Issue Management in project management: the process explained

Article by: Ben Janse

Last update: January 6, 2026

In almost every project, something goes wrong. A supplier delivers late. A decision gets stuck. A dependency blocks the team. If you don’t quickly identify these kinds of problems, they will grow and put pressure on planning, quality, and support. Issue management helps you identify issues early, record them accurately, and solve them in a targeted manner. For managers, this is a way to improve control and escalate issues more quickly when necessary. For employees, it provides clarity about priorities, ownership, and next steps, so you know what you can do and what you can expect from others.

In this article, you will discover what issue management is, why it is so important in project management, and how it relates to risk management. You will see how to work with an issue log and how to weigh issues in terms of impact and urgency. You will also read how this works in agile and digital environments with tools such as Jira and scrum or kanban boards, including the role of the Scrum Master in impediments. Finally, you will learn about pitfalls and practical tips, so that issue management does not become a list, but a steering tool. Enjoy reading!

What is issue management?

Problems or challenges arise regularly in almost every project. Risks can also become a problem. Risks are potential problems in the future that can be predicted.

Issue management definition

Issue management is the process by which organizations manage problems, or issues. That is, how they identify the issues and respond appropriately.

Issue management meaning and examples

Issues are mainly unexpected roadblocks and obstacles that can arise at any time. An example of this is a project manager who expects that he will need extra staff to prevent a jam in the project, but cannot predict that he will be sick at home.

Other examples are:

Poor quality products such as malfunctioning software
Team members who lack skills and knowledge
Projects or activities for which there is no budget
Disturbed communication such as language barriers or lack of communication in the group
Delivery problems

There are different ways and techniques to deal with issues and risks. Both issues and risks occur in projects, so it is important to have a procedure in place that anticipates both risks and problems. We call this issue management.

This process also helps determine who will solve the issue and when. The issues are also kept in a database so that future projects can learn from the way in which problems are dealt with.

Preventing issues is also part of issue management. And this starts before the project even begins. It includes making a clear assessment of the issues that may arise and how they could be resolved. Thus, before establishing a specific issue management process, a risk management plan is established. This nips some of the issues in the bud.

Why is issue management important in projects?

Issue management is indispensable for any project that wants to stay within time, budget, and scope. Every project encounters problems that cannot be fully predicted in advance. Deliveries are delayed, specifications turn out to be unclear, an important team member drops out, or a decision is made later than planned. Without a structured way to identify, record, and resolve these types of issues, projects quickly slow down and costs rise.

A well-designed issue management process provides clarity. All important issues are recorded in one place, with a description, impact, priority, and owner. The project manager and client can see at a glance which problems are currently threatening the project and what actions are being taken to resolve them. This makes it possible to steer the project, rather than constantly playing catch-up.

This also strengthens the confidence of stakeholders. When it is clear that problems are not being swept under the carpet but are being identified, recorded, and followed up transparently, predictability increases. Decisions about scope, planning, or additional resources can then be made in a timely manner and better substantiated.

In addition, issue management is directly linked to risk management. Risks are about events that may occur in the future. Issues are about problems that are already occurring. A risk that becomes reality is moved to the issue log. Addressing that issue often provides lessons learned for the risk register. This creates a continuous interaction between preventing risks and solving problems, which strengthens project control as a whole.

Issue Management and risk management, the process

Risk management is a very important discipline in business and beyond. Risks are assessed to predict a potential problem in the future. It’s all about proactivity. In other words: actively trying to identify and mitigate the potential risks. Once a project team knows what risks they may face in the process, it becomes easier to quell predictable issues and keep the project running smoothly.

The following five steps are essential to address risks in a timely manner.

Step 1. Identify the risk

First of all, it must be clear which risk poses a threat to the progress of a project or process. Therefore, gather the team and, if possible, specialists from outside. For example, use brainstorming techniques to find out which problems and pitfalls may arise. You can use post-its or a mind map for this. Next, create a project risk management log that tracks all risks.

Step 2. Analyze the risk

Not all risks are the same. For example, sometimes it is not necessary to act on a risk because the chance of it occurring is simply too small, or because the consequences will simply not stand in the way of the progress of the project.

Use techniques such as the decision tree or the decision matrix to properly indicate the consequences of each risk. Consider all possible consequences of a risk, from financial consequences to wasted time and other costs.

Step 3. Prioritize

The next step in the risk management and issue management process is prioritization. Several risks have been identified that need to be acted upon. As stated earlier, not all risks can be addressed without jeopardizing the progress of the project plan. By prioritizing risks, the list can be ranked by likelihood and impact, as explained in the risk management article.

