Risk Reporting and Risk Communication

Kiran Malik

29 Apr, 2023

Risk reporting is the process of identifying, evaluating, and presenting information about possible risks to an organization. This information is frequently presented in the form of a report, and it notifies stakeholders about the probability and possible effect of risks on the objectives of the organization. Risk reporting enables businesses to make informed risk management and resource allocation decisions.

Risk communication is the process of communicating information about potential risks and uncertainties associated with a certain company’s decision, action, or event. It comprises communicating the likelihood and potential impact of risks to stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, and regulators, in a clear and transparent manner. Effective risk communication can help businesses make more informed decisions, create trust with stakeholders, and mitigate any negative consequences.

Types For Risk Reporting

Risks differ in their extent, which is a fundamental principle of risk management. Some risks are of minimal importance. For example, a minor riskmay cause the completion of a project to be delayed by a day or two. On the other hand, businesses may occasionally face significant risks that affect the firm’s overall health.Risks vary not only in intensity but also in their influence. Some risks have a broad influence on a whole company or industry. Other threats may harm a single department or account.Because risks can vary so significantly, there are numerous risk-reporting approaches. The following are some of the most typical types of risk reporting:

1. Reporting on project risk: This is the lowest level of risk reporting and applies to risks that may influence a specific project, such as a supply chain disruption or a change in raw material price.
2. Reporting on program risks: Programs in business are typically made up of many initiatives. A program risk report will often cover any project-level risks or other risks that are large enough to have a detrimental influence on the entire program.
3. Reporting on portfolio risk: This is an overview of program-level hazards across an organization’s whole portfolio or collection of programs.
4. Reporting on business risks: This is reserved for major hazards that have the ability to affect the entire organization.

Types Of Risk Communication

By communicating the probability and possible effects of risks clearly and transparently, businesses can help their stakeholders make informed decisions, build trust, and lessen any bad implications that may arise. Businesses can use a range of risk communication approaches depending on the situation. These include:

1. Proactive risk communication: Giving information about potential risks and uncertainties before they occur is known as proactive risk communication. Businesses can achieve this by taking steps to lower risks and preparing stakeholders for potential outcomes.
2. Reactive risk communication: This involves talking about risks and uncertainties after they have already happened. This is essential for educating stakeholders about the issue and the methods used for solutions.
3. Crisis communication: Communication is critical during times of crisis, such as those caused by unforeseen events or security breaches. During a crisis, businesses can communicate risks and uncertainties to stakeholders to inform them of the situation and how it will be handled.
4. Health risk communication: This sort of communication exchanges information about health and safety risks and uncertainties, such as food safety or exposure to potentially dangerous substances. This is critical for safeguarding and informing stakeholders.
5. Financial risk communication: This involves communicating the risks and uncertainties associated with financial investments, such as fraud or market volatility. Then, firms may inform and safeguard their investor’s interests.

What should a risk report contain?

The structure of a risk report can vary depending on the report’s intended purpose. For example, a risk report outlining risks to employee safety would be presented differently from a report outlining financial concerns. However, certain aspects that are usually included in a risk report include:

1. Executive summary: This is an overview for top management to identify the most significant risks.
2. Risk profile: A description that employs numerical values to assist quantify a threat. Although these risk profiles can be constructed in a variety of ways, they are frequently based on the seriousness of risk in conjunction with the likelihood of the risk occurring.
3. Risk capacity: It is information that indicates how much risk an organization can tolerate. For example, a risk capacity may be a worst-case declaration of how much money a corporation could lose without going out of business.
4. Tolerance levels: A measure of how much risk a company is willing to take. Whereas risk capacity represents how much a company can lose before going bankrupt, risk tolerance reflects how much a company is ready to lose. Risk tolerance is typically substantially lower than risk capacity and is classified as conservative, moderate, or aggressive.
5. Key risk indicators (KRI): If one of these indicators hits a certain level, it may signal that the indicated risk is starting to occur. As a result, KRIs serve as an early warning system, giving management teams time to respond before an identified risk presents itself fully.
6. Effective risk management: A component of the report that discusses how the organization intends to minimize or eliminate recognized risks proactively.
7. Environmental risks: Identifies environmental risks posed by the organization’s actions, such as pollution. Depending on the type of risk report, this component is not always required.

Best practices for creating an effective risk report

1. Identify the key risks: To begin with, recognize the primary hazards that your business encounters. Risks related to operations, finance, compliance, reputation, and more can be included.
2. Use a consistent framework: For assessing and reporting on risks, it is recommended to use a consistent framework. Consistent risk assessment across the organization and easy comparison of risks over time can be ensured with this.
3. Gather relevant data: To support your risk assessments^[1], gather data that is relevant. Internal data, such as financial reports and operational metrics, as well as external data, such as market trends and regulatory updates, can be included.
4. Use clear and concise language: To ensure that stakeholders can easily understand the risks and their potential impact, use clear and concise language in your risk report.
5. Prioritize risks: Based on their likelihood and potential impact, prioritize risks. Businesses can focus their resources on the most significant risks with this help.
6. Develop mitigation strategies: For each identified risk, create mitigation strategies. Developing contingency plans, implementing controls, or transferring risk through insurance can be included.
7. Provide regular updates: Regularly update the status of identified risks and mitigation strategies. To guarantee that stakeholders are aware of any alterations in the risk scenario and that the measures to reduce risks are efficient.

Conclusion

Businesses must identify, assess, and reduce possible risks through effective risk reporting and communication. Businesses may make informed decisions, develop trust with stakeholders, and limit negative effects by recognizing and evaluating potential risks to an organization and communicating them clearly. Companies can prepare a thorough risk report by following a consistent methodology, obtaining relevant data, prioritizing risks, developing mitigation plans, and delivering regular updates. Businesses may protect and expand their operations by adhering to these best practices, assuring their long-term success.

Read our Article: Risk Monitoring and Control in ESG