Newsletter Articles
May 12, 2011
Joe Risser CPCU, ARM-P
Risk Management Design
San Luis Obispo
Special events can present a wide variety of additional risks to a public entity. Often the risks are linked to: uncommon or first time activities, complex activities and mixed crowds, temporary sites and services, involvement of partner and supporting organizations, and reliance on inexperienced staff and volunteers. Skillful management of the event and supporting activities, including the risks, requires through knowledge of the event, adequate controls and financing for losses that may occur despite all of the attention to risk. Assignment of adequate resources for the planning, and execution of the event, whether it be an entity event or the event of another organization at the entity’s facilities, is critical.
Events can become “special” based upon the content, participants, sponsors, venue, funding or other factors. The special “guest” may have armed bodyguards or an entourage of “followers” with whom local authorities will need to interact. Special events are generally beyond the scope of the public entity’s “day to day” activities, requiring exceptional efforts and resources. They may be an event of a city, Annual Holiday Parade, or the event of an outside entity held in a city or county facility, such as a Renaissance Faire. Impacts on the normal operations of the public entity, community, and immediate “neighbors” may be significant or benign, such as special lighting overflow, amplified sound and a surprise fireworks finale. Critical to the management of the event and the risks involved is ownership of the event and/or the venue.
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May 12, 2011
Lori Miller Ed.D., JD
Professor, Sport & Recreation Law
Wichita State University
As we begin a new academic year, it is a good time to step back and take a fresh look at your department and the policies and protocols related to the management of inherent campus recreation risks. This two-part article provides both novice and seasoned campus recreation administrators with a simple, concise, and descriptive concept, i.e., 360-degree risk management, to assist in the comprehensive design or review of their respective campus recreation risk management system.
As depicted by the icon, the 360-degree risk management concept embraces the dynamic, all-encompassing nature of campus recreation risk management systems in the 21st century. Eight characteristics embody a quality 360-degree risk management system:
- Comprehensive understanding of the varied risks common to a campus recreation department;
- Broad based, multi-functional risk management responsibilities expected of all campus recreation staff, student workers, and volunteers;
- Ongoing communications with central administration, supervisors, subordinates, community partners, volunteers, facility lessees, and students;
- Collection and analyses of internal data (e.g., participant usage, preferences, injuries, staff performance) and external data (e.g., legislation, professional standards, economic climate, demographic trends);
- Routine review, updating (if needed), and communication of campus recreation policies and procedures;
- Relevant risk management trainings and professional development opportunities;
- Campus recreation job descriptions and rewards that include defined risk management responsibilities and corresponding performance assessment; and
- Overt administrator commitment to an established quality risk management culture.
Part I of this article discusses the important risk management role associated with the first four characteristics (i.e., #1-4), and Part II of the article ,covering the latter four characteristics, will be included in the next issue of the Risk Management Newsletter. The following paragraphs describe the first four elements found within a quality 360 Degree Risk Management System.
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May 12, 2011
Lori Miller Ed.D., JD
Professor, Sport & Recreation Law
Wichita State University
Welcome to Part II of the “360-Degree Risk Management” article. As introduced in the September issue of Risk Management for Campus Recreation (Volume 3.1), the 360-degree risk management concept represents the varied strategies Campus Recreation Directors adopt, implement, and assess to mitigate potential and current risks. Such risks may result in either monetary or non-monetary losses to the respective higher education entity, campus recreation department, supervisors and staff, students, alumni, volunteers, and other community partners (e.g., vendors, sponsors). Financial and non-financial losses, for example, include physical injuries, property damage, impaired public relations, decreased revenues, lower staff morale, and alleged legal improprieties (e.g., breach of contracts, tortuous wrongdoings, violating constitutional guarantees).
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May 12, 2011
Lori Miller Ed.D., JD
Professor, Sport & Recreation Law
Wichita State University
Similar to the annual calendar schedule maintained by the registrar (e.g., semester holidays, begin/end of each semester, last day to withdraw from classes), campus recreation directors can prevent delayed risk management system updates by similarly constructing a 12-month calendar that details for each month of the year the various risk management tasks, staff assigned with primary task responsibility, and respective task timeline. Identifying, for example, two primary risk management tasks per month can add uniformity, consistency, and efficiency to the overall success of the department’s 360-degree risk management system. The 18 items below illustrate only a brief sample of 360-degree risk management calendar inclusions for consideration. And, as noted above, the completed 360-degree risk management system calendar also would include the person(s) (title or role versus person’s name) assigned primarily responsible for task completion, as well as the corresponding timeline (e.g., anticipated time for task completion or month/day/time of identified trainings).
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May 12, 2011
What’s all the fuss?
Joe Risser CPCU, ARM-P
Director, Risk Management
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
The term “Risk Management” has become increasingly popular in recreation activities and programs. But what is it and why is it important?
Let’s take an example of how many people manage risk every day – when driving a car.
We Identify Risk including: personal injury, damage to your car, injury to other persons, their cars, property of others and exposure to liability as well as unplanned expenses (medical expenses, car repair or replacement, fines, court judgments, etc.)
We Analyze Risk by imagining not only our own pain and suffering from injury but also that of others; significant costs of medical expenses; possible loss of income while recovering from injury; costs of repair or replacement of damaged vehicles and other property, and possible large costs for injuries or damages we cause to others if we are judged to be at fault.
We then Develop (or utilize existing) Techniques to manage the risks.
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May 12, 2011
Creating shared responsibility in managing risk
Patricia Malarney
Associate Director of Programming
Campus Recreation
Florida State University
Does your Campus Recreation or Rec Sports Department have a Risk Management Committee? Does this committee meet on a regular basis each semester or convene only when there is an ‘incident’ in your program area or facility? Is risk management the responsibility of one individual or is it clearly stated in the job descriptions for each position in your department? Are your emergency action procedures or protocols consistent throughout the department? Do you have travel guidelines for students and staff? Does your facility have an emergency action plan and is this plan checked or practiced routinely?
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