Step 4. Take action

During this step, the team or project manager takes action to address the risks. Create a treatment plan for the highest priority risks. This could be, for example, the risk with the greatest negative impact or the highest probability, but other risks from the risk matrix can also be mitigated first.

Step 5. Manage the risks

It is important that the team and manager regularly go back to the risk log throughout the project to determine how well or poorly the risks are being managed. Adjust the approach if necessary.

Further steps in the issue management process

By going through the risk management process explained above, a first project obstacle has been resolved. Identifying risks and anticipating them is an important part of issue management. What about issues that still arise? These acute issues appear to arise suddenly and cannot be predicted.

Nevertheless, there is a fast and efficient way to solve these issues as they arise. This is known as the issue management process. The process involves three steps:

Identifying and registering issues
Determining impact and setting priorities
Drawing up a plan to solve the issues

As you can see, this process is very similar to the risk management process discussed above.

Registering issues is important to be able to solve them proactively. Behind every issue management process is an issue log in which the issues are recorded. An issue log acts as a central database for stakeholders to report problems in projects as they arise. They can also add solutions so that others can consult this log in the future and use the resolved issues as an example.

Using a log ensures that:

Team members have a safe way to share project concerns and issues
Team members can be assigned to issues to address the issues and track progress
The team has a central place where issues are identified

There is no fixed form or format for a logbook. What this looks like depends on the needs and wishes of the team working with it.

Be sure to include at least the following information in the log:

Type of issue (technical, malfunction, etc.)
Name of reporter
Time and date of determination
Description of the issue and consequences
What priority does the issue have?
Name of person responsible for this part of the project
Deadline for a solution
Status

After managing the issue, leave room to report how the issue has been solved. So keep track of every step. This later helps the team identify patterns in how the issue was solved.

Practical example: from risk to issue to solution

At the start of an IT implementation project, a risk session is held. One of the risks noted by the team is that the external supplier may not be able to deliver on time due to capacity shortages. This risk is entered in the risk register with an estimate of probability and impact and with a measure: monthly coordination with the supplier on planning and capacity.

Halfway through the project, a progress meeting reveals that the supplier is two weeks behind schedule. The risk has now become a reality and is therefore changed to an issue. The project manager records the problem in the issue log with a clear description, the impact on planning and costs, a priority, and an owner. In this case, the supplier is named as co-owner, together with the internal project manager.

In consultation, it is decided to temporarily deploy additional developers at the supplier and to adjust the order of certain activities internally. The new agreements and actions are recorded in the issue log, including deadlines and responsible parties. The steering group is informed about the impact and the chosen solution. In this way, the issue becomes visible, manageable, and controllable.

After the issue has been resolved, the project manager takes the time to evaluate the situation. The most important lesson is that the delay could have been identified earlier if the reporting had been more strictly agreed upon. This lesson is added to the risk register and to the list of lessons learned. This creates a direct link between risk management and issue management.

Issue management in agile and digital environments

In agile projects and digital environments, issue management plays a central role in daily work. Teams often work with digital issue trackers such as Jira, Azure DevOps, or other ticketing systems. Each issue is assigned a card or ticket with information about its description, impact, priority, owner, and status.

In scrum teams, issues are displayed on the scrum board or Kanban board. Some issues are technical errors or bugs, while others concern dependencies, missing decisions, or bottlenecks in processes. During the daily stand-up meeting, each team member indicates which issues are hindering their work. The Scrum Master ensures that impediments are addressed and, if necessary, escalated to the product owner or the organization.

The advantage of this way of working is that issues remain visible to the entire team. Instead of separate emails or verbal signals, there is a single source of truth. This makes it easier to prioritize, assign responsibilities, and monitor progress. At the same time, the same basic principles apply as in more traditional projects. Every issue needs an owner, a clear description, an impact assessment, and a concrete next step.

In agile and scrum environments, it is important not to confuse issues with regular user stories. Issues are problems that directly threaten the achievement of sprint goals or product goals. By making them visible separately in an issue list or impediment log, it remains clear which issues require extra attention from the product owner, the Scrum Master, or the line organization.

Pitfalls and tips for issue management

Issue management seems simple on paper, but in practice there are a number of recurring pitfalls. The first pitfall is registering issues without assigning ownership. The issue log grows, but no one feels truly responsible for the solution. Issues remain open longer and the log becomes more of an archive than a management tool.

