The Risk

Management
Process

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What is the Risk Management
process?

The Risk Management Process consists of

a series of steps that, when undertaken in
sequence, enable continual improvement in
decision-making.

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 Steps of the Risk Management
Process?
Step 1. Communicate and consult.
Step 2. Establish the context.
Step 3. Identify the risks.
Step 4. Analyze the risks.
Step 5. Evaluate the risks.
Step 6. Treat the risks.
Step 7. Monitor and review.

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Step 1.Communicate and consult

-Communication and
consultation aims to identify
who should be involved in
assessment of risk (including
identification,analysis and
evaluation) and it should
engage those who will be
involved in the treatment,
monitoring and review of risk.

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-As such, communication and consultation will be
reflected in each step of the process described
here.

-As an initial step, there are two main aspects that

should be identified in order to establish the
requirements for the remainder of the process.

-These are communication and consultation aimed at:

A- Eliciting risk information
B-Managing stakeholder perceptions for
management of risk.

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A- Eliciting risk information

-Communication and consultation may occur

within the organization or between the
organization and its stakeholders.

-It is very rare that only one person will hold all the
information needed to identify the risks to a
business or even to an activity or project.

-It therefore important to identify the range of

stakeholders who will assist in making this
information complete.

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B-Managing stakeholder perceptions for
management of risk

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Tips for effective communication and
consultation
• Determine at the outset whether a communication
strategy and/or plan is required

• Determine the best method or media for

communication and consultation

• The significance or complexity of the issue or

activity in question can be used as a guide as
to how much communication and consultation
is required: the more complex and significant to
the organization, the more detailed and
comprehensive the requirement.
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Step 2. Establish the context

provides a five-step process to

assist with establishing the
context within which risk will be
identified.
1-Establish the internal context
2-Establish the external context
3-Establish the risk management
context
4- Develop risk criteria
5- Define the structure for risk
analysis

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1- Establish the internal context

-As previously discussed, risk is the chance of

something happening that will impact on
objectives.
As such, the objectives and goals of a business,
project or activity must first be identified to
ensure that all significant risks are understood.
This ensures that risk decisions always support the
broader goals and objectives of the business.
This approach encourages long-term and
strategic thinking.

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 In establishing the internal context, the business
owner may also ask themselves the following
questions:

- Is there an internal culture that needs to be

considered? For example, are staff Resistant to
change? Is there a professional culture that
might create unnecessary risks for the business?
- What staff groups are present?
- What capabilities does the business have in
terms of people, systems, processes, equipment
and other resources?

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2. Establish the external context

 This step defines the overall environment in

which a business operates and includes an
understanding of the clients’ or customers’
perceptions of the business. An analysis of these
factors will identify the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats to the business in the
external environment.

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 A business owner may ask the following
questions when determining the external context:
• What regulations and legislation must the
business comply with?
• Are there any other requirements the business
needs to comply with?
• What is the market within which the business
operates? Who are the competitors?
• Are there any social, cultural or political issues
that need to be considered?

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 Tips for establishing internal and external
contexts

-Determine the significance of the activity in

achieving the organization's goals and objectives
- Define the operating environment
- Identify internal and external stakeholders and
determine their involvement in the risk
management process.

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3- Establish the risk management context

- Before beginning a risk identification exercise, it

is important to define the limits, objectives and
scope of the activity or issue under examination.

- For example, in conducting a risk analysis for a

new project, such as the introduction of a new
piece of equipment or a new product line, it is
important to clearly identify the parameters for
this activity to ensure that all significant risks are
identified.

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 Tips for establishing the risk management
context
• Define the objectives of the activity, task or
function
• Identify any legislation, regulations, policies,
standards and operating procedures that need to
be complied with
• Decide on the depth of analysis required and
allocate resources accordingly
• Decide what the output of the process will be, e.g.
a risk assessment, job safety analysis or a board
presentation. The output will determine the most
appropriate structure and type of documentation.

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4. Develop risk criteria

Risk criteria allow a business to clearly define

unacceptable levels of risk. Conversely, risk
criteria may include the acceptable level of risk
for a specific activity or event. In this step the
risk criteria may be broadly defined and then
further refined later in the risk management
process.

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 Tips for developing risk criteria

• Decide or define the acceptable level of

risk for each activity
• Determine what is unacceptable
• Clearly identify who is responsible for
accepting risk and at what level.

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5. Define the structure for risk analysis

 Isolate the categories of risk that you want

to manage. This will provide greater depth
and accuracy in identifying significant
risks.
 The chosen structure for risk analysis will
depend upon the type of activity or issue,
its complexity and the context of the risks.

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Step 3. Identify the risks

 Risk cannot be managed

unless it is first identified.
Once the context of the
business has been defined,
the next step is to utilize the
information to identify as
many risks as possible.

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 The aim of risk identification is to identify
possible risks that may affect, either negatively
or positively, the objectives of the business and
the activity under analysis. Answering the
following questions identifies the risk:

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 There are two main ways to identify risk:
1- Identifying retrospective risks

Retrospective risks are those that have

previously occurred, such as incidents or
accidents. Retrospective risk identification is
often the most common way to identify risk, and
the easiest. It’s easier to believe something if it
has happened before. It is also easier to quantify
its impact and to see the damage it has caused.

