PM Basics · Risk Management
Risk Register – Excel & Confluence
Record risks, reassess them deliberately and review them regularly with an Excel risk register and a copyable Confluence template.
Excel
Risk Register for Excel
Three worksheets with original and current assessments, automatic risk scores, dropdowns and a dynamic risk matrix.
Download Excel ↓Risks with the same current assessment share a bubble. The number shows how many there are; individual risk IDs remain visible in a separate mapping.
Confluence
Copyable Risk Register template
Copy the template below and adapt it to your project. Choose Excel or Confluence as the master register. There is no automatic synchronisation; update the Confluence matrix manually.
Go to the Risk Register template →Use the template
The copyable version needs no access to the internal Confluence space. Check the tables after pasting and replace the fictional examples. The coloured matrix is a visual guide; apply its formatting in Confluence if needed.
1 / Quick guide
Copy this page for your project. All risks, roles and dates below are fictional examples from an IT rollout. Replace or remove the examples before use.
Choose one register as your single source of truth: use either this Confluence register or the Excel workbook as the master register. Maintain status, assessments, owners and reviews there. Avoid maintaining the same information in parallel.
2 / Project information
| Project | Fictional IT rollout – replace before use |
|---|---|
| Register owner / maintained by | Agree within the project |
| Review and escalation | Weekly risk review; identify an escalation authority with the power to make decisions. |
| Master register | This Confluence page, if selected; do not maintain Excel in parallel. |
3 / Master risk register
L = likelihood; I = impact. Record the original assessment when identifying the risk. Update the current assessment deliberately after professional review; briefly explain changes in the detail section. Scores and priorities in this native Confluence table are maintained manually.
| ID | Risk / Category | Original L/I/Score | Current L/I/Score | Priority | Risk owner | Responses | Status | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-001 | Rollout approval might be delayed / Organisation | 2 / 3 / 6 | 2 / 3 / 6 | High | Project manager | Agree an approval schedule | Open | |
| R-002 | Local contacts might be unavailable / Resources | 2 / 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 / 4 | Medium | Site coordinator | Confirm resource availability | Under assessment | |
| R-003 | Devices might not be ready for use / Technology | 1 / 3 / 3 | 1 / 3 / 3 | Medium | Technical workstream lead | Carry out readiness checks | Monitoring | |
| R-004 | Pilot devices might not be delivered / Suppliers | 2 / 3 / 6 | 2 / 3 / 6 | High | Procurement coordinator | Obtain a firm delivery update | Response in progress | |
| R-005 | Training materials might arrive late / Communication | 1 / 2 / 2 | 1 / 2 / 2 | Low | Training coordinator | Review materials in advance | Open |
4 / Assessment guide
| Level | Likelihood | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Low | Unlikely | Minor disruption |
| 2 – Medium | Possible | Noticeable effects |
| 3 – High | Likely | Significant effects on project objectives |
Score = L × I: green 1–2 = low, yellow 3–4 = medium, red 6–9 = high. Scores of 5, 7 and 8 cannot occur on this scale. This qualitative assessment is not a statistical forecast. Rare events with potentially catastrophic consequences may require special action and escalation regardless of their score.
5 / Risk matrix – update manually
No automatic synchronisation: this native Confluence table does not pick up changes from the register. After reassessing a risk, manually move its ID to the appropriate cell. The matrix is only a view of the master register; do not maintain additional copies of status, ownership or responses here.
| I ↓ / L → | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Score 3 R-003 | Score 6 R-001, R-004 | Score 9 – |
| 2 | Score 2 R-005 | Score 4 R-002 | Score 6 – |
| 1 | Score 1 – | Score 2 – | Score 3 – |
6 / Optional detail section
For complex risks, add the risk ID, cause/event/consequence, assumptions, justification for reassessment, evidence of response effectiveness and links to actions or decisions. Do not duplicate status, owner or assessment fields; these belong exclusively in the master register.
Fictional example R-001: “Agree an approval schedule” is a planned action. Until its effectiveness has been checked, the current assessment remains 2 × 3 = 6. Record a lower residual risk only after a justified reassessment.
7 / Regular review
- Describe new risks specifically as “If …, then …”; assign a unique ID.
- Maintain owners, responses and the next review date in the master register.
- Review likelihood, impact and response effectiveness regularly. Entering an action alone does not reduce an assessment.
- Escalate critical risks in time, stating the decision required.
- Manage risks that have occurred as issues and link them; set status to “Occurred”. Use “Closed” only with a clear reason.
- Active statuses: Open, Under assessment, Response in progress, Monitoring. Exclude Closed and Occurred from the active matrix.
- Reconcile matrix IDs manually after changes. Do not include confidential information in examples intended for public use.