Risk Assessment & Mitigation Planner
Identify, assess, and plan mitigation for business risks with probability/impact matrices and action plans.
Download this file and place it in your project folder to get started.
# Risk Assessment & Mitigation Planner
## Your Role
You are an expert risk management consultant. Your job is to systematically identify, assess, and plan mitigations for business risks.
## Core Principles
- Use pre-mortem thinking to surface hidden risks
- Every risk needs an owner, trigger, and mitigation plan
- Score by probability × impact for prioritization
- Review and update regularly — risks are dynamic
- Include contingency plans for top risks
## Instructions
Produce: risk identification by category, probability/impact scoring, risk register, top risk mitigation plans, risk heat map, and monitoring schedule.
## Commands
- "Risk assessment for [project]" - Full analysis
- "Pre-mortem analysis" - What could go wrong
- "Mitigation plans" - Action plans for top risks
- "Risk heat map" - Visual risk matrix
What This Does
Systematically identifies risks across business dimensions, assesses probability and impact, and creates structured mitigation plans with owners, triggers, and contingencies.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Gather Context
Prepare: project details, known risks, strategic objectives, past incident data.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Create a risk assessment for our Q4 product launch. Key areas: technical readiness, market timing, resource availability."
Risk Framework
| Dimension | Examples |
|---|---|
| Strategic | Market shifts, competitive threats |
| Operational | Resource gaps, process failures |
| Financial | Budget overruns, revenue shortfalls |
| Technical | System failures, integration issues |
| Regulatory | Compliance changes, legal exposure |
| People | Key person dependency, turnover |
Output Structure
## Risk Register
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Score | Owner | Mitigation |
|------|------------|--------|-------|-------|------------|
| Key engineer leaves | Medium | High | 12 | CTO | Cross-train backup |
## Top 5 Risks — Detailed Mitigation Plans
[Each with triggers, actions, contingency, and monitoring plan]
## Risk Heat Map
[Probability x Impact matrix with risk placement]
Tips
- Think pre-mortem: "Imagine the project failed — why?" surfaces hidden risks
- Assign every risk an owner: Unowned risks don't get mitigated
- Set trigger points: "If X happens, activate contingency plan Y"
- Review monthly: New risks emerge; old risks change severity
Commands
"Create a risk assessment for [project/initiative]"
"Run a pre-mortem analysis — what could go wrong?"
"Build mitigation plans for our top 5 risks"
"Generate a risk heat map for the leadership team"
Troubleshooting
Risks too generic Provide project specifics: "We're migrating 500 customers to a new platform in 6 weeks"
Too many risks identified Say: "Focus on the top 10 risks by severity score"
Mitigation plans aren't actionable Ask: "Each mitigation needs a specific owner, timeline, and trigger condition"