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Risk Management is one of the Technical Management processes identified by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). The RIO Management Guide and also DAU training rightfully broadens the emphasis of this process to issues and opportunities. That guide and the supporting DAU Community of Practice (CoP) define three separate processes for managing risks, issues, and opportunities. The processes have five steps which are very similar in focus. All steps are executed most efficaciously when all functional elements of the program and support contractors invest time into thinking about RIO rather than having their time siphoned off using a more labor intensive registry (e.g. spreadsheet). RIO governance occurs at multiple levels (e.g. working level, manager, executive) and through multiple fora (e.g. Working IPT, Risk Working Group, Risk Management Board, Milestone Decision Authority decision points, Systems Engineering Technical Reviews).
The RIO Registry is nothing more than a Microsoft Access database file containing the data structures, reports, and Visual Basic for Applications modules needed to automate or otherwise accelerate and enhance the integrity of RIO management activities. The RIO Registry aids program managers who aspire to adopt best practices described in the DoD Risk, Issue, and Opportunity Management Guide for Defense Acquisition Programs, in part or in whole.
As depicted in the Operational Concept Graphic (OV-1), the RIO Registry is a tool that supports the various acquisition practitioners (people) execute a compliant RIO management process. The RIO Repository acts as a shared repository comprised of the contributions of practitioners from across the program.