Expert Interviews involve engaging with individuals who have specialized knowledge, experience, or expertise relevant to the project to identify potential risks. This technique leverages the insights of subject matter experts, stakeholders, or experienced team members who can provide valuable persp…Expert Interviews involve engaging with individuals who have specialized knowledge, experience, or expertise relevant to the project to identify potential risks. This technique leverages the insights of subject matter experts, stakeholders, or experienced team members who can provide valuable perspectives on possible risk factors that may not be immediately evident.
During Expert Interviews, the interviewer poses targeted questions aimed at eliciting information about threats, uncertainties, and vulnerabilities associated with the project. These interviews can be structured, with a predefined set of questions, or unstructured, allowing for open-ended discussions that can uncover unexpected risks.
The advantages of Expert Interviews include the ability to gain deep, qualitative insights tailored to the specific context of the project. Experts can draw upon their past experiences, industry knowledge, and understanding of the project environment to identify risks that may be overlooked by less experienced team members.
However, the success of this technique depends on selecting the right experts and effectively facilitating the interview process. Potential challenges include biases, differing opinions among experts, and the possibility of incomplete information if experts are not fully forthcoming.
To enhance the effectiveness of Expert Interviews, it's important to prepare thoroughly by identifying key areas of inquiry, selecting a diverse range of experts, and fostering an open, trust-based environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their insights. Recording and documenting the interviews carefully ensures that the information gathered can be analyzed and incorporated into the risk management plan.
In conclusion, Expert Interviews are a powerful tool for risk identification that can provide in-depth, specialized knowledge. When used in conjunction with other techniques, they contribute to a comprehensive understanding of potential risks facing the project.
Expert Interviews in Risk Identification: A Complete Guide
Why Expert Interviews Are Important in Risk Management
Expert interviews serve as a cornerstone technique in risk identification because they tap into specialized knowledge and experience that might not be available within the project team. These interviews allow project managers to access insights from individuals with specific domain expertise, historical knowledge, or technical skills relevant to the project.
The importance of expert interviews in risk management can't be overstated because:
• They provide access to tacit knowledge that isn't documented elsewhere • They offer historical perspectives on similar projects and their risks • They help identify risks that may be overlooked by less experienced team members • They add credibility to the risk register through expert validation • They can reveal complex risk interactions that might not be apparent to others
What Are Expert Interviews?
Expert interviews are structured or semi-structured conversations with subject matter experts (SMEs) designed to elicit information about potential project risks. In the context of PMI-RMP, these interviews are formal risk identification techniques where project managers or risk specialists systematically question experts to uncover, analyze, and document potential risks.
Types of experts typically interviewed include:
• Technical specialists in relevant domains • Experienced project managers who have led similar projects • Stakeholders with specialized knowledge • Industry analysts and consultants • Regulatory compliance specialists • Operational staff with hands-on experience
How Expert Interviews Work
1. Preparation Phase:
• Identify relevant experts based on the project needs and risk categories • Develop structured interview questions that target specific risk areas • Schedule appropriate time with experts, respecting their availability • Send pre-interview materials to help experts prepare • Review existing project documentation to inform questions
2. Conducting the Interview:
• Begin with open-ended questions about general risk areas • Progress to more specific questions about particular concerns • Use prompting techniques to encourage detailed responses • Document all identified risks, including context and background • Ask for risk prioritization based on the expert's judgment • Explore potential risk responses or mitigation strategies
3. Post-Interview Analysis:
• Review and organize the gathered information • Validate findings with other sources when possible • Add identified risks to the risk register with appropriate attribution • Follow up with experts for clarification as needed • Consider conducting additional interviews if knowledge gaps remain
Expert Interview Techniques and Best Practices
• One-on-One Interviews: Provide depth and confidentiality, allowing experts to speak freely
• Group Expert Interviews: Enable interactive discussions but require skilled facilitation to prevent domination by stronger personalities
• Delphi Technique: A specialized form where experts provide anonymous feedback in rounds, reducing bias and groupthink
• Appreciative Inquiry: Focuses on positive experiences and success factors that can help avoid risks
• Critical Incident Technique: Examines past incidents to identify risk patterns
Common Challenges in Expert Interviews
• Expert availability can be limited due to their busy schedules • Some experts may be reluctant to share negative information or admit uncertainties • Different experts may provide conflicting opinions • Technical experts may use jargon that is difficult for the project team to understand • The interviewer's lack of domain knowledge might limit the effectiveness of questioning
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Expert Interviews
1. Understand the Context: PMI-RMP exam questions often present a scenario and ask how expert interviews should be applied. Pay attention to the specific project context to determine the most appropriate approach.
2. Know the Differences: Be clear about how expert interviews differ from other risk identification techniques like brainstorming or SWOT analysis. Expert interviews focus on individual specialized knowledge rather than group consensus.
3. Recognize Limitations: Questions may test your understanding of when expert interviews are not the best choice. For example, when broad team engagement is more important than depth of expertise.
4. Sequential Application: Understand that expert interviews often work best in sequence with other techniques—perhaps following brainstorming sessions to add depth to identified risks.
5. Documentation Focus: The PMI-RMP emphasizes proper documentation. Remember that expert interview outcomes must be properly recorded in the risk register with source attribution.
6. Ethical Considerations: Be aware of potential ethical issues like confidentiality, bias, or conflicts of interest when using expert opinions.
7. Scenario Analysis: Practice applying expert interview techniques to different project scenarios to prepare for application-based questions.
8. Remember the Process: Questions may test your knowledge of the proper sequence: preparation, conducting, and post-interview analysis.
When answering exam questions about expert interviews, always consider the strategic purpose of conducting these interviews within the larger risk management framework. Remember that according to PMI, expert interviews are primarily a risk identification technique, though they can provide input for risk analysis and response planning as well.
Finally, be prepared to differentiate between effective and ineffective interview techniques in scenario-based questions. The PMI-RMP exam often tests your ability to identify the most appropriate approach for a given situation rather than simply recalling definitions.