UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORD
BRADFORD METHOD RISK LOG
Project name
Integrating Thin client Systems for Secure E-Assessment
Version 6
15 June 2009
Sara Eyre
Author:
Project Manager:
Project Sponsor/Chair:
Revision
date
Oct 2007
May 2008
Sep 2008
Dec 2008
Feb 2009
June 2009
Distribution
Previous
revision
date
Peter Hartley
Summary of Changes
Changes marked
Version 1 in project plan
Version 2 updated to UOB format
Version 3 updated prior to project board meeting
Version 4 updated prior to project board meeting
Version 5 updated prior to project board meeting
Version 6 updated prior to submission of final report
Turquoise
Pink
Yellow
Green
Grey
This document has been distributed to:
Name
JISC Project board
JISC programme manager
Project board and project teams
Project board and project teams
Project Board and project teams
JISC, project board and teams
Title
Date of Issue
Version
28/5/08
2
22/8/08
10/12/08
25/2/09
15 June 2009
3
4
5
6
ITS4SEA
Score
(PxS)
Failure to recruit suitable
staff
Delays in new staff
appointments
Loss of project manager
1
4
4
1
4
4
2
4
8
Key institutional Contacts
and Project Director –
competing priorities
leading to lack of input
and support
Project plan unrealistic
3
5
15
3
4
6
Failure to develop suitable
size space for large
cluster
4
7
Insufficient student
numbers take
assessments using thin
client technology
8
Some students are unable
to use the technology
2
3
4
5
Action to Prevent/Manage Risk
Person
responsible
Severity
(1-5)
1
Risk
Probability
(1-5)
Risk
id
JISC Institutional Exemplar
Actions taken
Date
identified
Date last
reviewed
Use existing staff and recruit backfill
posts at a lower level.
Reconsider project milestones
SE
Both staff in post
1/11/07
27/5/08
SE
Project on track
1/11/07
27/5/08
Delegate role to CAA support staff
in LSS
Schedule regular meetings,
maintain regular communication by
email
PH
Project nearly
completed
Regular team
meetings being held
Project nearly
completed
1/11/07
25/2/09
1/11/07
27/5/08
25/2/09
12
Quarterly review and update against
progress with feedback from
implementations teams
SE
1/11/07
15/6/09
4
16
Use trial cluster for word processed
exams for disabled students and for
formative assessments.
SE
1/11/07
22/8/08
4
4
16
Use trial cluster for any small
groups taking online exams but
results will be less conclusive.
SE
1/11/07
10/12/08
25/2/09
3
2
6
Alternative, equivalent assessment
method required
SW
Project completed.
Unrealistic
objectives
highlighted in final
report
Space allocated but
see risk 16.
Timescales for
development
currently unknown.
Work underway
Two large classes
scheduled for jan 09
exams
Two exams ran
sucessfully
Sun Rays installed
in cubicles for
individuals
1/11/07
15/6/09
SE
Page
1
ITS4SEA
Score
(PxS)
Action to Prevent/Manage Risk
Person
responsible
Severity
(1-5)
Risk
Probability
(1-5)
Risk
id
JISC Institutional Exemplar
9
Servers running thin
clients fail during exam
2
5
10
Provide back up servers.
Try deliberately failing server and
devise switchover processes.
SE
10
Servers are inadequately
sized to manage load of
large exam classes
2
5
10
Need to run formative assessment
with full class starting
simultaneously in advance of
summative assessment and
measure server load.
SE
11
SunRay terminals
unreliable
3
3
9
Student moves to alternative seat.
Need to test smart card swapping
will save all past data entered in
exam before SunRay failure.
SE
12
Supplier fails to continue
support of SunRay
technology
1
5
5
Use standard PCs as thin clients to
windows terminal server.
SE
Actions taken
Additional servers
to support thin
clients installed
No failures
encountered
URGENT – test
needed before
Xmas
Server sizing still
unclear
Exam processes
overcame issues.
Still not 100%
resolved for
teaching
Some Sun Rays in
Hub have failed –
needs chasing with
Sun
Two failures during
exams; session
transferred to other
Sun Ray
Request for
matching grant
made and quotation
for 120 received
Development plans
announced at Sun
education
conference
Date
identified
Date last
reviewed
1/11/07
15/6/09
1/11/07
15/6/09
1/11/07
15/6/09
1/11/07
27/5/08
25/2/09
Page
2
ITS4SEA
Score
(PxS)
Action to Prevent/Manage Risk
Person
responsible
Severity
(1-5)
13
Risk
Probability
(1-5)
Risk
id
JISC Institutional Exemplar
Actions taken
Date
identified
Date last
reviewed
Smart cards which work
with SunRay technology
and current access control
system are not
manufactured.
