Ignore the risk for now and focus on completing the current sprint backlog items Immediately halt the sprint, update the Risk Canvas, and re-plan the remaining work considering the new risk Add the risk to the Risk Canvas and wait until the next sprint planning to address it Discuss the risk with the Product Owner and the development team

Correct Answer: Discuss the risk with the Product Owner and the development team

The most appropriate action for the ScrumMaster to take when a new high-impact risk is identified during the sprint is to discuss the risk with the Product Owner and the development team. This allows for a collaborative assessment of the risk's potential impact on the sprint goal and the project as a whole. Together, they can decide on the best course of action, which may include adjusting the sprint backlog, implementing risk mitigation strategies, or escalating the issue if necessary. Immediately halting the sprint and re-planning should only be done if the risk is severe enough to jeopardize the entire sprint. Adding the risk to the Risk Canvas and waiting until the next sprint planning may delay addressing a critical issue. Ignoring the risk and focusing solely on completing the sprint backlog items could lead to more significant problems down the line.

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