A second pitfall is ignoring minor issues. Minor bottlenecks in processes, communication, or technology are then not taken seriously. Over time, these accumulate and grow into major problems that affect planning and quality. By also briefly recording minor issues, the project team can recognize patterns and intervene in time.

A third pitfall is that issues are described too vaguely. A report such as “communication is not going well” provides little guidance. A concrete description is better, for example, that decision-making on changes takes longer than two weeks and therefore delays deliveries. The more concrete the issue, the more targeted the solution can be.

Finally, there is a risk that the issue log will not be used regularly in management. If issues are not standard items on the agenda of project meetings or steering group meetings, the overview quickly loses its value. A few practical tips can help to prevent this.

Tip 1

Schedule fixed times in project meetings and steering group meetings to review the issue log. Start with the issues with the highest priority and greatest impact.

Tip 2

Work with a clear prioritization system. Distinguish between critical issues that directly threaten the project, important issues that impact quality or turnaround time, and less urgent issues that can be addressed later.

Tip 3

Limit the number of outstanding critical issues. Agree that the team will first resolve existing critical issues before starting new projects or changes that put additional pressure on capacity.

Tip 4

Link issue management to lessons learned. When an issue is closed, briefly record the lesson learned for future projects or for the risk register.

By avoiding these pitfalls and working consciously with the issue log, issue management becomes a powerful tool for keeping projects manageable and steering them predictably.

Recommended books and articles on issue management

This literature explains what issue management is, why it is essential for project and risk management, and how you can systematically identify signals, stakeholders, and priorities. The sources combine theory and practice and help you to recognize issues in a timely manner, analyze them, and manage them effectively.

Aven, T. (2016). Risk assessment and risk management: Review of recent advances on their foundation. European Journal of Operational Research, 253(1), 1–13. → Analyzes risk management principles that are directly related to Issue Management and explains how insights from risk logic also help prioritize issues.
Bourne, L., & Walker, D. H. T. (2005). Visualising and mapping stakeholder influence. Management Decision, 43(5), 649–660. → Examines stakeholder analyses; important because effective Issue Management starts with understanding who influences which issues.
Hillson, D. (2003). Effective Opportunity Management for Projects: Exploiting Positive Risk. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker. → Provides in-depth methods for proactively identifying, recording, and prioritizing issues and opportunities—essential for completing Issue Management.
Hillson, D., & Simon, P. (2020). Practical risk management: The ATOM methodology. Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(2), 12–23. → Provides methods for integrating risk and issue management so that you not only act reactively, but also prevent issue patterns structurally.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. → Broad project management standard work in which Issue Management is discussed as an integral part of risk management and project control.
Morris, P. W. G., Pinto, J. K., & Söderlund, J. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Project Management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. → Connects Issue Management with governance, stakeholder engagement, and performance management; offers a broad and academically grounded perspective.
Müller, R., & Turner, R. (2007). The influence of governance on project performance. International Journal of Project Management, 25(3), 303–314. → Describes how governance processes, including (Issue Management) escalation procedures, influence project results.
PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6e editie. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. → The PMI standard that includes Issue Management in the context of risk and stakeholder management; a practical standard for professionalization.
Project Management Institute. (2013). Managing change in organizations: A practice guide. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. → Practical guide linking issue management to change management and risk/impact analysis within projects.
Schwalbe, K. (2019). Information Technology Project Management. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. → Integrates issue management into the daily operational practice of IT projects and establishes links with scope, time, and communication management.
Too, E., & Weaver, P. (2014). The management of project benefits: Why issue management is critical in achieving results. International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 137–147. → Examines issue management in relation to realizing project benefits; makes it clear that unresolved issues cause performance loss.
Zwikael, O., & Globerson, S. (2006). From critical success factors to critical success processes. International Journal of Production Research, 44(17), 3433–3449. → Demonstrates how the process of identifying and managing issues is related to what makes projects successful.

How to cite this article:
Janse, B. (2022). Issue Management. Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/project-management/issue-management/

Original publication date: 12/23/2022 | Last update: 01/06/2026

Add a link to this page on your website:
<a href=”https://www.toolshero.com/project-management/issue-management/”>Toolshero: Issue Management</a>

Did you find this article interesting?

Your rating is more than welcome or share this article via Social media!

Average rating 4 / 5. Vote count: 4

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Article by:

Ben Janse

Ben Janse is a young professional working at ToolsHero as Content Manager. He is also an International Business student at Rotterdam Business School where he focusses on analyzing and developing management models. Thanks to his theoretical and practical knowledge, he knows how to distinguish main- and side issues and to make the essence of each article clearly visible.