Risk Management Policy

1. What is this policy about?
   1. This risk management policy describes the requirements, roles and responsibilities for establishing, monitoring and maintaining and reporting on risk management within the Education Directorate (the Directorate).
      • This policy should be read in conjunction with the Directorate Risk Management Procedures and the Risk Framework Guide for Education Support Office and Schools  ACT Insurance Authority (ACTIA) ACT Government Risk Management Policy 2021.
2. Policy Statement
   1. The Directorate is committed to achieving best practice in the management of risk.
   2. The intention of the Directorate is to maximise the achievement of our strategic objectives, while minimising negative outcomes for the Directorate and our stakeholders.
   3. The Directorate’s approach to risk management is consistent with our vision, mission and values, focused on ensuring our staff, children and young people are safe and supported to thrive in their education and work. It seeks to promote a positive risk culture, taking an open and proactive approach to managing risk that considers both threats and opportunities.
   4. Effective risk management is integral to everything that we do ranging from keeping students safe from harm, formulating policies and procedures and measuring learning outcomes to business and school planning, project management and administrative processes.
   5. Directorate staff must implement risk management according to relevant legislative requirements and appropriate risk management standards as detailed in the Risk Management Procedure, Risk Management Framework – Guide for the Education Support Office and Schools and associated support material.
   6. Risk assessments and risk controls, operate between Education Support Office (ESO) and schools through the provision of support, advice and guidance and to address risk management practices.
   7. Schools and ESO should assess and document risks for activities where there is the potential for higher risk e.g. excursions and physical activities, students and parents with a history of occupational violence, lesson planning associated with higher risk activities such as science experiments or food technology classes, community events such as school fetes.
   8. Managing risk is everyone’s responsibility and each area within the Directorate is responsible for managing its own risks, and monitoring and reviewing the efficacy of controls, which incorporates shared or whole-of-Directorate risks. Risks are initially identified through a risk assessment.
   9. Risk registers are output documents that are in place across the Directorate to identify and manage strategic and operational risks and to provide evidence that ESO and schools are effectively managing organisational risk.
   10. Timeframes for risk compliance reporting of Risk Registers will be in accordance with the School Compliance Framework requirements.
3. Who does this policy apply to?
   1. This policy is applied to Directorate staff (Education Support Office and school-based staff).
4. Context
   1. Directorate staff are bound to act in accordance with relevant whole-of-government policy and legislation, including the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (ACT) and the Financial Management Act 1996 (ACT)
   2. Directorate policy and procedures in relation to risk management are guided by the ACT Insurance Authority (ACTIA) and are consistent with AS/ISO 31000:2018, Risk Management and the ACT Government Risk Management Policy 2021.
   3. Approved Early Education and Care Services are guided by the Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Act 2011.
5. Responsibilities
   1. Director-General: with assistance from Senior Executives, provides governance leadership, determines the Directorate’s strategic direction and risk appetite, and promotes a risk management culture to ensure the best outcomes for the Directorate.
   2. Executive Governance Committee: provides oversight of the Risk Management process and systems; direction and guidance on the Directorate’s risk management approach; determines if policies are to be critical risk controls; and establish a consistent approach to risk management reporting.
   3. Governance Branch: develop and report on the Risk Management Framework; training, mentoring, advice and awareness raising for Directorate staff; and regular review of risk management practices across the Directorate.
   4. Executive Branch Managers: apply the Risk Management Framework into branch and project planning to manage the strategic and operational risks within the branch and in support of maintaining effective risk controls for Directorate strategic risk and branch risks.
   5. Principals: apply the Risk Management Framework for managing operational risks in the school operational context.
   6. Directorate staff: apply the Risk Management Framework and follow the processes set out in the ACT Education Directorate Risk Management Procedure to implement sound risk management practice in day-to-day functions. Provide guidance, advice and support in applying risk management to safeguard volunteers, visitors and other members of the community who utilise Directorate facilities.
   7. Managers/Supervisors/Project Managers:provide guidance, advice and support to staff on applying the Risk Management Framework and ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities as outlined in procedures and other guidance documents.  Provide staff the opportunity to participate in training programs and seek additional support where needed, regarding the application of risk management.
   8. Internal Audit Team: provide an independent, objective assurance function designed to add value and improve the Directorate’s operations. It helps an organisation accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.
6. Monitoring and Review
   1. The Executive Branch Manager, Governance is responsible for keeping the policy up to date and contemporary. This is achieved by ongoing reviews across the Directorate, formal review every five years, or as required by changes to the Education Directorate structure, ISO Standards or ACT Government Risk Policy.
   2. Senior Director, Risk, Security and Emergency Management will monitor the implementation of the policy including through reporting mechanisms as outlined in the Risk Management Framework and Risk Management Procedures.
7. Contact
   1. The Risk, Security and Emergency Management Section, within the Governance Branch is available to assist and can be contacted via email EDURMA@act.gov.au.
8. Feedback
   1. Any feedback about this policy, should be raised with the Risk, Security and Emergency Management Section, contacted via email EDURMA@act.gov.au.
9. References
   1. Definitions
      • Control: measure that maintains or modifies risk in business as usual to reduce the likelihood and/or consequences e.g. process, policy, practice or action
      • Education Support Office (ESO):  refers to the educational support services of the Directorate that do not reside in ACT public schools (e.g., system level/corporate support).
      • Risk: the effect (whether positive or negative) of uncertainty on objectives.
      • Risk Appetite: the amount and type of risk that the Directorate is willing to accept to achieve its strategic objectives.
      • Risk Assessment: The overall process of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation.
      • Risk Management: the ‘coordinated activities to direct and control an organisation’s risk’. Its purpose is the ‘creation and protection of value’ (AS ISO Standard 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines).
      • Risk Register: a location for documenting risks after they have been analysed through a risk assessment process; outlines the context, controls and actions required to reduce the risk to an acceptable level
   2. Legislation
      • Education Act 2004
      • Financial Management Act 1996
      • Insurance Authority Act 2005 (ACT)
      • Public Sector Management Act 1994
      • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
      • AS/ISO 31000:2018, Risk Management
   3. Implementation Documents
      • Risk Management Framework  Overview   (1Mb)
      • Risk Framework Guide for Education Support Office and Schools (1Mb)
      • Risk Management Procedures (434kb)
   4. Related Policies and Information
      • ACT Government Risk Management Policy (2021)
      • ACT Government Risk Management Policy Implementation Guide

00052 is the unique identifier of this document. It is the responsibility of the user to verify that this is the current and complete version of the document, available on the Directorate’s website at http://www.education.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/school_and_corporate_policies/A-Z/.