Combining the Best Attributes of Qualitative 
and Quantitative Risk Management Tool Support




C. Sigal


Quantitative reasoning, Tradeoffs, NASA


We have been developing tools that 
support risk identification and management activities during 
different phases of a project lifecycle. For 
the earlier stages of the lifecycle a 
tool for qualitative identification and manipulation of 
risk and risk mitigation data was designed 
and prototyped. For the later stages of 
the lifecycle a separate tool for quantitative 
manipulation of requirements, risk and risk mitigation 
data was designed and developed. We then 
sought to combine the two into a 
single tool. The combination of these qualitative 
and quantitative risk management tools is the 
focus of this paper. The combination was 
first envisioned as simply a convenience, ensuring 
that the results from the early lifecycle 
risk management flowed smoothly into the later 
lifecycle management. However, we found that the 
combination led us to consider extending many 
of the capabilities of each tool into 
the other tool's phases. The net result 
is a combination that exhibits the best 
attributes of both qualitative and quantitative risk 
management tool support. We discuss motivation, implementation, 
application and future continuations/extensions for this combination.