Essential Steps for Effective Risk Management in Consulting Projects July 14, 2011

Risk is the consultant's companion. It's a threat to the unprepared consultant, but a great opportunity for the consultant who is prepared.

As a consultant, not only are you expected to perform certain tasks proficiently, but you must bring your superior judgment to the assignment and use that judgment to manage the assignment's risks, based on your knowledge and experience.

Your encounter with risk starts with your proposal as you consider the risks the assignment might create for you. It continues during execution of the assignment as you identify and manage your client's risks, including many of which your client may be unaware. While large organizations with complex projects can afford the investment of full-time professionals to manage risks, you are expected to manage risks equally well, when addressing critical issues for both large and smaller client companies.

PATCA's July dinner meeting speaker is Perry West, principal of Automated Vision Systems, Inc., a 30-year technology consulting company. West will describe and lead an interactive discussion about approaches consultants can use to manage risks without compromising productivity, including:

--A streamlined, efficient and effective way to identify, evaluate, and manage risks;
--How to use a critical subset of risk management techniques, as modified from the standard reference for project management, "Project Management Book of Knowledge" (PMBOK), which captures the essential steps for effective risk management used by large organizations; and
--Crucial steps for turning your prospect's risks into one of your strongest selling propositions, by using effective risk management tools.

Official Website: http://www.PATCA.org