# Software Project Risk Identification Based on Scrum Artifacts
## 3 Risk Identification Methodology for Scrum Projects
### Structure of the Risk Identification Framework  
The main concepts of the proposed Risk Identification Framework cover several important elements (Figure 2): risks and their classification into risk categories, Scrum artifacts and their attributes, and relationships between attributes and risks. Attributes can be associated with several different artifacts; therefore, an additional concept, artifact attribute, is required to store these associations, which also has threshold values for upper and lower threshold limits. Risks are associated with artifact attributes, and this information is stored in another additional concept, artifact attribute risk. The attribute value concept stores project execution information gathered from data sources, such as the project execution environment or values entered manually by project team members. The concept of a registered risk is used to compile a set of risks that have  
Figure 1: The main stages, steps, and participants in risk identification using the proposed framework. been detected when their associated attribute values surpassed a defined threshold and were subsequently identified as necessary through analysis by the project team. Table 2 describes and provides examples of the main elements of the Risk Identification Framework. Table 2: Description of the main elements of the Risk Identification Framework. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Framework** & **Description** & **Element** & **Example Values** \\
**Element** & **Description** & **Attributes** & **Example Values** \\ \hline Primary artifact & Primary artifacts of the Scrum methodology & code; name & AR01; Product \\ \hline Artifact & Specific artifacts decomposing primary artifacts & code; name & AR01.1; Product Backlog \\ \hline Attribute & Information that needs to be tracked and stored in the Scrum project & code; name; type & AT005; Number of ready tasks; number \\ \hline Artifact attribute & Attributes that need to be tracked for a given artifact & calculation; thresholdMin; thresholdMax & COUNTIF (Label, “Ready”); 20; - \\ \hline Attribute value & Data source of attribute values, usually a file, exported from Jira & name & DVS\_Jira.xls \\ \hline Risk category & Structural element, grouping the risks in the proposed risk classification & code; name & RC1; Requirements \\ \hline Risk & Specific risk, decomposing a category according to the proposed classification & code; name & R001; Undefined requirements \\ \hline Artifact attribute & Risk that is monitored for a specific & state & detected \\ risk & couple of artifact and attribute & & \\ \hline Attribute value & Value imported from data source & value; date & 9; 02/05/2024 \\ \hline Registered risk & Risk that was detected and registered & date & 02/05/2024 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Description of the main elements of the Risk Identification Framework. The framework proposes basic risk classification by introducing nine risk categories for Scrum projects, which provide a structured approach to organizing the risks. Each risk category encompasses specific risks, as presented in Figure 3. The proposed risk classification is based on analyzed research [17; 18; 19; 20] where similar naming and definitions of risk categories are used. The proposed categories and their risks serve as an initial reference for the project team. Using this classification as a foundation, the team is expected to develop a tailored list of risks specific to the project under development. We propose a structured approach to identifying Scrum artifacts based on Scrum principles. The three main categories align with the primary artifacts of the Scrum methodology: Product, Sprint, and Increment (Figure 4). Each category is further detailed, with multiple specific artifacts identified under each. This proposed structure is a foundation for further improvement, enabling the project team to refine the recommended list of artifacts as needed. Attributes denote the information that needs to be tracked and stored for a given artifact.