| -link"> | | | | and aligned to that of the local secondary school. This |
| Every activity and situation carries risks. Whether you | | | | might bring important benefits, such as the adequate |
| are launching a new project, providing ongoing | | | | preparation of all primary school students in core |
| services or heading a strategy for widespread | | | | subject areas. It may also increase parent confidence |
| organisational change, thorough and effective | | | | and force under-performing schools to improve basic |
| management of the risks involved is essential to | | | | standards. However, the programme might also |
| ensure long-term success. Every activity and situation | | | | reduce the individuality of the primary school |
| carries risks. Whether you are launching a new | | | | curriculum. There is a risk that the schools and |
| project, providing ongoing services or heading a | | | | children thriving on a less-structured curriculum might |
| strategy for widespread organisational change, | | | | begin to perform badly under the new strictures. |
| thorough and effective management of the risks | | | | In order to effectively manage risks at a programme |
| involved is essential to ensure long-term success. | | | | level, the risk manager must evaluate the likelihood |
| The M_o_R (Management of Risk) methodology, | | | | and importance of the risk against the projected |
| owned by the OGC and administered as a | | | | benefits of the change. |
| qualification by the APMG, provides a set of principles | | | | M_o_R: Project perspective |
| and generic processes for identifying, analysing and | | | | Project management is concerned with delivering a |
| managing the risks that may occur in a business | | | | set of outputs (or products’) according to |
| context. This framework is aligned to the other | | | | a pre-defined scope, budget, schedule and quality |
| management methodologies associated with the OGC | | | | specification. Risk management at the level of a |
| (notable PRINCE2 and MSP), but is design to be used | | | | project is concerned with the possible incidents or |
| in an organisation or business context. | | | | issues that would affect the project output. |
| A risk can be defined as an outcome that is | | | | For example, the local council may decide to create a |
| uncertain, and that (were it to occur) would affect | | | | standard examination for primary schools, to ensure |
| the aims or outcome of the organisation. Despite | | | | that all students are adequately prepared in the core |
| popular usage, therefore, a risk does not have to be | | | | subject areas. This project will involve collating a body |
| negative. It is imperative that a risk manager (or, | | | | of knowledge recognised as core’ for |
| indeed, any kind of manager) knows how to manage | | | | primary school students, preparing an acceptable |
| both positive and negative risks to the greatest | | | | system for examining students, and implementing this |
| benefit of the organisation. | | | | new examination system across the local primary |
| Risks affect every level of activity within an | | | | schools. |
| organisation. The M_o_R framework draws attention | | | | Both the goals and the risks of this project will be |
| to four key levels (or perspectives’), each | | | | more immediate than those involved at the Strategic |
| of which requires a tailored approach to risk | | | | and Programme perspective. Project risks might |
| management. | | | | include: disputation over material recognised as |
| M_o_R: Strategic perspective | | | | core’; resistance on the part of teachers |
| Within M_o_R, the strategic’ perspective | | | | and/or parents; failure of the examinations to |
| encompasses long-term decisions related to the | | | | accurately assess the students’ understanding |
| overall direction of the organisation. These risks may | | | | of the material. |
| not be immediately apparent, and can lie dormant for | | | | The project risk manager needs to consider how |
| some time after a decision has been made. | | | | each of these risks may be most effectively |
| For example, a local council might decide to provide a | | | | managed to ensure delivery of the project outcome |
| more equal education for all primary school students | | | | to the desired scope and specification. |
| in its district. This strategy may involve clear | | | | M_o_R: Operational perspective |
| long-term benefits in terms of individual, institutional | | | | Risks are more immediate at ground level, and |
| and local academic achievement. It may also involve | | | | operational risk management requires a high level of |
| long-term risks, such as reducing additional | | | | forethought and independent, structured response to |
| opportunities for students at the highest end of the | | | | convert the project output into real benefits. |
| academic spectrum. This may not become apparent | | | | Operational risks to the primary school examination |
| for a number of years. | | | | scenario considered above might include logistical |
| The managers responsible for evaluating the | | | | difficulties organising and processing examinations, or |
| council’s strategy must analyse the probability | | | | inadequate preparation of the students in coping with |
| and potential impact of any such risks in order to | | | | exam situations. Those responsible for implementing |
| enable the most effective approach to risk | | | | the new exams must be prepared to deal with issues |
| management. | | | | that may arise during the operation. This preparation |
| M_o_R: Programme Management perspective | | | | comes through identification of risks and thorough |
| Medium-term goals are achieved through the | | | | analysis of the affect that such risks may have on |
| programme management perspective. This is the | | | | the concrete outcomes and benefit of the |
| level at which strategy is transformed into a | | | | council’s educational strategy. |
| workable change programme. Risk management at | | | | Summary |
| the programme level concerns the decisions that are | | | | Understanding perspective is central to understanding |
| made about the way that the strategy will be | | | | the M_o_R approach to risk management within an |
| fulfilled, and the risks that are implicit in each of those | | | | organisational environment. Individuals at every level |
| decisions. | | | | need to be aware of standard processes, techniques |
| For example, the local council may decide that the | | | | and challenges involved in managing the risks |
| primary school curriculum needs to be standardised | | | | associated with their activities and responsibilities. |