Risk Management
Amongst other things I am also an outdoor educator, and as an Outdoor educator I manage risks. In the outdoors I have to balance the risks and benefits of any activity I undertake with my students. When undertaking an activity I have a clear goals and benefits to be derived from this.
Before undertaking an activity I complete a RAM’s Form or Risk Analysis Matrix. This is a process where by I examine the risks these are pretty straight forward - they are Loss, injury, death, psychological loss etc. But the focus shifts from the risks to the causal factors - these are the mechanisms which will cause the loss. Then having identified these I look at managing the causal factors and putting in place emerengcy procedures that will enable us to cope should the risk management be unsuccessful.
Once I have worked through this process of risk identification, establishing mechanisms that cause this, procedures to avoid it and how to manage the extremes. I then balance the risks and benefit, and decide whether I want to proceed.
For the student standing at the top of a cliff waiting to abseil down, the risks seem huge, they are beset with fear, mostly fear of the unknown. They want to be sure they are safe, that the rope wont break, the anchors will not rip out and that they won’t fall. The fear for them is real, but this is a perceived risk, its what they think may happen. The instructor has worked through the process, checked the system and tested it, checked the harness and helmet, briefed the student, attached the safety rope. They are trained in how to manage this and effect a rescue should this be required. They are aware of the actual risk.
If we only looked at perceived risk, outdoor education or ICT would never occur.
To often Boards, district administrators, Principals and Admins only look at the perceived risks. Yes, there are predators out there, Yes there are hackers and phishers, yes there are unscrupulous people but are the ACTUAL risks as large as they are perceived? Are all of the factors going to line up to actuate the risk?
When the Education Department In Australia closed down the minilegends was it Actual or perceived risk? Had they done a risk analysis? Do they have a clear idea of the benefits to be derived from this activity? Had they spoken to the instructor and looked at the process he was to undertake and suggested changes?
Risk Management is a tool I use everyday whether its at the climbing wall at lunchtime, the beach after school, teaching my students and leading them into new activites like blogging, social bookmarking, electronic communications etc. I identify the benefits, look at risks and causal factors and manage these. If the risks are to great or too difficult to manage I don’t do it. But I look at ACTUAL risk based on analysis, training experience and advise, rather than standing at the top of the ICT cliff and looking at perceived risk based on urban legend, misconception, and paranoia.
As an aside
If you would like to do a risk management course, and as I said they can be applied across the spectrum of education, contact the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Center. I have done this course twice over 12 years and learn much from each occasion.
Post this on your blog if you believe that we should be empowering learners–regardless of country of origin–rather than domesticating them.