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 There are many sources of information
about retrospective risk. These include:

• Hazard or incident logs or registers

• Audit reports
• Customer complaints
• Accreditation documents and reports
• Past staff or client surveys
• Newspapers or professional media, such as
journals or websites.

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2-Identifying prospective risks

 Prospective risks are often harder to identify.

These are things that have not yet happened, but
might happen some time in the future.

 Identification should include all risks, whether or

not they are currently being managed. The
rationale here is to record all significant risks and
monitor or review the effectiveness of their
control.

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 Methods for identifying prospective risks
include:

• Brainstorming with staff or external stakeholders

• Researching the economic, political, legislative
and operating environment
• Conducting interviews with relevant people and/
or organizations
• Undertaking surveys of staff or clients to identify
anticipated issues or problems
• Flow charting a process
• Reviewing system design or preparing system
analysis techniques.

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Tips for effective risk identification

 Select a risk identification methodology

appropriate to the type of risk and the nature of
the activity
 Involve the right people in risk identification
activities
 Take a life cycle approach to risk identification
and determine how risks change and evolve
throughout this cycle.

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Step 4. Analyze the risks
 During the risk identification
step, a business owner may
have identified many risks
and it is often not possible
to try to address all those
identified.
 The risk analysis step will
assist in determining which
risks have a greater
consequence or impact than
others.
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 What is risk analysis?

 Risk analysis involves combining the possible

consequences, or impact, of an event,

 with the likelihood of that event occurring. The

result is a ‘level of risk’. That is:

Risk = consequence x likelihood

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 Elements of risk analysis
The elements of risk analysis are as follows:

1. Identify existing strategies and controls that act

to minimize negative risk and enhance
opportunities.
2. Determine the consequences of a negative
impact or an opportunity (these may be
positive or negative).
3. Determine the likelihood of a negative
consequence or an opportunity.
4. Estimate the level of risk by combining
consequence and likelihood.
5. Consider and identify any uncertainties in the
estimates.
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 Types of analysis
Three categories or types of analysis can be used to
determine level of risk:
• Qualitative
• Semi-quantitative
• Quantitative.

- The most common type of risk analysis is the

qualitative method. The type of analysis chosen will
be based upon the area of risk being analyzed.

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 Tips for effective risk analysis

• Risk analysis is usually done in the context of

existing controls – take the time to identify them
• The risk analysis methodology selected should,
where possible, be comparable to the
significance and complexity of the risk being
analyzed, i.e. the higher the potential
consequence the more rigorous the
methodology
• Risk analysis tools are designed to help rank or
priorities risks. To do this they must be designed
for the specific context and the risk dimension
under analysis.

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Step 5. Evaluate the risks
 Risk evaluation involves comparing
the level of risk found during the
analysis process with previously
established risk criteria, and
deciding whether these risks require
treatment.
 The result of a risk evaluation is a
prioritized list of risks that require
further action.
 This step is about deciding whether
risks are acceptable or need
treatment.

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 Risk acceptance
A risk may be accepted for the following reasons:

• The cost of treatment far exceeds the benefit, so

that acceptance is the only option (applies
particularly to lower ranked risks)
• The level of the risk is so low that specific
treatment is not appropriate with available
resources
• The opportunities presented outweigh the
threats to such a degree that the risks justified
• The risk is such that there is no treatment
available, for example the risk that the business
may suffer storm damage.

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Step 6. Treat the risks

 Risk treatment is about

considering options for treating
risks that were not considered
acceptable or tolerable at Step 5.

 Risk treatment involves identifying

options for treating or controlling
risk, in order to either reduce or
eliminate negative consequences,
or to reduce the likelihood of an
adverse occurrence. Risk
treatment should also aim to
enhance positive outcomes.

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 Options for risk treatment:

identifies the following options that may assist in

the minimization of negative risk or an increase
in the impact of positive risk.
1- Avoid the risk
2- Change the likelihood of the occurrence
3- Change the consequences
4- Share the risk
5- Retain the risk

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 Tips for implementing risk treatments

• The key to managing risk is in implementing

effective treatment options
• When implementing the risk treatment plan,
ensure that adequate resources are available,
and define a timeframe, responsibilities and a
method for monitoring progress against the plan
• Physically check that the treatment implemented
reduces the residual risk level
• In order of priority, undertake remedial measures
to reduce the risk.
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Step 7. Monitor and review

 Monitor and review is an

essential and integral step in the
risk management process.
 A business owner must monitor
risks and review the
effectiveness of the treatment
plan, strategies and
management system that have
been set up to effectively
manage risk.
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 Risks need to be monitored periodically to
ensure changing circumstances do not alter the
risk priorities. Very few risks will remain static,
therefore the risk management process needs to
be regularly repeated, so that new risks are
captured in the process and effectively managed.
 A risk management plan at a business level
should be reviewed at least on an annual basis.
An effective way to ensure that this occurs is to
combine risk planning or risk review with annual
business planning.

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Summary of risk management steps

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