Federal IT Capital Planning and Investment Control (with CD)

CHAPTER 10

Identifying and Mitigating Project Risk

I know what you’re thinking. “Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?

—FROM THE MOTION PICTURE “DIRTY HARRY,” 1971

Investment risk is a primary consideration for any investor, and IT systems tend to have more than their fair share of problems, suggesting that they tend to be high-risk investments. A critical element of CPIC is the ability to gauge risk when an investment is still just a concept and to manage it if and when that investment ...