How should risk be managed in the Intolerable region?
A renewable energy company is conducting a facilitated workshop to review potential risks in its power generation systems. The facilitator uses a list of guidewords and prompts such as “what if?” and “how could?” to encourage participants to discuss possible causes, consequences, and existing controls. Which of the following risk identification techniques is being applied?
What is one of the limitations of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique?
Which approach ensures that employees provide risk-related information upward, while only issues requiring higher-level intervention are escalated to top management?
Why is understanding the context important in risk management?
Scenario 5:
Crestview University is a well-known academic institution that recently launched a digital learning platform to support remote education. The platform integrates video lectures, interactive assessments, and student data management. After initial deployment, the risk management team identified several key risks, including unauthorized access to research data, system outages, and data privacy concerns.
To address these, the team discussed multiple risk treatment options. They considered limiting the platform’s functionality, but this conflicted with the university’s goals. Instead, they chose to partner with a reputable cybersecurity firm and purchase cyber insurance. They also planned to reduce the likelihood of system outages by upgrading server capacity and implementing redundant systems. Some risks, such as occasional minor software glitches, were retained after careful evaluation because they did not significantly affect Crestview’s operations. The team considered these risks manageable and agreed to monitor and address them at a later stage. Thus, they documented the accepted risks and decided not to inform any stakeholder at this time.
Once the treatment options were selected, Crestview’s risk management team developed a detailed risk treatment plan. They prioritized actions based on which processes carried the highest risk, ensuring cybersecurity measures were addressed first. The plan clearly defined the responsibilities of team members for approving and implementing treatments and identified the resources required, including budget and personnel. To maintain oversight, performance indicators and monitoring schedules were established, and regular progress updates were communicated to the university’s top management.
Throughout the risk management process, all activities and decisions were thoroughly documented and communicated through formal channels. This ensured clear communication across departments, supported decision-making, enabled continuous improvement in risk management, and fostered transparency and accountability among stakeholders who manage and oversee risks. Special care was taken to communicate the results of the risk assessment, including any limitations in data or methods, the degree of uncertainty, and the level of confidence in findings. The reporting avoided overstating certainty and included quantifiable measures in appropriate, clearly defined units. Using standardized templates helped streamline documentation, while updates, such as changes to risk treatments, emerging risks, or shifting priorities, were routinely reflected in the system to keep the records current.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
Based on Scenario 5, which step of the risk management process is reflected in the actions that promoted clear communication across departments, supported decision-making, enabled continuous improvement, and fostered accountability among stakeholders?
Scenario 5:
Crestview University is a well-known academic institution that recently launched a digital learning platform to support remote education. The platform integrates video lectures, interactive assessments, and student data management. After initial deployment, the risk management team identified several key risks, including unauthorized access to research data, system outages, and data privacy concerns.
To address these, the team discussed multiple risk treatment options. They considered limiting the platform’s functionality, but this conflicted with the university’s goals. Instead, they chose to partner with a reputable cybersecurity firm and purchase cyber insurance. They also planned to reduce the likelihood of system outages by upgrading server capacity and implementing redundant systems. Some risks, such as occasional minor software glitches, were retained after careful evaluation because they did not significantly affect Crestview’s operations.
Once the treatment options were selected, Crestview’s risk management team developed a detailed risk treatment plan. They prioritized actions based on which processes carried the highest risk, ensuring cybersecurity measures were addressed first.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
In Scenario 5, Crestview University focused on the highest-risk areas first when developing the risk treatment plan. Is this acceptable?
Scenario 3:
NovaCare is a US-based healthcare provider operating four hospitals and several outpatient clinics. Following several minor system outages and an internal assessment that revealed inconsistencies in security monitoring tools, top management recognized the need for a structured approach to identify and manage risks more effectively. Thus, they decided to implement a formal risk management process in line with ISO 31000 recommendations to enhance safety and improve resilience.
