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 Planning Tools Overlooked in Projects
–Sean Brady, PMP
This article looks at a few tools that can be used in conjunction with each other to enrich the initiating and planning phases. While this article does not attempt to give a detailed description of these tools, we will demonstrate their importance as well as how they can work together, to enrich the initiating and planning phases.

Risk Identification and Assessment 
– by Sam Anderson, PMP, CSSBB
One of the most difficult activities in project management is determining what the risks are and how they should be prioritized. The first step in developing a sound Risk Management Plan is to identify risks and determine their potential impact on a project. The purpose of this paper is to investigate why this activity is so difficult, and to suggest a systematic approach to risk identification and assessment.

Visual Ishikawa Risk Technique (VIRT)—An Approach to Risk Management 
– by Rubin Jen, PMP, P. Eng.
Visual Ishikawa Risk Technique (VIRT) is a technique that is consistent with the Identify Risks process group of the PMBOK® Guide and uses a risk breakdown structure as its main principle artefact. However, it differs in that it uses the Ishikawa diagram (commonly also known as a fishbone, or cause and effect diagram), for the risk structure, to create a graphic view, as opposed to being text based or tabular.