A risk report template provides a periodic summary of overall project risk exposure, top threats and opportunities, response effectiveness, and risk trends for stakeholders and governance bodies. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the risk report template is a key output of the Uncertainty Performance Domain in PMBOK 8, giving sponsors and steering committees the information they need to make informed decisions about risk tolerance and response investments. The risk report template converts detailed risk register data into an executive-level communication document that enables timely governance decisions. Without a consistent risk report template, risk information stays buried in technical registers that sponsors never read, leaving critical decisions unmade until risks materialize as costly problems.

What is a Risk Report?

A risk report template is a communication document that summarizes the current state of risk on the project at the aggregate level. Unlike the detailed risk register, the risk report template presents consolidated risk information — overall risk score, top-ranked threats and opportunities, response action status, and period-over-period trends — in a format suitable for sponsor and steering committee review. The risk report is typically produced at the same frequency as the project status report and distributed alongside it as a companion document. In PMBOK 8, the risk report template serves two distinct purposes: communicating individual risk status to stakeholders, and reporting on overall project risk as a composite measure of the project's exposure to uncertainty across all dimensions. Both perspectives are needed for sponsors to make informed decisions about risk appetite, contingency reserve adequacy, and whether the project risk profile remains within acceptable organizational thresholds.

What's Included in This Risk Report Template?

• Overall Risk Exposure — Composite risk score for the project with a traffic-light indicator (Green/Yellow/Red) and period-over-period trend arrow, giving decision-makers an immediate sense of whether overall project risk is increasing, stable, or decreasing.
• Top Threats Summary — The five to ten highest-priority threats with probability, impact, composite score, risk owner, current response status, and a brief narrative on what is being done to reduce exposure and whether it is working effectively.
• Top Opportunities Summary — Key opportunities being actively pursued with their probability, potential impact, and the specific actions being taken to exploit or enhance them, demonstrating proactive upside risk management alongside threat reduction.
• Risk Response Status — Progress on all planned risk responses with owners, target dates, completion status, and an assessment of whether the response is achieving the intended reduction in risk exposure or requires adjustment.
• New Risks Identified — Risks added to the register since the last reporting period with their initial assessment, ensuring stakeholders are aware of emerging threats and opportunities that may require governance decisions or reserve adjustments.
• Closed Risks — Risks that have been resolved, have passed their trigger window, or have been accepted and closed, demonstrating active risk management discipline and maintaining an accurate current-state view of the active risk register.
• Risk Trend Analysis — Period-over-period SPI for risk scores, showing whether the project's risk profile is improving or deteriorating over time, enabling proactive intervention before trends become crises requiring emergency management attention.

How to Use This Risk Report Template (PMBOK 8)

1. Update after each risk review session — The risk report template should be updated immediately after every risk review session, typically bi-weekly or monthly aligned with the project status reporting cycle. Stale risk reports are worse than no risk reports because they create false confidence.
2. Pull data from the risk register systematically — Use the risk register as the source of truth for the risk report template. Do not editorialize or summarize in ways that change the risk scoring — present the data as it is in the register to maintain credibility with experienced sponsors.
3. Highlight risks with significant score changes — Call explicit attention to any risk whose composite score has changed significantly since the last report, whether improving or deteriorating. Changes in risk score are more actionable information than the current score alone.
4. Include recommended decisions or escalations — Do not simply present information — include specific decisions or approvals needed from the steering committee, the deadline for the decision, and the consequence of delay. This transforms the risk report from an FYI document to a governance tool.
5. Distribute alongside the project status report — Send the risk report template to all recipients on the status report distribution list at the same time. Stakeholders who receive the status report need the risk context to properly interpret performance data.

When to Create This Document (PMBOK 8)

The risk report template is produced throughout the execution phase of the project, beginning with the first risk identification session after the risk management plan is approved. In PMBOK 8, the risk report is a key output of the Monitor Risks process within the Uncertainty Performance Domain and should be produced at every status reporting cycle. The final risk report at project closure documents the risk management effectiveness and becomes a key input to lessons learned and organizational process asset updates for future projects.

Related Templates

• Risk Management Plan Template
• Assumption Log Template
• Status Report Template
• Change Request Template
• Work Performance Information Template

Complete Guide & Filled-In Example

Get the most out of this template with the two companion resources below:

• Risk Report in PMBOK 8 — Complete Guide — Understand the purpose, key elements, and best practices before filling in the template.
• Download the Filled-In Example — Project Phoenix — See exactly how this document was completed for a real $72K website launch project.