Most RAID logs die in week three. Not because the team stopped caring, but because the template was heavier than the habit: too many columns, too much ceremony, nothing anyone opens on a Tuesday.
This one is one sheet. Type, description, probability, impact, a score that colors itself, an owner, a status. Three example rows show you the altitude. It is the same discipline as the paid version, cut to the part you need to start this week.
What's inside
One sheet, ten columns
Risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies in one place, with dropdowns so nobody invents a fifth status.
Scoring that argues for you
Probability times impact, color coded. A 20 glows red on its own; you don't have to sell the room on it.
Owners, not teams
The owner column expects a name. 'Platform team' is not an owner, and the example rows show what is.
How to use it
- Download the file and rename the three example rows or delete them.
- Log everything currently living in your head. Fifteen minutes, no filtering.
- Put a 15-minute weekly review on the calendar before the log has ten rows.
- When a risk materializes, change its type to Issue. That promotion is the whole discipline.
When you outgrow the free version
The full RAID Log Template ($29) adds the weekly review cadence and the cheat sheet. Prefer an app to a spreadsheet? There is a free browser RAID log and a full interactive version ($49). Or take all 17 tools for $99.
Questions PMs ask
Is this really free?
Yes. You give an email, you get the file, and you can unsubscribe from anything we send with one click. No card, no trial.
What is the difference from the $29 RAID log?
The paid version adds the 15-minute weekly review cadence sheet, the promotion path from risk to issue, and the PDF cheat sheet on running the review. The free file is the working log; the paid one is the log plus the operating system around it.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Dropdowns, formulas, and the color coding carry over when you upload it.