Overview of a Burndown Chart

Burndown chart is used to monitor how much work remains to be done in a project. In projects where the product owner or project manager also promotes monitoring risks, the burndown chart can be used to evaluate the treatment of risks across the iterations or phases. 

SQL Query for the Custom Graph

To create this risk burndown chart, use the following ESQL Query.

select 
  R.RELEASE_ID, 
  SUM(R.RISK_EXPOSURE) as TOTAL_EXPOSURE 
from 
  SpiraTestEntities.R_Risks as R 
join
  SpiraTestEntities.R_Releases as RL on 
  RL.RELEASE_ID = R.RELEASE_ID and 
  RL.IS_SUMMARY = False
where 
  R.PROJECT_ID = ${ProjectId} and 
  R.RELEASE_ID is not null and 
  R.IS_DELETED = False
group by 
  R.RELEASE_ID
order by 
  R.RELEASE_ID

Query Explanation

  1. The select clause is very self-explanatory as we are summing the risk exposure.
  2. The result is joined with the releases on RELEASE_ID to avoid summary releases (IS_SUMMARY  = False).
  3. The where clause eliminates deleted risks (IS_DELETED = False) and risks not associated with a release (RELEASE_ID is not null).
  4. The where clause also looks only at the current project selection (PROJECT_ID = ${ProjectId}.

Viewing the Results and Graph

Here is the sample of the result along with the resulting line chart. It is better to use the line chart here to get a feel for the burn down chart. However, if a bar chart is preferred, that can also be used.

Risk Burndown Chart

Graph Interpretation

The graph here need not always be going down. Depending upon the requirements selected during the iteration or the uncertainties faced, the risks may reduce or increase. The goal here is only to see how well we are addressing the risks and if we should reprioritize based on risks encountered or address the risks more aggressively.