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Configuring Risk Assessments

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What makes a good risk question
  • SNWR’s risk questions
  • How answers are scored
  • How to check the assessment on a change

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: How ServiceNow Works Out Change Risk. You learned how risk assessment answers and risk conditions combine into a change’s risk.

1 “The questions are confusing”

The first risk questionnaire has 25 questions.

  • Change owners click random answers to finish quickly.
  • Some questions use words nobody understands.
  • The results are worthless.

🎯 The problem: Long or unclear risk questions give bad answers.

👉 The fix: ask a few clear questions that really predict risk.

2 SNWR’s risk questions

SNWR's five risk questions and scores. How many users could be affected: one team scores 1, one office scores 3, everyone scores 5. Has this change been done before: many times 0, once or twice 2, never 4. Is the backout plan tested: yes 0, no 4. Can it be done in a maintenance window: yes 0, no 3. Does it touch a key service like SNWR Email or VPN: no 0, yes 4.
Figure 1. Five clear questions. Higher score, higher risk.

💡 Good to know: Five questions is enough. Every extra question makes people rush the others.

3 Good questions

  • Short and plain: “Is the backout plan tested?”, not “Has remediation been validated?”
  • Easy to check: the answer can be proven later.
  • Really about risk: each one changes the score.

📝 Note: Mei agreed the questions and scores as decision DD-024. She reviews them after three months of real changes.

4 Let’s try it: look at the risk assessment

  1. Search Risk Assessment in the All menu and open the change risk assessment setup.
  2. Open the baseline assessment. Read its questions and answer weights.
  3. Open a normal change. Use the option to fill out the risk assessment.
  4. Answer the questions, then use Calculate Risk.
  5. Check the change’s Risk field. Try different answers and compare.

5 Quick recap

  • Few, clear questions give honest answers
  • SNWR asks five questions
  • Each answer has a score; higher means riskier
  • Questions should be plain, checkable and really about risk
  • Review the questions after real use

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Why not ask 25 questions? Show answer

People rush and click random answers.

2 Which answer scores higher: backout tested, or not tested? Show answer

Not tested (4).

3 How many risk questions does SNWR use? Show answer

Five.

4 When does Mei review the questions? Show answer

After three months of real changes.

Nice work! SNWR’s risk questions are clear and useful. 🎉
Next up: Risk Conditions and Change Success Score

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