---
ref_id: PR25
ref_type: Process
ref_name: "Plan Risk Responses"
version: "1.0.0"
status: Active
pmbok8_source: "PMBOK8 Guide §2.7.2.4"
companion_ref_shortcode: PG-APG-5.22
related_skills:
  - SKL-03-12
related_artifacts:
  - A19
file_path: "reference/processes/PR25-plan-risk-responses.md"
---
# PR25 — Plan Risk Responses

## Classification
- **Performance Domain:** Risk
- **Process Group:** Planning (performed throughout)
- **PMBOK 8 Reference:** Section 2.7.2.4
- **Process Groups Practice Guide Reference:** Section 5.22

---

## Purpose
Plan Risk Responses is the process of developing options, selecting strategies, and agreeing on actions to address overall project risk exposure as well as to treat individual project risks. The key benefit is that it identifies appropriate ways to address overall and individual project risks, allocates resources, and inserts activities into project documents and the plan as needed.

---

## Inputs
- Project management plan (resource management plan, risk management plan, cost baseline)
- Project documents: lessons learned register, project schedule, project team assignments, resource calendars, risk register, risk report, stakeholder register
- Enterprise environmental factors
- Organizational process assets

---

## Tools & Techniques
- Expert judgment
- Data gathering (interviews)
- Interpersonal and team skills (facilitation)
- Strategies for threats (avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept, escalate)
- Strategies for opportunities (exploit, share, enhance, accept, escalate)
- Contingent response strategies
- Strategies for overall project risk
- Data analysis (alternatives analysis, cost-benefit analysis)
- Decision making (multicriteria decision analysis)

---

## Outputs
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates (schedule, cost, quality, resource, procurement management plans; scope, schedule, cost baselines)
- Project documents updates (assumption log, cost forecasts, lessons learned register, project schedule, project team assignments, risk register, risk report)

---

## Key Concepts
- Risk responses must be proportionate to the significance of the risk, cost-effective, realistic, agreed upon, and owned by a responsible person.
- Secondary risks arise from implementing a risk response and must be identified.
- Contingency reserves (known-unknowns) and management reserves (unknown-unknowns) are established here.
- Fallback plans are developed when the primary response is insufficient or an accepted risk occurs.

---

## Source Traceability
- PMBOK 8: Section 2.7.2.4
- Process Groups Practice Guide: Section 5.22

---

## Cross-References

| Related Item | Type | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| A19 | Artifact | Primary artifact produced or updated by this process |
| SKL-03-12 | Skill | Skill that executes this process |

## Practitioner Notes

Practitioners executing this process should seek answers to the following questions:
1. Are risk responses matched to the risk type (threat vs opportunity)?
2. Are residual and secondary risks identified for each response?
3. Are response owners and trigger conditions documented?
4. Is the cost and schedule impact of each response reflected in baselines?
5. Are contingency plans documented for high-priority risks?

## Change Log

| Version | Date | Description | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.1 | 2026-06-03 | Added Cross-References, Practitioner Notes, and Change Log sections (F-12 Batch 4) | PMO Director |
