In an Agile context, RAID stands for Risks, Assumptions, Issues & Dependencies.
It's important to track these in a visual Log during your planning stages. They help address potential problems early; Understand when/what to escalate; Ensure everyone understands mutual Dependencies; and Assumptions made.
A great time to do this is when you set your Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), covered in a prior post.
Risks: Events that will have an adverse impact if they occur. Rank them on Probability and Impact. The log includes descriptions of each risk, a mitigation plan.
Assumptions: Anything deemed to be in place that will contribute to the successful result of your initiative. The log includes details of the assumption, and validation.
Issues: Failure to manage issues may negatively impact your work. The log includes descriptions of each issue, and actions needed to contain and remove it. Rank them on Importance and Urgency.
Dependencies, or Decisions: Captures whom you are dependent on, what/when they should deliver, and who is dependent on you.
Ensure you track each RAID item visually, and refer to them as you work through your Backlog.
A visual RAID template
One way to visually track your RAIDs as part of your quarterly planning is to use the above template, uploaded in MS Whiteboard. It is a great tool to use at Big Room Planning, at the start of a Quarterly Planning (QBR) round, as it brings everything together. It can then be used during subsequent Showcases to report on progress.
Adrita Samanta made a great suggestion to my original post: The RAID when organised in a Kanban flow can help the team own it as a part of their Work In Progress, instead of viewing it as an end goal.
This post first appeared here, and used information from www.techagilist.com