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What are risks?

Risk is the chance of something happening that will impact upon the Department's ability to improve the education of Queenslanders.

Risks are caused almost exclusively by:

people
processes and procedures
natural events.

What are the possible sources of risk?

Risks are as varied as the jobs within the department. A teacher, for example, might have to manage risks on a science field trip, while an officer in Central Officer may have to manage the risks of a computer virus.

Added to this, the risks we encounter are constantly changing as we develop new activities, new needs and new opportunities.

Risks arise every day from a variety of sources:

business interruption
commercial/legal relationships
custody of information, including the duty to provide and to withhold access
financial/market
management activities and controls
occupational health and safety
personnel/human behaviour
political/legal
property/assets
public/professional/product liability
security
socioeconomic
technology/technical
the activity itself/operational.

Risks in education

Risks in special education

Risks in management

What is the impact of sources of risk?

Sources of risk can affect:

asset and resource base cost, both direct and indirect
continuity of education and business
intangibles
legal liability
management, policy and financial risk
people, the community
performance of activities how well the activity is performed
physical and natural environment
reputation and image
timeliness of activities, including start time, downstream or follow-up impacts.

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