Implementing Your Risk Management Plan

Having done all the work outlined above (and kept the management committee informed during the process), it's now time for the working group to bring the risk management plan to a full meeting of the management committee. The management committee will need to consider the plan, clarify any questions it has, and after making any necessary adjustments, endorse the plan.

Once endorsed, the next step is to implement the plan. This will involve:

• Issuing a risk management statement
• Training
• Establishing and documenting procedures
• Allocating specific responsibilities.

Issuing A Risk Management System

A good starting point is to let everyone in the organisation know that your organisation is serious about risk management and to outline the key risk management strategies. The risk management statement should also outline the proposed timetable and key contact people, and procedures for contributing to the risk management process.

Training

It is most likely that training was identified as one of your risk management strategies. As well, the introduction of new practices will often require training. Training for risk management needs to be carried out in the context of your organisation's overall training activities.

Establishing And Documenting Procedures

Your risk management plan will have identified areas where written procedures need to be developed and/or documented. In implementing the plan it will be necessary for staff, volunteers and management committee members to work together to develop these procedures. Existing procedures should be reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with new procedures.

Allocating Specific Responsibilities

A risk management plan does not just implement itself - different people within your organisation should be given responsibility for implementing different parts of the plan. It should be clear to everyone who is responsible for each aspect of implementing the risk management plan.