To address these issues, the Chief Risk Officer of NovaCare, Daniel, supported by a team of departmental representatives and risk coordinators, initiated a comprehensive risk management process. Initially, they carried out a thorough examination of the environment in which risks arise, defining the conditions under which potential issues would be assessed and managed. Internally, they reviewed IT security policies and procedures, capabilities of the IT team, and reports from the internal assessment. Externally, they analyzed regulatory requirements, emerging cybersecurity threats, and evolving practices in IT security and resilience.
Based on this analysis, to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services, compliance with regulatory requirements, and protection of patient data, top management and Daniel decided to reduce minor system outages by 50% within one year and achieve full coverage of security monitoring tools across all critical IT systems.
Afterwards, Daniel and the team explored potential risks that could affect various departments. Using structured interviews and brainstorming workshops, they gathered potential risk events across departments. As a result, key risks emerged, including data breaches linked to unsecured backup systems, record-keeping errors due to IT system issues, and regulatory noncompliance in reporting breaches and outages. To better understand these risks, the team used a structured questioning approach to repeatedly analyze why each issue occurred, tracing cause-and-effect links and probing deeper until underlying root causes were identified.
Furthermore, the team assessed the effectiveness and maturity of existing controls and processes, particularly in system monitoring and data backup management. Through document reviews and interviews with department heads, the team found that these processes were applied inconsistently and lacked standardization, with procedures followed on a case-by-case basis rather than through documented, uniform methods.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
The top management and Daniel decided to reduce minor system outages by 50% within a year and achieve full coverage of security monitoring tools across all critical IT systems. What did they define in this case?
Scenario 7:
Maxime, a chocolate manufacturer headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, produces toffees, eclairs, enrobed chocolates, and caramels. In 2023, a contamination incident in its caramel line triggered a large-scale product recall across Europe, exposing weaknesses in supplier evaluation, reporting channels, and crisis communication. Recognizing the financial, operational, and reputational impact of this event, top management decided to apply a risk management process in line with ISO 31000. The aim was to strengthen resilience, embed risk awareness across departments, and ensure risks are systematically managed in both daily operations and long-term strategies.
To ensure that the risk management process is effective, Maxime set up a structured monitoring and review process with clear procedures for collecting and analyzing data on key risks like supplier reliability, food safety, and communication. For validation of measurement methods, Sophie, the head of Quality Assurance, was tasked with assessing whether the tools used were suitable for evaluating the effectiveness of the process.
Additionally, Maxime introduced a set of measures designed to provide early warning indicators across critical areas. In operations, they tracked the number of production line stoppages and the percentage of defective batches. On the financial side, they monitored fluctuations in raw material prices, especially cocoa, and their impact on margins. For regulatory matters, they followed the frequency of nonconformities identified during inspections. In terms of technology, system downtime in automated packaging lines was measured.
To ensure these indicators were communicated effectively, Sophie worked with top management to present the results in a format that made changes easy to spot and understand. Rather than relying only on static reports, they chose a more dynamic approach that displayed key values visually, highlighted deviations, and issued alerts when thresholds were crossed.
In addition, Maxime established clear communication and consultation processes to ensure that relevant stakeholders were properly engaged. The top management used an approach that clarified who was responsible for carrying out tasks, who held final accountability, who should be consulted for expertise, and who needed to stay informed. To strengthen engagement, Maxime organized how risk information would be delivered to different audiences. Employees received updates during team briefings and through the company’s internal platform, while external parties, such as suppliers and regulators, were informed through formal reports and direct correspondence. This approach ensured that each group had access to the information most relevant to them in a timely way.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
Which communication principle did Maxime adhere to by organizing how information was delivered to employees, suppliers, and regulators? Refer to Scenario 7.
A company sets the objective “increase the number of internal risk reports submitted each quarter by staff,” but it does not define the expected increase or how progress will be tracked. Which SMART criterion is missing in this objective?
