Interpreting Assessment Results
This guide explains how to read and understand the risk scores, indicators, and recommendations generated by the CGIAR Risk Intelligence Tool.Overview
After AI analysis completes, your assessment includes:- Overall Risk Score: Aggregate score across all categories (0-100)
- Risk Level: Traffic-light classification (Low, Moderate, High, Critical)
- Category Scores: Individual scores for 7 risk dimensions
- Subcategory Analysis: Detailed 5-indicator breakdown per category
- Evidence Narratives: AI-generated explanations with source citations
- Actionable Recommendations: Prioritized mitigation strategies
- Executive Summary: High-level overview for stakeholders
Accessing Your Results
Understanding the Overall Risk Score
Score Components
The overall risk score is displayed prominently at the top of the scorecard: Score: Numeric value from 0-100- Lower scores = Higher risk (0 = maximum risk)
- Higher scores = Lower risk (100 = minimal risk)
- Aggregated from 7 category scores
- Weighted by category importance
Inverted Scale: The platform uses an inverted scale where 0 represents critical risk and 100 represents minimal risk. This aligns with credit scoring conventions.
Risk Levels (Traffic Lights)
Scores map to four risk levels:| Score Range | Level | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76-100 | LOW | Green | Minimal risk exposure, strong controls |
| 51-75 | MODERATE | Yellow | Acceptable risk with minor concerns |
| 26-50 | HIGH | Orange | Significant risk requiring mitigation |
| 0-25 | CRITICAL | Red | Severe risk, immediate action needed |
- Color-coded badges: Background and text color match risk level
- Progress bar: Filled portion shows score with matching color
- Border styling: Cards have colored borders matching severity
Score Interpretation Guide
Low Risk (76-100 points) - Green
Low Risk (76-100 points) - Green
Interpretation:
- Business shows strong risk management
- Most risk factors well-controlled
- Documentation complete and thorough
- Financial position stable
- Monitor ongoing performance
- Maintain current controls
- Focus on growth opportunities
- Standard reporting frequency
Moderate Risk (51-75 points) - Yellow
Moderate Risk (51-75 points) - Yellow
Interpretation:
- Generally acceptable risk profile
- Some areas need improvement
- Controls present but could be stronger
- Minor gaps in documentation
- Address identified gaps
- Strengthen weaker areas
- Enhance monitoring in flagged categories
- Quarterly risk reviews
High Risk (26-50 points) - Orange
High Risk (26-50 points) - Orange
Interpretation:
- Significant risk exposure identified
- Multiple categories require attention
- Controls insufficient or missing
- Financial or operational vulnerabilities
- Develop mitigation plan immediately
- Prioritize high-impact recommendations
- Increase monitoring frequency
- Consider additional support or training
Critical Risk (0-25 points) - Red
Critical Risk (0-25 points) - Red
Interpretation:
- Severe risk exposure across multiple areas
- Business viability concerns
- Major gaps in controls and documentation
- Immediate intervention required
- Halt funding until risks addressed
- Require comprehensive restructuring plan
- Weekly monitoring and reporting
- On-site assessment recommended
Category-Level Risk Scores
The 7 Risk Categories
Each assessment evaluates seven risk dimensions:1. Behavioral Risk
What it measures:- Management capabilities and experience
- Decision-making processes
- Organizational culture
- Stakeholder relationships
- Commitment to sustainability
- Leadership quality
- Team experience
- Stakeholder engagement
- Ethical practices
- Learning capacity
2. Operational Risk
What it measures:- Production processes and efficiency
- Supply chain management
- Quality control systems
- Infrastructure adequacy
- Operational resilience
- Process reliability
- Supply chain stability
- Quality assurance
- Infrastructure condition
- Capacity utilization
3. Financial Risk
What it measures:- Revenue stability and growth
- Profitability and margins
- Cash flow management
- Debt levels and servicing
- Financial planning maturity
- Revenue diversification
- Profitability trends
- Liquidity position
- Leverage ratios
- Financial controls
Critical Category: Financial risk often has the highest weight in overall scoring. Strong financial performance can offset moderate risks in other areas.
