Primo

Alarm, the public risk management association has launched a new Risk Management Toolkit. Developed in association with Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management, the Toolkit builds on Alarm’s Core Competencies in Public Service Risk Management and has been designed to provide a ‘how to’ guide to the management of risk in public service organisations.

The Alarm Risk Management Toolkit differs from other risk management guides as it has been designed specifically for individuals working in a public service environment who have responsibility for managing risk or are tasked with implementing or improving the management of risk across their organisation.
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The word dystopia refers to a fictitious place in which everything has gone awry. It is the flip side of utopia, the word coined by Sir Thomas More in his fictional portrayal of a seemingly ideal society. Although such ideas have fascinated novelists ever since More’s musings in the 16th century, there is now reason to fear that we are sowing the seeds of a variety of dystopia which is all too real. Read more >

The World Economic Forum launched the Global Risk Report 2012.

Quote: “Economic imbalances and social inequality risk reversing the gains of globalization, warns the World Economic Forum in its report Global Risks 2012. These are the findings of a survey of 469 experts and industry leaders, indicating a shift of concern from environmental risks to socioeconomic risks compared to a year ago. Respondents worry that further economic shocks and social upheaval could roll back the progress globalization has brought, and feel that the world’s institutions are ill-equipped to cope with today’s interconnected, rapidly evolving risks. The findings of the survey fed into an analysis of three major risk cases: Seeds of Dystopia; Unsafe Safeguards and the Dark Side of Connectivity. The report analyses the top 10 risks in five categories – economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological – and also highlights “X Factor” risks, the wild card threats which warrant more research, including a volcanic winter, cyber neotribalism and epigenetics, the risk that the way we live could have harmful, inheritable effects on our genes. Key crisis management lessons from Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters are highlighted in a special chapter.”

IMPROVING RISK GOVERNANCE

Bron: Alex Wittenberg, Partner, Oliver Wyman Global Risk Center

Recent global shocks, such as the 2008 financial crisis, have driven policy makers and industry strategists to re-examine how to prepare for and respond to such events in the future, whether they arise in financial, natural, public health or even political systems. This OECD report is part of the organisation’s pioneering work on the policy implications of emerging and systemic risks and supports the development of foresight capacity in its Member countries. The report’s findings draw primarily from analysis contained in five case studies on different types of events: financial crises, cyber risks, pandemics, geomagnetic storms and social unrest – some of which have proven capacity to produce global shocks. All five background papers are available separately on the OECD website: www.oecd. org/futures. (more…)

“Cities and local governments need to get ready, reduce the risks and become resilient to disasters. For the next two years and beyond, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) will campaign together with its partners for this to happen.

The 2010-2011 World Disaster Reduction Campaign “Making Cities Resilient” addresses issues of local governance and urban risk while drawing upon previous ISDR Campaigns on safer schools and hospitals, as well as on the sustainable urbanizations principles developed in the UN-Habitat World Urban Campaign 2009-2013.”

Source: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

This book was published for launch at the third Session of Global Platform for Disaster Reduction (GPDR) and it is the latest in a series of volumes addressing natural disasters, and how their impact can be reduced by effective capacity building and prevention strategies.

Source: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

‘Risk Management Partners (RMP), a leading UK company in the public sector to provide individually insurance programmes, integrate claims management, information management and risk control services that will reduce cost of risk in the medium and long term and Public Risk Management Organisation (PRIMO) have decided to start a dedicated partnership for 2011 and 2012.

The partnership of RMP and PRIMO is focused on strengthening the dissemination of relevant public risk related information in the Dutch and English language area’s by further investing in newsletter, website and magazine. The second focus point is to contribute to a further development of the PRIMO Academy, which comprises scientific research and education development.

RMP Managing Director Kaz Janowicz, PRIMO Europe President Tom Wustenberghs and PRIMO Founding President Jack P. Kruf are very content with the new partnership and are looking forward to a fruitful partnership.’