Risk
Something that might happen and would hurt the project's objectives, requirements or delivery.
What it is
A risk is an uncertain event with a consequence: it has a probability, an impact and a response. It is written before it happens, so something can be done about it.
Why it matters
Most project failures were visible as risks weeks earlier. Naming them, scoring them and choosing a response — avoid, reduce, transfer or accept — turns worry into planned work.
What goes wrong without it
- Known dangers are discussed in corridors and never acted on.
- When one happens, it is a surprise and a crisis instead of a plan.
- Accepted risks are nobody's decision.
What it gives an AI agent
Agents often notice risks first — a rate limit in the docs, a library near end of life, a migration that locks a table. Letting them raise risks puts that knowledge where people decide, instead of in a chat that scrolls away.
Example: Clinic Booking
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| The calendar might be slow. | The clinics' calendar API may throttle us during the Monday 8–9 am rush. Probability 3, impact 4 (score 12, High). Response: mitigate — queue writes and retry. |
How it relates to the rest
- Threatens objectives, requirements or delivery.
- Mitigation is planned as work; accepting it needs an accepted decision.
- When it happens it becomes an issue; if it breaks a criterion, a defect.
In Corpole
- Type Risk (RSK), scored on a 5 × 5 matrix: Low, Medium, High, Critical.
- Responses: Avoid, Mitigate, Transfer, Accept. Statuses: Identified, Assessed, Mitigating, Accepted, Occurred, Closed.
- Agents raise risks with
raise_risk.