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Chilcot Enquiry 2016 – IIRM Statement

Chilcot Enquiry 2016 – Institute of Risk Management (IRM) Statement

Dr Ian Livsey, Chief Executive of the IRM comments:

“The report highlights concerns over the process for managing risk and who had ownership of these risks during and after the conflict. From the report we can see the importance of having an integrated approach to risk management and the appropriate skill-sets, so that responsibility for analysis and mitigation of risk(s) is clear.

The report also mentions that senior officials did not have access to the evaluation of the different risk outcomes in relation to UK capabilities – which would have improved the decision making process.

The importance of an effective and comprehensive risk management process has been highlighted by the report – Chilcot suggests not enough rigour and challenge were posed in relation to deployment of troops - which affected both military operations in Iraq.

IRM is pleased however that the MOD have now suggested to the inquiry that “successive policies defining risk ownership and governance will be more clearly addressed and that wider MOD risk management processes have been revised and adopted”.

The final recommendation is also fully supported by IRM, in that all future deployments should be assessed against a cross government framework for risk management.

The findings of the report demonstrate that effective risk management, led by competent individuals, is essential in all situations from basic commercial activities to taking a country to war.

The Institute of Risk Management has previously given evidence on the development of risk management skills across the civil service to the Public Administration Select Committee.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Victoria Robinson .