Julia Rutherford Silvers, CSEP

Certified Special Events Professional

Event Management Authority

Like angels and elephants dancing on the head of a pin, our dreams and responsibilities may have no limits, but must be balanced according to the music of the moment.

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Sample Risk Analysis

22 July 2007

 

Reprinted with permission from Risk Management for Meetings and Events (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008)

 

Using the domain-class-element model of the thirty-five functional areas of the EMBOK provides a framework that compels event organizers to consider the full scope of an event project when conducting a risk assessment or a feasibility analysis. For example, the chart shown below illustrates some of the questions that might be asked about volunteer usage during the planning phase. It must be remembered that this chart only presents one question for each functional area during one phase (there are likely many more) for only one element. If one examines the true scope of decisions and considerations that may be applicable to a particular event project, probing each of these discrete functions and their elements is necessary when seeking to manage the risks surrounding the event.

 

DOMAIN: Administration; CLASS: Human Resources; ELEMENT: Volunteers; PHASE: Planning

Financial

What costs will be incurred for volunteer accommodation and benefits?

Human resources

What conflicts could arise between volunteers and paid staff?

Information

What volunteer information must be considered private or proprietary?

Procurement

How will purchases made by volunteers be controlled and reimbursed?

Stakeholders

Will certain volunteer constituencies have political implications?

Systems

Which database systems should be controlled or restricted from volunteer access?

Time

What are the vulnerabilities should volunteers not show up as scheduled?

Content

Will volunteers be permitted to attend sessions, activities, or attractions?

Entertainment

What access to entertainers will volunteers be allowed to have?

Environment

Will volunteers be used to create any of the decorations?

Food/Beverage

Should volunteers be restricted to specific eating schedules and facilities?

Production

What liabilities are incurred if volunteers provide any production elements?

Program

Could any activities jeopardize volunteers or be compromised by volunteers?

Theme

Are the volunteers critical or detrimental to the theme image components?

Marketing Plan

Are the volunteer constituencies compatible with the target audience?

Materials

What volunteer-specific collateral materials must be developed?

Merchandise

Should volunteers be provided with distinctive T-shirts as a form of credentialing?

Promotions

Do volunteers need to be restricted from participating in any contests?

Public Relations

What restrictions should be established for volunteer interaction with the media?

Sales

Do volunteers need to be bonded in order to assist with sales activities?

Sponsorship

What are the implications of using volunteers provided by sponsors?

Attendees

What restrictions should be placed on access credentials for volunteers?

Communications

Which volunteers need to have radios and what protocols will be used?

Infrastructure

Do volunteers need a specific and restricted parking area?

Logistics

Will using volunteers help or hinder the move-in/move-out process?

Participants

What are the volunteer lounge area and break requirements?

Site

What areas should volunteers be denied access to?

Technical

Are there liabilities associated with volunteers operating equipment?

Compliance

Are there any statutes or regulations applicable to using volunteers as planned?

Decisions

What mechanisms are needed to prevent unauthorized volunteer decision making?

Emergency

How will volunteer personnel be integrated into evacuation plans?

Health/Safety

What training will be required to ensure volunteers perform duties safely?

Insurance

Are volunteers covered by our current insurance?

Legal

What are our legal obligations to volunteers?

Security

Will it be permissible to use volunteers as security personnel?

 

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