Risk Heat Map

A risk heat map is a color-coded grid that visually plots risks according to their likelihood (how probable they are to occur) and impact (how severe the consequences would be if they did occur).

This simple, visual layout provides a clear snapshot of your institution’s risk landscape at a glance. Instead of sifting through lengthy risk logs or technical reports, leaders and stakeholders can immediately see which risks deserve the most attention.

Risk Heat-Map Builder Tool by Bruce Cole

Value of Using a Risk Heat Map

1. Clarity & Focus
   Helps leadership instantly identify which risks are both likely and high impact, ensuring critical issues don’t get lost in the noise.

2. Prioritization
   Makes it easy to allocate time, resources, and controls to the most pressing risks first—supporting strategic decision-making.

3. Communication Tool
   Translates complex risk assessments into a format that is easy for non-experts to understand—ideal for presentations to executive teams, board members, or faculty groups.

4. Monitoring Over Time
   Enables comparison across semesters or years to see how the institution’s risk exposure is evolving.

5. Accountability & Action
   Encourages proactive management. Once a risk is placed in a red or orange zone, it becomes much harder to ignore.