Manage risk

What is managing risk?

Managing risk involves setting out a structured approach that enables potential risks that could impact the achievement of the intended outcome/s to be identified, analysed, and mitigated.

The aim of risk management is to anticipate potential issues and challenges that could negatively impact the delivery of transformation and put in place actions to avoid risks materialising wherever possible.

Essential for:

• All types of transformation.

Knowledge

• Understanding of risk management best practice and how best to apply it in the context of both Agile and Waterfall delivery.
• Understanding of the types of risk that are likely to require consideration based on the type of transformation activity.
• Knowledge of the methods and tools for identifying and managing potential risks.

Skills

Able to:

• Quickly build contextual knowledge and awareness: To ensure full understanding of the risk landscape and wider contextual factors.
• Create an effective risk management framework: Aligned to the wider governance structure of the organisation and aligned to the Council’s risk appetite.
• Work collaboratively: To identify potential risks, documenting the risk, and its likelihood and impact.
• Generate potential mitigations: To enable risks to be prevented, detected, and mitigated, or for impacts to be minimised.
• Undertake scenario planning: To understand the scenarios that may lead to risks crystallising.
• Complete contingency planning: To ensure lines of defence are in place including what happens if risks become issues.
• Monitor risks effectively: Motivating others to do the same.
• Report on risk effectively and accurately: To enable evidence-based decision making.
• Impact assess the totality of risk: Based on multivariate and compound risks in addition to looking at risks in isolation.
• Communicate effectively: At all levels, both verbally and in writing.
• Negotiate with others: In the interest of defining and implementing effective controls.

Behaviours

• Attention to detail
• Tenacious
• Accountable
• Collaborative
• Act with integrity
• Decisive 
• Authentic
• Empathetic
• Resilient
• Committed to continual learning