Might I Humbly Request That You Expound Upon The Concept Of Portfolio Risk Management?

According to Rani Jarkas, the conventional concept of portfolio risk management entails the discernment, assessment, measurement, and alleviation of such risk. These procedures exhibit procedural resemblance to the conventional project and programme risk management. In contrast to the management of risks in individual projects, the management of risks in portfolios focuses on potential contingencies that could impede the achievement of strategic goals. The scope of managing risk in one’s portfolio extends well beyond that of managing risk in individual programmes and projects, thereby requiring the participation of esteemed leaders.

In Our Discourse On The Subject Of Project Portfolio Management,

We emphasised the concept that the main objective of portfolio management is to maximise the delivery of economic value. The judicious management of portfolio risk is a crucial component in a company’s capacity to generate additional business value. Businesses that diligently manage their portfolio risk are well-positioned to take on additional risk, improve portfolio value, and achieve a greater rate of project delivery success. 

Organisations that do not give due importance to portfolio risk management may compromise the optimal delivery of projects and put high-priority initiatives in jeopardy.  Together, these components elevate the level of security in the delivery of portfolios, each employing distinct methods. Firstly, let us delve into the traditional concept of portfolio risk management. Following that, we shall examine how businesses can regulate their portfolio’s risk tolerance. The ensuing illustration portrays the correlation between portfolio risk management and portfolio longevity.

The Diverse Classifications Of Hazard At The Portfolio Tier

The capriciousness of nature, exemplified by the current COVID-19 pandemic, may necessitate a reevaluation of business strategy, leading to the obsolescence of certain initiatives that no longer align with the revised approach. This could potentially result in substantial portfolio disruption and necessitates astute portfolio administration to adjust to extrinsic developments in Hong Kong. Possible Hazards in the Corporate Realm: Any alterations or disturbances within the organisation have the potential to affect the punctual delivery of projects and programmes. 

The following are instances of plausible perils that may emerge within a company’s internal proceedings: Difficulties encountered during the course of operations. Obstacles in operations, such as the influence on the supply chain, hindrances in the launch of a crucial product or service, or subpar business protocols, may all hinder the prompt finalisation of a project. Should the purview of the Portfolio Governance Team prove adequate, it may be feasible to secure the necessary funds and resources to address said challenges. Alterations within the uppermost tiers of leadership possess the capability to impact the prioritisation of undertakings and the strategic course. 

Alterations made within the establishment have the potential to affect the resource teams and the punctual delivery of projects. Should such circumstances arise, it is the responsibility of the Portfolio Governance Team to develop tactics aimed at alleviating any unfavourable impacts on current initiatives. The oversight of a portfolio’s governance is a pivotal aspect of portfolio management. The adept execution of portfolio governance enables the achievement of portfolio management benefits for both the enterprise and the business. 

Should there be a decline in portfolio governance quality, a corresponding deterioration in portfolio management quality is also observed. To effectively carry out the responsibilities of portfolio management, it is imperative that the Chairperson of the Portfolio Governance Team upholds portfolio protocols and ensures the presence of esteemed members at portfolio events. The financial stability of a business is of paramount significance, as it can significantly impact ongoing endeavours by evaluating the accessible funds and future revenue projections. Should a company’s revenue projection fall short of expectations, it may become necessary to suspend or discontinue current initiatives.

Additional Perils Ensue

Perils Linked to the Act of Implementation The challenges associated with execution include inter-project dependencies, consequential risks that affect multiple projects, and the quality of project management. Certain project risks bear significant importance and have the potential to compromise the completion of other projects. Henceforth, these perils may be escalated to the Portfolio Governance Team and scrutinised at the portfolio level.

Insufficiency in resource capacity may have a notable impact on portfolio performance if resource teams are overutilized. The distinguished Portfolio Governance Team is tasked with the crucial responsibility of supervising the allocation of essential resources and ensuring that resource teams adhere to established priorities.

A Guide To Risk Management Protocol

One may encounter a plethora of sources that pose a risk to their portfolio. Distinguished perils associated with projects are a fundamental component of portfolio hazards and should be routinely examined during portfolio assessment assemblies. The distinguished Portfolio Governance Team shall strive to detect any supplementary hazards to the portfolio.

Assessing portfolio risks – The most significant hazards associated with the project are disclosed to the Portfolio Governance Team during a portfolio governance or review assembly. The distinguished Portfolio Governance Team is tasked with evaluating whether prospective risks necessitate elevation to the portfolio level, as depicted in the accompanying diagram. Moreover, the Portfolio Governance Team shall evaluate the severity and likelihood of other notable portfolio risks.