4. Market Risk
What it measures:- Market positioning and competition
- Customer concentration
- Price volatility exposure
- Market access barriers
- Demand stability
- Competitive advantage
- Customer diversification
- Pricing power
- Market accessibility
- Demand predictability
5. Climate & Environmental Risk
What it measures:- Climate change vulnerability
- Environmental compliance
- Resource sustainability
- Adaptation measures
- Environmental impact
- Climate exposure
- Adaptation capacity
- Environmental compliance
- Resource efficiency
- Sustainability practices
6. Governance & Legal Risk
What it measures:- Organizational structure and governance
- Legal compliance
- Regulatory adherence
- Contract management
- Dispute resolution
- Governance structure
- Regulatory compliance
- Legal standing
- Contract coverage
- Risk oversight
7. Technology & Data Risk
What it measures:- Technology adoption and integration
- Data management practices
- Cybersecurity measures
- Digital literacy
- Innovation capacity
- Technology infrastructure
- Data quality and security
- Digital skills
- System reliability
- Innovation adoption
Viewing Category Details
Click “View Details” on any category card to see:- Category Score: Overall score for this dimension
- 5 Subcategory Scores: Individual indicator ratings
- Evidence Narrative: AI explanation with citations
- Risk Factors: Specific concerns identified
- Recommendations: Targeted mitigation actions
Subcategory Scores and Indicators
Each category contains 5 subcategory indicators scored individually:Indicator Components
Name: Specific risk factor (e.g., “Revenue Diversification”) Score: 0-100 value for this indicator Level: Traffic-light classification (Low/Moderate/High/Critical) Evidence: Text explaining the score with document citations Mitigation: Suggested actions to improve this indicatorExample: Financial Risk Subcategories
| Indicator | Score | Level | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Diversification | 45 | HIGH | Single crop (coffee) represents 87% of revenue |
| Profitability Trends | 62 | MODERATE | Margins improving but still below sector average |
| Liquidity Position | 38 | HIGH | Current ratio of 0.8, insufficient working capital |
| Leverage Ratios | 71 | MODERATE | Debt-to-equity at 1.2, manageable but high |
| Financial Controls | 55 | MODERATE | Basic accounting but no formal budgeting process |
Evidence and Narratives
The AI generates evidence narratives explaining each score:Evidence Structure
Components:- Summary statement: Brief overall assessment
- Key findings: Bulleted list of main observations
- Document citations: References to source material (page numbers)
- Data points: Specific metrics or facts extracted
- Risk implications: How findings affect the score
Example Evidence Narrative
Interpreting Citations
Document references appear as:(p. 12-14)- Pages 12 through 14 of uploaded PDF(Business Plan, Section 3)- Specific section reference(Financial Statements 2025, Income Statement)- Document and table
AI Limitations: Evidence is extracted automatically. Always verify critical findings against source documents, especially for high-stakes decisions.
Recommendations
Each category and subcategory includes actionable recommendations:Recommendation Structure
Priority: HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW Text: Specific action to take Impact: Expected effect on risk score Timeframe: Suggested implementation timelinePriority Levels
| Priority | Badge Color | Meaning | Typical Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | Red | Critical action, addresses severe risk | Immediate (0-30 days) |
| MEDIUM | Orange | Important improvement, material impact | Short-term (1-3 months) |
| LOW | Yellow | Enhancement opportunity, minor impact | Medium-term (3-6 months) |
Example Recommendations
Sample HIGH priority recommendation:Editing Recommendations
Administrators can edit recommendations:- Click “Edit” next to any recommendation
- Modify the text to add context or local specifics
- Save changes
- Edited recommendations show a “(Edited)” tag
- Original AI text is preserved in history
Radar Chart Visualization
The radar chart provides a visual overview of category scores:Reading the Radar Chart
Axes: Each of the 7 corners represents a risk category Scale: 0 (center) to 100 (outer edge) Filled area: Shows actual scores across categories Shape interpretation:- Balanced shape: Consistent performance across categories
- Irregular shape: Strengths and weaknesses in different areas
- Small shape: High overall risk (low scores)
- Large shape: Low overall risk (high scores)
Spotting Patterns
Indented corners: Categories with lower scores (higher risk)- Focus improvement efforts here
- May drag down overall score
- Review subcategory details for root causes
- Strengths to leverage
- May indicate mature controls
- Potential to share best practices
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary section provides a high-level overview suitable for stakeholders:Summary Components
Overall Assessment: 2-3 sentence business characterization Key Strengths: 3-5 bullet points highlighting low-risk areas Primary Concerns: 3-5 bullet points on high-risk areas Critical Actions: Top 3 recommendations (HIGH priority only) Risk Outlook: Forward-looking statement on risk trajectoryExample Executive Summary
Comparing Assessments
Track risk evolution over time:Accessing Historical Assessments
- View all assessments for a company on the dashboard
- Filter by company name to see timeline
- Compare scores quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year
Key Comparison Metrics
Score trends:- Is overall risk increasing or decreasing?
- Which categories show improvement?
- Which categories are deteriorating?
- Were previous HIGH priority actions taken?
- Did scores improve as expected?
- What new risks emerged?
- How has the business evolved?
- Are controls strengthening?
- Is documentation improving?
Trend Analysis: The platform doesn’t currently include automated trend charts, but you can manually track scores in a spreadsheet for longitudinal analysis.
Taking Action on Results
Best Practices
Interpreting Scores in Context
Interpreting Scores in Context
- Compare against sector benchmarks when available
- Consider business stage (startup vs. established)
- Account for external factors (market conditions, climate events)
- Review trends over time, not just absolute scores
- Balance quantitative scores with qualitative judgment
Using Evidence Effectively
Using Evidence Effectively
- Always verify critical findings in source documents
- Look for patterns across multiple evidence points
- Consider data freshness (recent vs. outdated information)
- Flag evidence gaps for follow-up with business
- Use citations in discussions to maintain credibility
Acting on Recommendations
Acting on Recommendations
- Focus on HIGH priority items first
- Group related recommendations for efficiency
- Involve business owners in implementation planning
- Set realistic timelines based on capacity
- Track completion and measure impact
- Reassess after major changes