RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY

Introduction

Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) is the international development arm of the Marist Brothers Star of the Sea Province and the Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat. It has a particular focus on empowering young people to transform their lives and community. Promoting the dignity of the human person, as safeguarded by internationally recognised human rights conventions, is a core value of AMS.

AMS recognises that it is exposed to certain risks due to the nature of its activities and the environment in which it operates. AMS is committed to identifying and assessing risks our activities pose to our organisation, our staff, our volunteers, our clients, or the general public, and implementing strategies to mitigate and manage these risks to a level which is deemed acceptable.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to:

a) identify and define applicable risks;

b) outline the scope and responsibility of risk management in the organisation;

c) encourage reporting of hazards that may cause harm to individuals or to AMS;

d) help to ensure that AMS will maintain satisfactory identification, organisation and maintenance of risk mitigation and management procedures.

Scope

This policy applies to all Board members, committee members, staff, contractors, partners, agents and volunteers who operate under the auspices of AMS.

Definitions

Risk management is the co-ordination of activities to direct and control uncertainty relating to (positive or negative) impacts on our organisation, staff, volunteers, clients, or the general public.

The scope of risk management at AMS includes, but is not limited to:

• Strategic risks - risks that impact on the ability to achieve strategic objectives;

• Operational risks - risks that impact on operational effectiveness and/or the ability for planned work to be carried out at a project level e.g. communication hazards, project management hazards, human resource hazards;

• Financial risks - risks that impact on the organisation's budget e.g. fundraising hazards, financial management hazards;

• Service delivery risks - risks that impact on the reputation and public confidence in the organisation e.g. media hazards, cyber security hazards, stakeholder relations hazards;

• Safeguarding risks - risk of harm to children and vulnerable people as a result of inadequate systems and mechanisms in place;

• Governance risks - risks that impact on the governance of the organisation and may jeopardise the organisation's legal status.

Policy

AMS has a duty to provide a safe workplace for its staff and volunteers, a safe environment for its partners and primary stakeholders, and a reliable development path for the organisation. AMS holds and implements procedures that will as far as possible ensure that risks are minimised and their consequences mitigated.

Accountability

Ownership of risk identification and mitigation and management of particular risks are assigned to specific persons in the organisation, as referenced in the AMS risk register. AMS has incorporated risk management accountability in executive, management and governance roles which are required to report on risks and risk treatment actions.

To support and implement th is policy, AMS has developed Risk Management Procedures and a Risk Management Matrix and maintains a Risk Register, which is reviewed regularly to help track, manage and treat key risks across the organisation.

Monitoring and Review of Policy

AMS will undertake a review of this policy in accordance with the AMS review process, or sooner if required. This review will be undertaken by the CEO, AMS staff, AMS Finance, Audit & Risk Committee and the Board of Directors.

Related Resources

• AMS Operations Manual

• AMS Financial Wrongdoing Policy

• AMS Whistleblower Policy

• AMS Risk Matrix

• AMS Risk Register

• AMS Risk Management Procedures

• AMS Safeguarding Policy

• AMS Cyber Security Policy

• https://acfid.asn.au/good-practice-toolkit/quality-principle-7-governance/

• International Risk Management Standard (15031000:2018)

• ACNC Governance Standards I ACNC