What is RAID in Project Management?

Every project manager knows that uncertainties are inevitable. Deadlines slip. Budgets disappear. And even the most minor delays can easily snowball into major setbacks. 

Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of project management. And the best project managers know that while they can’t control everything… They can anticipate problems and do their best to prepare for them ahead of time.

This is exactly what the RAID approach was designed to help with.  

So, what exactly is RAID in project management? RAID is an acronym that stands for Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies. Together, these four categories provide a structured way for project managers to document, track, and manage the many different factors that can throw a project off course. 

Even in 2025, RAID remains one of the most reliable project planning frameworks, helping project managers:

• Proactively anticipate risks
• Mitigate potential challenges ahead of time 
• Get clarity on every possible scenario that could impact the success of a project

Looking for a way to prevent your projects from spiraling out of control? Read on to learn exactly how the RAID framework works, why it’s so effective, and how to start creating your very own RAID logs for real projects.

What Does RAID Stand for in Project Management?

Here’s a simple breakdown of what RAID stands for in project management. 

• R – Risks: Potential future events that could have a negative impact on your project.
• A – Assumptions: What you believe (but can’t verify) to be true about different aspects of your project.
• I – Issues: Any actual, real-time problems that come up and affect your project after it starts. 
• D – Dependencies: Any links between project tasks that rely on the completion of other tasks.

In practice, a RAID analysis is conducted long before a project even begins. This often involves the relevant stakeholders coming together to brainstorm all the potential problems that could interfere with a project. 

This analysis is documented in what’s called a “RAID log”. 

The RAID log is then maintained throughout the project by a dedicated project manager. Think of it as a living, breathing document, where issues are logged, tracked, and addressed. It’s also possible for new risks, assumptions, and dependencies to emerge throughout the project. When this happens, the RAID log is updated to reflect the current state of the project. 

The RAID framework is typically used in industries that manage complex, long-term projects with a lot of different stakeholders, such as IT, software development, and construction. It’s also common to see RAID used as a compliance tool in highly-regulated industries, like finance, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals, where strict regulations govern every aspect of a project.

Why RAID Analysis Matters for Project Managers

You might be wondering… Why exactly do I need a RAID analysis if I already have a project plan? Isn’t it just another document that’ll collect dust in the shared drive?

These are fair questions, because if there’s one thing project managers despise, it’s unnecessary documentation and paperwork. 

However, unlike a project plan that only tells you what needs to happen and when, the role of RAID in project management helps you plan ahead for all the what-ifs that can stall a project or knock it off track. 

Yes, extra documentation is annoying. But no project plan, no matter how thorough it is, can fully account for all the uncertainties that may arise once a project is in motion. 

A RAID log in project management provides a structured way to capture and track these uncertainties from project kickoff to completion, helping your team: 

• Manage potential risks proactively before a challenge or issue even arises. 
• Make fast, well-informed decisions based on a single, shared source of truth. 
• Stay in full alignment across teams, departments, and broader stakeholders. 
• Hold everyone accountable with a clear audit trail that tracks how risks and issues are managed, and who managed them. 

The only downside to conducting a RAID analysis is that it simply takes time to do it. It’s also easy to get carried away with the details and hypothetical scenarios, which can make the process overcomplicated and time-consuming. But with the right balance (backed by the right project management tools), the benefits of RAID far outweigh the drawbacks. 

To put it simply: in project management, RAID means you can anticipate challenges, adapt quickly, and keep your project moving forward (even when your project doesn’t go exactly to plan). 

RAID Items in Detail

To get a better idea of what an actual RAID analysis might look like, let’s take a look at the specific RAID items in project management that form the bones of this framework. 

Risks – Identifying and Managing Threats

A risk is any uncertain event that might impact the success of a project in a negative way. 

Risks are all about what could happen, not what’s already happening. So you have to take inspiration from your own experiences and what’s going on in the world when identifying your project’s risks. 

Assumptions – Hidden Influencers

Assumptions are all the invisible drivers of a project that you believe to be true at the start, but you can’t verify them to be true with absolute certainty. 

Assumptions can always change, so it’s important to continuously track and review them so your project doesn’t veer off course. 

Issues – Problems That Must Be Solved 

Unlike risks, which could happen, issues are problems that are happening right now. They’re already affecting timelines, costs, or quality. 

In theory, at the start of a project, there should be zero issues (because the project hasn’t started yet). However, as soon as work begins, issues are almost inevitable. RAID provides a structure for logging these issues, assigning ownership, and tracking progress until everything is resolved.

Dependencies – The Links Between Tasks 

Dependencies show how different project tasks rely on each other, helping managers anticipate and prevent scheduling conflicts

Dependencies describe the different ways tasks and teams rely on each other. For example, if task A must finish before task B, that’s a dependency. 

Other types of dependencies include:

• Finish-to-start (FS) – When a task can’t start until another task is completed. 
• Start-to-start (SS) – When tasks can begin at the same time, but they must both start for work to progress. 
• Finish-to-finish (FF) – When two tasks must be completed together. 
• External dependencies – When outside factors (like regulatory checks or vendor deliveries) impact progress.  

