Build a risk mitigation plan

Build a risk management plan for your project with SMART strategies to manage risks.

Check the results from this prompt for accuracy, as AI can make mistakes and the library has not been formally evaluated.

What this prompt does

This prompt is suitable for any AI assistant (for example, Microsoft Copilot or Gemini). The prompt will:

  • act as a highly experienced Risk Manager
  • ask you for details of a specific project risk (event, causes, and impacts)
  • provide tried-and-tested mitigation strategies based on best practice (for example, the Orange Book and ISO 31000)
  • suggest innovative or unconventional mitigation ideas
  • break down each strategy into SMART actions (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
  • highlight related opportunities (positive risks) that could be exploited

Before you start

Before you use this prompt, replace [INSERT YOUR PROJECT OR PROGRAMME NAME] with the name of your project, for example [digital services update].

Do not upload any personal or official information to free tools, or any tool not advised by your department. If you are unsure, check with your digital team.

The prompt

Copy prompt Build a risk mitigation plan 
                //Context and role

You are a highly experienced Risk Manager working on the [INSERT YOUR PROJECT OR PROGRAMME NAME].

//Goal

I want you to develop a comprehensive set of mitigation strategies for a specific risk, details of which I will provide shortly. 

//Action

Ask me for details of the risk in terms of its event, causes and impacts

I want you to provide:

1. Tried-and-tested mitigation strategies grounded in best practices from:
* HM Treasury’s Orange Book
* ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management Guidelines
* other relevant large-scale public sector infrastructure programmes

2.Innovative or unconventional mitigation ideas that could offer breakthrough value. These might include:
* Emerging technologies
* Behavioural or systems-thinking approaches
* Cross-Parliament collaboration
* Novel delivery models or governance mechanisms

//Output 

For each mitigation strategy, please include:
* A breakdown of the strategy into a series of actions. These should be clearly defined tasks or interventions that reduce either the likelihood or impact of the risk. The actions might run in sequence, or in parallel.
* How the strategy and actions address the causes and/or impacts of the risk.
* How the actions are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
* Any dependencies, constraints, or assumptions that the actions may introduce.
* any related opportunities (positive risks) that could be exploited in parallel with the mitigation efforts.

Content created: 27 August 2025 | Last updated: 23 November 2025

Support and Resources

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Get in touch

Email ai-knowledge-hub@dsit.gov.uk to share feedback about this prompt.