Risk Management – Schools: Overview

Overview

The department’s Risk Management Process for Schools guides decision-making to help schools effectively manage risk and prioritise school resources in the context of the school’s operating environment.

Use the Risk Management Process for Schools to identify, assess and review risk associated with:

activities where a mandatory risk assessment is required under legislation (emergency management, child safety, occupational health and safety, excursions including overseas travel, bus safety)
developing the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)
developing the School Strategic Plan (SSP)
school operations (such as lesson planning)
community events or activities that require approval by the school council, such as a school fete.

DET School Risk Process flowchart

Flowchart showing 8 steps in the DET School Risk Process. Refer to long description for more information

DET School Risk Process flowchart

Details

The 8 steps in the DET School Risk Process flowchart are as follows.

1 Establish the context

The strategic context
The organisational context
The risk management context
Identify internal and external stakeholders

2 Risk identification

What are the causes?
What are the consequences?

3 Risk analysis

Determine existing controls
Determine consequence
Determine likelihood
Establish risk rating

4 Risk evaluation

Compare level of risk with risk acceptability criteria as defined in the Acceptability Chart

5 Risk treatment

Identify and implement treatment options including: Share/Terminate/Accept/Reduce

6 Communication and consultation

With all relevant internal and external stakeholders, during all stages of the risk management process

7 Monitoring and review

As a planned part of the risk management process that takes place at intervals appropriate to the nature of the objective and the level of risk

8 Recording and reporting

Outcomes of the risk management process should be documented and reported through appropriate mechanisms

Presentation

Each step is presented in separate boxes. Steps 1 to 5 are presented in descending order with down arrows pointing from Step 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4 and 4 to 5.

Step 6 is positioned to the left of the flowchart and has double-sided arrows pointing to and from Steps 1 to 5.

Step 7 is positioned to the right of the flowchart and has double-sided arrows pointing to and from Steps 1 to 5.

Step 8 is positioned below all other steps.

Download DET School Risk Process flowchart

Guidance chapter providing a general overview of the risk management process for schools

Reviewed 07 June 2024