RAID Logs are available on Business and above, learn more.
ProjectManager's RAID Logs are a central location to store and track risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies and changes. It's an embedded, collaborative way to improve project outcomes.
Use the RAID Log to:
- Reduce the likelihood of project delays and cost overruns
- Facilitate better decision-making using tags and filters
- Streamline communication with project stakeholders
Data in this view is separate from other project data, so it won't impact any portfolios or timelines.
Watch our video below for more information on RAID Logs.
RAID Log View
Our fully featured, fully collaborative and embedded RAID Log enables you and your team or clients to track risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and changes.
The RAID Log feature is accessible via your project menu. To enable your risks list view, click the "+" icon on your project sub-navigation menu and select the "RAID Log" option.
The RAID Log is the primary view in your project for tracking RAID Log items as well as changes.
How to Create a New RAID Log Item
To create a new item, click the Plus button at the bottom of the list.
Type the name of the item and then choose the type in the type dropdown. You can change the type at any time to track the evolution of each item (for example, if a risk becomes a defined issue, you can update the type to reflect that). The newly created item will be added to the list according to your column sort order.
Raid Log Card View
Each item has a card view for full details for tracking, managing and collaborating. Simply click the item name to see the card view.
From this view, you can:
- Update the type and add a due date, priority, assignee, description, tags, files and more
- Use the matrix to define Impact and Likelihood to auto-generate a Level with RAG color conventions for easy review
- Define and update a response and resolution
- Collaborate with your team members in the comments section
Additional options are available under the menu represented by the 3 vertical dots next to the close icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Here you can share it, move it to another project, delete the item or view history to get an audit log for all the changes to the item.
RAID Log List View
You can track and manage your RAID Log items, including changes, with this powerful and customizable view into the latest updates to status, priority, comments and files and other relevant data items. Many of the features in the card view are also editable inline in the List view.
Columns Settings
To customize your columns, click the Column settings icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Risk list. There are several columns on by default, but many additional columns are available in this list for you to expose according to how you like to view your RAID Log list.
Sorting the RAID Log
The RAID Log has powerful sorting and filtering to access or refine the visible information. Each column in the RAID Log List view is sortable. Click the arrow icon to sort by ascending or descending views or to reset the view. When sorted, creating new items with the Plus icon at the bottom of the list will apply the new item to the predefined sort order. Sorting rules are per person and applied across all your project RAID Logs.
Filtering the RAID Log
Filtering adds another layer of customization when combined with sort. Filtering by type is a powerful way to drill into just risks or just changes, for example, during your risk management or change management meetings with stakeholders or clients. Or use the issue filter to track Issues specifically. You can also filter by assignee, due date (no due date, overdue, today, this week and next week), progress, priority and tags.
You can also filter by name by typing into the Search bar at the top of the dropdown, or clear the filters with the clear filters option at the bottom.
Exporting the RAID Log
Invite your team, stakeholders or clients to the software to help add, manage and monitor the log. If you need to export or share the RAID Log to external users, use the export icon in the upper right-hand corner of the list to export via CSV or Excel.
Benefits & Use Cases of RAID Logs in Project Management
Teams that manage their projects with RAID logs, along with change management, reduce the likelihood of project delays and cost overruns. Understanding the principles behind risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and changes is important to leveraging each type as you manage your projects.
Manage Project Risks
Risks are defined as uncertain events or conditions that, if they occur, can have a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives. Tracking risks is important to identify potential roadblocks to delivery or timelines, as well as scope and cost for your project.
Risk tracking is useful for any project. Whether you're managing client expectations or market forces, software upgrades or the weather, planning for risks is smart project management.
Example of an IT project risk
Track Project Assumptions
Assumptions are beliefs about the project that may be considered true for planning purposes, but may not be certain or guaranteed to happen. Tracking assumptions ensures that the project's planning is based on sound premises, while risk tracking minimizes the negative impact of uncertain events. Assumptions are considered true until proven otherwise. When assumptions are proved wrong, they can lead to risks.
Example of a construction project assumption
Issue Tracking
Issue tracking in project management is about defining a problem or challenge that has already occurred and is impacting the project's progress. In the context of RAID Log tracking, risks may become issues, and it can be useful to track the progress of certain risks or assumptions if they evolve into Issues. However, this is not the only use case for issue tracking!
Teams may choose to track issues outside of the project. An example would be an IT team tracking bugs discovered in the course of a project, but that are independent of the project delivery timeline. Tracking them in the RAID Log lets the team track them without impacting the project plan.
Example of a software development issue 
Dependencies
In the context of a RAID log, dependencies represent tasks, decisions, key deliverables or milestones that are reliant on each other for successful completion. Conversely, in the actual project plan, task dependencies are utilized to enforce updates to the planned dates with interdependent tasks.
In the RAID Log, tracking dependencies helps teams identify key dependencies that might impact the overall project, which may or may not be defined as project tasks. Dependencies could be about resourcing, budgets, decisions, partnerships or contracts, as just a few examples.
Tracking these types of dependencies ensures that the project is properly coordinated and key stakeholders or clients are aware of critical impacts so teams can avoid potential bottlenecks or delays.
Example of a RAID dependency
Tracking Changes
While not officially part of the RAID Log acronym, tracking changes is a critical process for managing impacts to the project, in the context of managing RAID as well as for general project delivery.
Changes are defined as any modification to the original plan, affecting its scope, deliverables, timeline, resources, schedule or budget. The project team, key stakeholders, clients or customers, or a change management team responsible for identifying, tracking and managing changes to an overall project.
Example of how to track changes
Find out more about how our RAID Log feature can work for you.
Email Us with Questions!
Reach out to us at support@projectmanager.com with any questions you have.