Risk Exploiting is a risk response strategy whereby the project team acts to ensure that an opportunity occurs.
It involves taking deliberate action to capture a positive risk by guaranteeing its realization, typically applied to opportunities with high potential benefit that align directly with project objectives.
Key Characteristics
- Maximization Strategy – Focuses on securing the full value of a favorable event
- Proactive and Decisive – Requires intentional effort to make the opportunity happen
- Opportunity-Specific – Applied to desirable, high-impact opportunities
- Resource-Intensive – May require investment or adjustment to project plans
Example Scenarios
- Assigning the best resources to a task to ensure exceptional early delivery
- Partnering exclusively with a high-performing vendor to secure premium service
- Adjusting project scope to fully integrate a newly identified business opportunity
Role in Opportunity Management
- Drives Strategic Value – Ensures the project benefits from favorable conditions
- Aligns With Objectives – Pursues opportunities that support key goals
- Requires Ownership and Action – Assigns responsibility to implement the opportunity
- Distinguished from Enhancement – Focuses on certainty of occurrence rather than probability increase
See also: Risk Acceptance, Risk Avoidance, Risk Enhancement, Risk Mitigation, Risk Sharing, Risk Transference.