Lack of academic
engagement with the
technology
1
3
3
Consider whether to issue two
cards or use Sunrays with
username and password
authentication only.
SE
Several potential
suppliers identified
1/11/07
27/5/08
3
3
9
Continue with OMR exams.
Employ staff to design online
assessments from academics’
exam questions.
PH
1/11/07
25/2/09
15
Student fails course and
blames the technology
2
5
10
PH
1/11/07
15/6/09
16
Change in needs of
examination office
3
4
12
JD
Exam Admin design
implemented
1/11/07
15/6/09
17
WASP module from SITS
fails to deliver systems
required in exams office
3
5
15
For project trials, only consider
formative assessments and first
year summative exams as the
results of these do not pass into
subsequent years for degree
classification.
Processes should be agreed as part
of Pathfinder project but software to
be used has already been changed
Integrate processes using existing
Syllabus Plus software
Great enthusiasm
for the technology
from Management
lecturer
Sudden rush of
enthusiasm for CAA
Still a potential for
this to happen
JH
WASP testing
underway.
WASP abandoned.
See risk 23
1/11/07
22/8/08
18
Transfer of marks after
assessment cannot be
done securely into SITS
software
3
4
12
Investigate alternative mechanisms
or continue existing practices
JD
Manual transfers
already successful
Manual transfer
continuing due to
data inconsistencies
1/11/07
15/6/09
14
Page
3
ITS4SEA
Score
(PxS)
Action to Prevent/Manage Risk
Person
responsible
Severity
(1-5)
Risk
Probability
(1-5)
Risk
id
JISC Institutional Exemplar
Actions taken
Date
identified
Date last
reviewed
19
Space allocated for cluster
is not large enough for
120 positions
4
4
16
Try to negotiate larger proportion of
space available
SE
Initial layout
produced fits 69
Layout houses 99
student positions
27/5/08
27/5/08
20
Questionmark Perception
software is unreliable
4
5
20
Report faults to supplier. Apply all
software patches
JD
Advise authors to
follow rules and
recommendations
for CAA
No failures
2/6/08
15/06/09
21
WASP exams scheduling
software is unreliable
5
5
25
After 6 months testing decided to
abandon implementation
RG
Software
abandoned
2/6/08
22/8/08
22
Full scale trial of CAA
cluster cannot be run
before real exam
5
4
20
SE
URGENT – test
needed Exams ran
OK Jan09
9/6/08
10/12/08
25/2/09
23
After abandoning WASP,
new system cannot be
completed in timeframe of
project
4
5
20
Cluster development timed to
complete before last week of term.
May need to get volunteers in
vacation to fully load system
More regular project team meetings
SE/
RG
5/8/08
15/6/09
24
Software on lecturers PC
allows invigilator to
change student responses
2
5
10
Need to control configuration of
NetSupport School
AW
1/9/08
15/6/09
25
Conflicting priorities on
developers time
5
4
20
More frequent project team
meetings
SE/
CT
Prioritised list of
work developed.
Budgets organized
to allow continued
development after
formal project end.
Software under
development in
association with
supplier
Timetable
developed for
ExamAdmin
1/9/08
15/6/09
Page
4
ITS4SEA
Score
(PxS)
Action to Prevent/Manage Risk
Person
responsible
Severity
(1-5)
Risk
Probability
(1-5)
Risk
id
JISC Institutional Exemplar
26
Funding for development
of Sun Ray cluster
insufficient
4
5
20
Additional E-strategy funding being
requested. Finances for build still
not agreed
SE/
PH
27
CAA expert post only
funded until June 2009
5
5
25
Funding to continue post for further
12 months requested to support
increased uptake of CAA
SE/
PH
28
What level of risk is
acceptable for failure of IT
systems during online
exams
5
5
25
Failover QmP servers, failover VDI
and Sun Ray servers. Or paper
based assessment methods or
reschedule exams
JD/
JR
Actions taken
Date
identified
Date last
reviewed
£100K identified as
potentially available.
E-strategy request
refused
Being handled
outside project
E-strategy finance
manager contacted
Extended until June
2010
18/9/08
10/12/08
25/2/09
15/12/08
15/6/09
Raise at project
board
17/2/09
15/6/09
Page
5