Dependencies can be very difficult to manage, because a delay in one area can create a domino effect across the entire project. 

How to Create and Use a RAID Log

A RAID log helps project managers track and update all critical elements that could impact project success.

Creating a RAID log in project management can be as simple or thorough as you make it. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to create a RAID log for your next project. 

Choose a Format or Template

RAID logs are similar to a basic risk register but a bit more structured, so it’s always good to start with a template. Most RAID log project management templates are in a spreadsheet, but you should also be able to find dedicated RAID tools already built into your project management software.

Most RAID templates are structured with the following information: 

• Item ID (to track each individual item)
• RAID type (Risk, Assumption, Issue, or Dependency)
• Item description 
• Owner
• Probability that it might occur (for risks)
• Priority level
• Impact
• Mitigation (or action plan for issues)
• Status
• Date logged and/or closed

Depending on the complexity of your project, you may not need to fill out everything. But it’s good to fill out as much information as you can so that nothing slips through the cracks. 

Conduct the RAID Analysis

Once you have your RAID template, now it’s time to start filling it up with information. You might be tempted to do this on your own in the name of just “getting it done”. However, it’s worth waiting and gathering ideas from everyone involved. This is the best way to make sure your project’s RAID log is as comprehensive as possible (and actually useful for everyone). 

One way to go about this is by hosting a RAID workshop. This should be held during early planning meetings, before your project officially starts. The goal here is to get as many different stakeholders together as possible to share their thoughts and perspectives. 

Maintain and Review

RAID logs for project management are not supposed to be static. They’re supposed to be regularly referred back to, updated, and adjusted as the project progresses. 

It’s a good idea to assign one or two project managers as the “owners” of the RAID log. They can then keep it up to date as issues arise, or as risks, assumptions, and dependencies change. The RAID log can also be regularly reviewed at check-ins and status meetings, so that everyone is aligned and aware of the project’s status from a RAID perspective. 

RAID Log Best Practices and Benefits

Using RAID in project management only works when you commit to using the RAID log properly. Here are a few best practices to bear in mind:

RAID Project Management in Action (Examples)

Now that you’ve got a general idea of what RAID is, let’s take a look at some real-life RAID project management examples.

RAID Analysis Example: IT

A software development company is building an app with several external integrations.

• Risks: Third-party API might be unstable, security vulnerabilities, potential regulatory changes. 
• Assumptions: External APIs will remain available and supported, stakeholders will sign off on design mockups by a set date.
• Issues: A critical bug halted testing, a key engineer left the project midway through. 
• Dependencies: The app cannot launch until a third-party security audit is complete, marketing cannot begin campaign rollouts until a beta version is available.

RAID Analysis Example: Construction

A contractor is overseeing the build of an office complex in a new urban development. 

• Risks: Severe weather delays, supplier price increases, labor shortages.
• Assumptions: Building materials will arrive on time, local inspections will be approved without delay. 
• Issues: Heavy rainfall flooded the construction site, a subcontractor missed a crucial deadline.
• Dependencies: Plumbing and wiring work cannot begin until structural inspections are signed off on, interior finishing depends on HVAC installation.

RAID Analysis Example: Marketing

A global consumer brand is preparing a major product launch campaign. 

• Potential Risks: Competitor launches a similar product first, ad platform policy changes delay asset approvals.
• Assumptions: Creative assets will be finalized by a set deadline, the budget will be approved in full. 
• Issues: Delayed stakeholder approvals on ad copy. 
• Dependencies: Social media rollout depends on finalized visuals, email marketing depends on the CRM system being updated with the new product data.

RAID vs Other Project Management Tools

If you’ve been researching RAID and how it’s used in project management, you’ve probably come across other frameworks that deal with risk and ownership, such as RACI matrices and risk registers. 

Here’s a quick look at these frameworks and how they compare to RAID.

• RACI Matrices: This is a chart that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each team member, defining who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. RACI is helpful for defining ownership and communication flows, but it doesn’t address risks, issues, or dependencies. 
• Risk Register: This is a tool that is focused solely on identifying potential risks, including the likelihood of the risk, the potential impact of the risk, and possible mitigation strategies. It is most effective when used for projects where risk management is the primary concern. 

RAID logs go further than RACI Matrices and Risk Registers, providing a way to combine Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies all in one place. 

For some projects, this may be overkill. But for more complex, long-term projects, RAID offers the most thorough approach for addressing uncertainty. 

RAID also works well with agile teams, as it offers just enough structure to track uncertainties, while still allowing for some flexibility. 

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

So, what is RAID in project management?

To put it simply, RAID is a structured approach for capturing and managing the Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies that can make or break a project, all in a single document or spreadsheet. 

This allows project managers (and everyone involved in the project) the ability to: 

• Plan ahead with contingency and mitigation strategies.
• Spot problems before they escalate.
• Make smarter decisions faster.
• Stay fully aligned and accountable throughout the entire project.

Looking ahead, RAID is only going to become even more embedded in project management, as teams start to embrace advanced project tracking tools with AI integrations, dynamic dashboards, and real-time risk monitoring. 

While these tools can’t predict the future… yet. RAID can give you the next best thing (and you don’t even need a crystal ball).