What is scenario-based risk assessment in strategy?

• A. A method to forecast exact market prices
• B. A technique for legal risk only
• C. A method to identify potential adverse futures and estimate impacts to test resilience and contingencies
• D. A way to assign blame after failures

Answer: (C)

Scenario-based risk assessment in strategy is about imagining a range of plausible futures, especially adverse ones, and evaluating how a strategy would perform under each. This approach helps test resilience and build contingencies rather than trying to predict exact market prices. By identifying risk drivers, crafting scenarios, and estimating impacts on revenue, costs, and cash flow, you can spot where the plan is fragile and what actions keep the business viable—like diversifying suppliers, building buffers, or adjusting commitments—before a stress event occurs. It’s not about forecasting precise prices, it isn’t limited to legal risk, and it isn’t about assigning blame after failures.