HKSM
Risk Sharing
A positive risk response in which the project assigns ownership of an opportunity to an external party that is best positioned to realize and capture its benefits.
Key Points
- Used for opportunities (positive risks), not threats.
- Ownership and accountability to pursue the upside are shifted to a third party more capable of delivering the benefit.
- Common mechanisms include partnerships, joint ventures, licensing, and incentive-based contracts.
- Requires clear agreements on roles, benefit sharing, success criteria, and ongoing monitoring.
Example
The project team develops a new analytics feature but lacks market access. They form a joint venture with a major vendor that takes the lead on commercialization in exchange for a revenue share. The vendor owns the opportunity and is best placed to capture the upside.
PMP Example Question
A software project identifies a significant growth opportunity if a global reseller launches the product in new markets. The team signs a partnership granting the reseller the lead role and a share of profits to pursue this upside. Which risk response strategy is being used?
- Exploit
- Share
- Enhance
- Accept
Correct Answer: B - Risk sharing (giving opportunity ownership to a partner best able to realize it)
Explanation: The team transfers ownership of the opportunity to a third party that can best capture the benefit, which is the essence of risk sharing.
