Civil Service – UK
Overview: Risk is part of everything we do. We all manage risk – often without realising it – every day. We live in an ever-changing world and the pace of change is increasing. This carries with it uncertainty and that uncertainty brings new opportunities and risks. How we manage those has never been more important in helping us meet our objectives, improve service delivery, achieve value for money and reduce unwelcome surprises.
We believe in the value of effectively managing risk: it informs business decisions; enables a more effective use of precious resources; enhances strategic and business planning; and strengthens contingency planning.
None of this is possible without a supportive risk culture. A positive risk culture, one which encourages openness and discusses real business issues in a realistic manner, is absolutely essential to the effective management of risk. Everyone, from the board down, has a clear role to play in establishing and maintaining that risk culture.
Last year, we set out to use the non-executive network to try and break down departmental silos, encourage the elevation of best practice and strive for continuous improvement. Ian Barlow (Lead Non-Executive, HMRC) has led the collective efforts of non-executives to improve risk management across government. A key part of that work has sought to identify examples of risk management that work in practice and support government bodies in sharing and adopting this. This has been achieved through an ongoing series of peer reviews between departments alongside support and advice from the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chairs Network and other government risk experts.
