Six windows on one project
A college wants new data sockets in every classroom. The plan looks simple. But then a new law arrives, prices rise, and a nearby builder cuts the power.
PESTLE is a way to look through six windows before the project starts.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can use PESTLE to find risks around a project.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| PESTLE | six headings for outside factors: political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental |
| Political | to do with government and public rules |
| Economic | to do with money, prices and jobs |
| Social | to do with people, habits and how they feel |
| Technological | to do with new or old technology |
| Legal | to do with the law |
| Environmental | to do with nature, energy and waste |
| Risk register | a table that lists every risk with its rating, owner and action |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Six headings, six questions
For each letter you ask: what outside this project could cause a risk?
You are not trying to find every answer. You are trying not to miss a whole area.
PESTLE with an example for each project
| Letter | Server room | Cabling job | Supporting users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political | New rules on where data may be kept | A new rule on building work in schools | New rules on remote work |
| Economic | The price of a new power unit rises | Cable prices go up | Not enough budget for new laptops |
| Social | Staff ignore the new door rules | Pupils unplug cables | Users find the new help system hard |
| Technological | The old server cannot take the new unit | Old walls cannot take new ducts | Old laptops cannot run new software |
| Legal | Health and safety law for installers | Rules on safe work at height | Rules on helping users with disabilities |
| Environmental | Heat from the servers | Damp walls in an old block | Safe disposal of old laptops |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Using it in a risk assessment
Run a PESTLE early, before the plan is fixed. Write each risk you find in the risk register. Then rate its probability and impact.
Some risks fit two headings. That is fine. What matters is that you found it.
Check: PESTLE
Have a go
Check: PESTLE
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.