1. Overview of the Training Programme

Every development organization faces multiple challenges in realizing their strategic priorities: greater demand for accountability and transparency, growing competition for scarce resources, stricter compliance requirements, security concerns, a multiplicity of local and international partners, rapidly changing technologies, along with many others.

How can you bring about the effective realization of your organizational strategic priorities in such a complex and dynamic context? Every change in the internal or external environment of the development organization could trigger risks with either positive or negative consequences for the realization of its strategic priorities. How can you identify and effectively manage these risks? How can you avoid potentially negative consequences and how can you maximize the potential benefits? Our training course is designed to support development practitioners with necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to manage risks in their organizations.

Each course consists of a series of highly interactive sessions, offering a blend of theoretical concepts and practical solutions essential for effective risk management in development organizations. Prominent guest speakers will bring additional insights from national and international practice.

Each participant will be coached to design an integrated risk management (IRM) framework, unique for its own organization. The IRM framework will serve as a tool to ensure effective identification and assessment of risks towards the realization of the organizational strategic priorities.

2. Programme agenda

April 27: A Dutch-style welcome reception.

April 28: 9:00 – 17:00

Session 1: Basics of Risk Management

This session will introduce the concept of risk management based on the ISO 31000 guidance standard.Participants will learn the principles, framework, and processes of risk management. They will also learn about the differences between the risk management of a single development intervention and risk management at programme portfolio level.

Session 2: Managing Risks

During this session participants will discuss the importance of a holistic approach to risk management. They will consider the steps to establishing and realizing an effective risk management policy and structure in their own organization and also discuss risk response strategies for development organizations.

Session 3: Risk Culture and Risk Governance

During this session participants will learn how to embed a mature risk culture within the organization. They will consider the importance of the human factor in risk perception and defining the risk appetite and risk tolerance of a development organization. They will also learn about the importance of stakeholder engagement and effective risk communication to ensure successful risk governance in the organization, as well as among a wide range of development partners.

Optional evening session: Current trends: risk management practices as promoted by OECD, EU, WB, and other development organizations.

April 29: 9:00 – 17:00

Session 1: Integrated Risk Management Framework

Participants will be introduced to the concept of integrated risk management.

Session 2: Designing an Integrated Risk Management Framework (IRM) for your own organization

Each participant will have the opportunity to design an IRM framework specifically for his/her own organization (or project/programme).

Session 3: Integrated Risk Management: National Risk Assessment in the Netherlands

Guest speaker: Dr. Marcel Mennen, National Institute of Public Health and Environment, Centre for Environmental Safety, the Netherlands, will present a practical case study on national risk assessment in the Netherlands.

April 30: 9:00 – 17:00

Session 1: Scenarios and Scenario-based Strategies

This session will provide an introduction to the ‘concept of futures’ and how anticipation of the future can inform development practice. Participants will discover how scenario planning can be used to help development actors strategize ways of responding to imminent social and economic challenges in today’s developing world.

Session 2: Accountability vs. Flexibility

Participants will discuss the importance of accountability by development partners in the context of a constantly emerging development context that requires flexibility and responsiveness.

Session 3: Final Evaluation of the Course

Participants will have the opportunity to evaluate the training programme and its organization.