Free RAID Log Template (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies)

This RAID Log Template (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) is used by business analysts worldwide to track project health in one place instead of scattered across separate documents.

What Is a RAID Log?

A RAID log is a single running document that tracks the four things most likely to derail a project: risks that might happen, assumptions being treated as true without proof, issues that have already happened, and dependencies the project relies on from outside its own team. Reviewing all four together, in one place, on a regular cadence, is what makes it useful — split across four separate documents, they tend to get reviewed separately or not at all.

What Should Each Section Include?

• Risks — description, likelihood, impact, a named owner, and a mitigation or contingency plan
• Assumptions — what’s being assumed, why, and how/when it will be validated (an unvalidated assumption is a hidden risk)
• Issues — description, severity, a named owner, and the path to resolution
• Dependencies — what’s being relied on, who owns delivering it, the due date, and current status

Risk vs Issue — What’s the Difference?

These get conflated constantly. A risk is something that might happen — it has a likelihood and an impact, and the work is to reduce the chance of it occurring or soften the blow if it does. An issue has already happened and needs resolving now, not mitigating. When a risk materialises, it graduates into an issue — it moves sections in the log rather than staying logged as a risk that “came true.”

Common Mistakes When Running a RAID Log

• Treating assumptions as facts. An assumption that’s never validated is a risk wearing a disguise — log it, then actually go confirm it.
• No named owner. An item assigned to “the team” or left blank reliably never gets resolved, because nobody specific is accountable for it.
• Letting it go stale. A RAID log reviewed once at kickoff and never again is a historical record, not a management tool. It needs a standing slot in project status reviews.
• Logging everything, prioritising nothing. Not every risk deserves equal attention — likelihood × impact should drive what gets discussed first.

What’s Included in This Template

• Pre-structured sections with guidance notes
• Worked examples from real BA projects
• Guidance for Agile, waterfall, and hybrid approaches
• Easy to adapt to your organisation’s standards

How to Use This Template

Download the template and set it up at project kickoff, not after the first problem shows up. Each section has guidance notes explaining what to include and why — based on real BA practice, not textbook theory. Remove sections that don’t apply and add organisation-specific fields.

A RAID log works alongside your Business Requirements Document — constraints and assumptions identified while gathering requirements often belong here too, tracked and owned rather than buried in a document nobody revisits.

Dependencies logged here should also show up in your Requirements Traceability Matrix where relevant — if a requirement depends on something outside the project’s control, that dependency needs an owner and a status in the RAID log, not just a note in the matrix.

For projects where risk needs more detail than the RAID log’s single risk column allows — scored likelihood and impact, separate mitigation and contingency plans — pair this with a standalone Risk Register.

Why Requirements Templates Matter

Consistent documentation is one of the most underrated BA skills. A well-structured document:

• Sets clear expectations from day one
• Reduces “we didn’t know that was in scope” conversations
• Creates an audit trail for decisions and changes
• Speeds up new team member onboarding
• Builds your credibility as a professional BA

Browse All Free Templates

Our free BA template library covers 15 core documents. For 175 practitioner-level templates covering the full BA lifecycle, see our BA Toolkit — Complete Pack. Free account required for the library, no payment.

Want to Master These Tools?

Templates are a starting point. Our BA training courses teach you how to apply them in real projects — with exercises, feedback, and examples from experienced BAs. Start with our free intro course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a RAID log used for?

It tracks Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies together in one place, so project health can be reviewed in one pass instead of across four separate documents.

What is the difference between a risk and an issue?

A risk hasn’t happened yet and has a likelihood and impact. An issue has already happened and needs resolving now. When a risk materialises, it moves into the issue section rather than staying logged as a risk.

Who owns the items in a RAID log?

Every item needs a named individual owner, not “the team” — an unowned item reliably never gets resolved.

Benjamen Walsh

Founder, BBA Institute · Certified Business Analyst

Benjamen Walsh is the founder of the Better Business Analysis Institute (BBAI) and a practising business analyst with over a decade of experience delivering change across New Zealand and Australia. He has trained over 200+ business analysts through BBAI certification programmes and hosts The Better Business Analyst Podcast (138+ episodes). Benjamen works with organisations including Corporates, Consultancies, Non for Profits, Small Businesses and the New Zealand Government.

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