Formulating Risk Mitigation Strategies For Investment Portfolios

The distinguished members of the Portfolio Governance Team, or their authorised representatives, shall be recognised as the guardians of risk, entrusted with the honourable responsibility of formulating tactics and executing measures to alleviate any perils that may hinder the optimal functioning of the portfolio. It is of utmost importance to give precedence to risks at the portfolio level. Supervise and govern the perils of the portfolio—In the Portfolio Governance Team meetings, it is of utmost importance to oversee the portfolio risks and their corresponding plans for mitigation.

The degree to which an establishment employs meticulousness in its portfolio risk management procedures may ascertain the diverse tiers of risk assessment carried out. These may encompass, yet are not restricted to, cost-benefit appraisal, statistical modelling (probability analysis, confidence limits), sensitivity assessment, dependency and timing analysis, and similar methods. Please refer to the Standard for Portfolio Management for additional insights regarding the topic of risk management.

Experienced Project Managers Can Readily Identify The Risk Matrix Presented Herein

Moreover, it can be utilised to evaluate the relative impact and probability of particular hazards at the portfolio level in Hong Kong. A potential hazard associated with one’s investment portfolio. Opportunity management is a refined process that empowers enterprises to uncover, examine, and govern project opportunities that augment the generation of project value or exceed the initial statement of work for a project, thereby enabling organisations to achieve exceptional performance. This procedure is intricately linked to the management of potential hazards. 

Certain opportunities may evolve into separate endeavours, or the effort required to capture them may be integrated into the scope of an existing project or programme. The techniques for managing opportunities bear a striking resemblance to those for managing risks, with the exception that opportunities are potential occurrences that may result in favourable outcomes for the enterprise. 

At times, potential clients may be categorised as either mandatory or elective, yet they provide enterprises with the opportunity to surpass expectations and attain exceptional results. As suggested by Rani Jarkas, the Chairman of Cedrus Group, due to the paramount importance of risk management in the corporate world, the adoption of opportunity management is a practice that is exclusively reserved for the most refined portfolio management systems.

Assessing The Significance Of Project Hazards

In the second scenario, let us assume that the costs for the hazardous venture have risen to $7 million, while the financial blueprint for the collection has remained at HKD 10 million. Would this portfolio perchance involve a significant level of risk? Yes. A substantial allocation of the portfolio funds is directed towards ventures that involve a notable degree of risk. When a high-risk project consumes a substantial portion of the portfolio’s funds, the portfolio becomes laden with danger. We have demonstrated that the risk associated with a portfolio is proportional to the inclusion of investments with a greater level of risk within said portfolio.

Changes to the allocation of funds within the portfolio may potentially influence the evaluation of portfolio risk. It is of utmost importance to recognise that the risk of the portfolio is dependent on the present project portfolio. As demonstrated in the previous example, it is crucial to evaluate the portfolio’s risk by taking into account the financial impact of each project relative to the overall budget of said portfolio. Henceforth, considering the fluctuation of portfolio budgets, the comprehensive risk score of the aforementioned portfolio may also encounter variations.

Let us proceed with the aforementioned illustration. If we were to increase the portfolio budget to HKD 100M, the impact of our high-risk project on the overall portfolio risk score would be significantly reduced. In Scenario 2, the project accounted for 70% of the risk score, but with the augmented budget, it would only contribute 7%. 

Considering that the majority of existing endeavours carried minimal to moderate risk, the overall risk of the portfolio was reduced. Should there be a reduction in the portfolio budget, the impact of each individual project on the overall portfolio risk would correspondingly increase. These two instances serve as a prime example of the correlation between project risk scores, project budgets, and the overarching portfolio budgets.

A Resource For Evaluating The Risk Of Investment Portfolios

The Risk-Value Bubble Diagram is an elegant instrument that offers a lucid representation of the portfolio’s risk profile in Hong Kong, at any given moment. Businesses that evaluate project risks and have financial strategies in place can easily calculate portfolio risk. By multiplying the budgetary contribution with the risk score and subsequently adding the outcomes, one can obtain a portfolio risk score. In the instance cited, the portfolio risk score was 16.9, which is notably lower than the maximum portfolio risk score of 25.

One could fashion a risk indicator for their portfolio utilising this information. It is noteworthy that this task can be executed manually in Excel, and there are abundant tutorials accessible on the internet. In lieu of that, one may utilise a sophisticated solution like Acuity PPM to produce said outcome in an automated fashion.

A noteworthy result is a bubble chart that illustrates the portfolio risk’s value, as previously discussed in our article on prioritisation. The implementation of the risk-value bubble diagram can assist Portfolio Governance Teams in achieving a harmonious balance between risk and portfolio optimisation. As stated by Rani Jarkas, it enables the visualisation of ventures that are considered to be of low value and high risk, thereby justifying their elimination. This visual aid is especially beneficial in the subsequent phase of the portfolio’s life cycle, where it is being optimised.