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Risk Management Plan

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
7 · US Letter
Style
Corporate
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 30, 2026

Every page (7)

Overview

Regulated projects need a plan that shows how risks are identified, scored, owned and escalated, not only a spreadsheet. This template covers the method in four steps, a 5 by 5 scoring matrix with green, amber and red bands, roles and a responsibility matrix, a worked top risk, the review cycle, and an escalation path with response times.

The sample is a £2.4M customer-records migration at Saltmarsh Group, with 12 risks, two of them red, and an escalation trigger at a score of 15 or exposure above £120,000. Adjust the scales to your own budget and schedule tolerance, replace the register with your workshop risks, and name an owner and response for every risk above amber.

Useful for

  • A project manager in a regulated organisation setting the risk method before a programme starts
  • A PMO checking that a project's scoring and escalation rules match the organisational method
  • A sponsor reviewing the top risks and the thresholds that bring a risk to their desk

What's included

  • Four-step approach and a three-level escalation route on one page
  • Scoring matrix with bands, response and review frequency, plus a likelihood and impact map
  • Roles page with named owners and a responsibility matrix for six risk tasks
  • Worked top risk written as cause, event and effect, with ratings, owner and residual score
  • Review cycle with a fortnightly timeline, lessons and actions
  • Escalation path with response times, contacts and an out-of-hours rule

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Adjust the scoring scales so that the impact thresholds match your budget and schedule tolerance, and set the escalation threshold.

  3. 3

    Replace the sample register with risks from your own workshop, each written as cause, event and effect, with an owner and a response for every risk above amber.

  4. 4

    Add your project-specific roles to the responsibilities table and set the review cycle to match your governance.

  5. 5

    Delete the Make it yours page, then share the plan with your sponsor or present it.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

How should a risk be written?

As cause, event and effect: because of X, Y may happen, leading to Z. Avoid topics such as resource issues. A well-written risk points straight to a response and an owner.

What score should trigger escalation?

The sample escalates at a score of 15 or above, or exposure above 5% of budget. Set your own thresholds with your sponsor so that only the risks that could change the decision reach them.

Are Saltmarsh Group and its figures real?

No. The organisation, the people, the project and every figure are fictional sample content, written to show what a good risk plan looks like. Replace all of it with your own.

  • #risk-management-plan
  • #risk-register
  • #risk-assessment
  • #project-management
  • #scoring-matrix
  • #escalation
  • #google-docs
  • #uk

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