The workshop on “Learning from crises and fostering the continuous improvement of risk governance and management”, jointly organised with the governments of the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, was held in Oslo, Norway on 17-18 September 2014. More information is available at www.oecd.org/gov/risk/high-level-risk-forum-oslo-workshop-2014.htm

1. Public Governance &
Territorial Development
VENICE
GOVERNING THE METROPOLITAN CITY
LEARNING FROM CRISES AND
FOSTERING THE CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT OF RISK
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
AGENDA
OSLO, NORWAY
17-18 SEPTEMBER 2014
OECD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPEMENT
WORKSHOP

2. LEARNING FROM CRISES AND FOSTERING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF RISK GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
AGENDA
Workshop objectives
The objective of the workshop organised under the OECD High Level Risk Forum is to learn how risk managers can use post-crisis reviews, audits, quality-assurance mechanisms, and on-going research to improve risk management policies and practices. Participants will discuss the value of learning from institutionalized approaches and ad hoc circumstances to build and maintain effective and efficient capacities that reflect the ambitions set forward by the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Critical Risks. The goal is to develop a culture of continuous improvement that can help governments incorporate ‘Accountability’, ‘Transparency’ and ‘Using Evidence’ into risk management policies and the handling of crises. Making this a customary and systematic practice is key to reinforce public trust that governments have the capacity to fulfil their essential and strategic roles under adverse circumstances. The workshop will bring together risk managers from government and the private sector, as well as academia, to share expertise and best practices in how to continuously improve risk management policies and practices. The discussions will provide useful input to the ‘policy toolkit’ being developed by the OECD High Level Risk Forum to support implementation of the ‘Recommendation on the governance of critical risks’ in countries that have adopted it.
Workshop policy context
Continuous improvement of risk management policies, processes and practices is fundamental to ensure government institutions and norms keep pace with a dynamic and complex risk landscape. For example, civil protection systems in OECD countries follow a variety of practices to assess and strengthen their risk management capacities on a regular basis: periodic inspections and audits, compliance with quality standards, technology upgrades, professional training and courses, drills and exercises. Often crises represent critical moments when public policies can be reassessed and they offer an opportunity to improve risk management systems. Crises can also provide fresh perspective to help identify deficiencies and areas in need of improvements, as well as open a window of opportunity to push for policy improvements for strengthening risk management overall. These processes support the systematic and continuous process of learning and adaptation that enables a more dynamic management of risks, thus making governments more agile and reinforcing their capacity to handle major events more effectively.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security of Norway will graciously host a workshop dinner at the end of the first day, at Engebret Café, Bankplassen 1, within walking distance from the Park Inn.

3. LEARNING FROM CRISES AND FOSTERING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF RISK GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
17 September 2014
13h30 – 13h45 Welcome and introduction
State Secretary Hans J. Røsjorde, Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Norway
13h45 – 14h00 The role of ‘Learning and Constant Improvement’ in the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Critical Risks
Mr. Stéphane Jacobzone, Counsellor, Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate, OECD
SESSION 1: Factoring transparency and accountability into risk management practices: the role of quality standards and audits
14h00-15h00 Keynote presentation 1: How can accountability measures contribute to more effective risk governance processes?
Prof. Martin Lodge, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
Accountability and transparency are regarded as principles of good public management. What tools can governments use to bolster effective risk governance across levels of government and economic sectors? The presentation will consider whether audits and other performance management measures have helped countries achieve the quality of preparedness that policy makers aim to achieve.
15h00 – 15h15 Coffee break
15h15-16h45 Expert panel 1: Country practices of quality assurance and auditing in risk management
This panel will present and discuss country practices to ensure implementation of quality assurance standards in emergency preparedness and audit processes in risk management. Short presentations will initiate a lively dialogue among the participants.
Moderator: Ms. Maaike van Tuyll, Ministry of Security and Justice, the Netherlands
Panellists:
- Mr. Erik Thomassen, Directorate for Civil Protection, Norway
- Ms. Sedef Kurt, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency and Ms. Arife Coşkun, Court of Accounts, Turkey
Issues for discussion:
 What are the benefits of conducting audits compared to different forms of quality assurance? What are the relative challenges?
 What are the best institutional options to ensure transparency in audit processes and for compliance with quality assurance practices?
 How can audits and quality control complement additional learning processes to ensure up-to-date and robust risk management policies?
 How might quality assurance and audit approaches provide a reporting mechanism for benchmarking ‘preparedness’ across countries?

4. LEARNING FROM CRISES AND FOSTERING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF RISK GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
16h45-17h30 Special focus on the lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake
Prof. Yuichi Ono, Tohoku University, Japan
This session will present the findings of the major post-event review conducted by the international research institute of disaster science of the Tohoku University following the Great East Japan Earthquake
18h30-20h30 Workshop dinner
18 September 2014
09h00 – 09h30 Welcome coffee
SESSION 2: Learning from crises
09h30 – 11h00 Keynote presentation 2: Drawing lessons from recent crises and research
Prof. Ragnar E. Löfstedt, Kings College, United Kingdom
This keynote will present and discuss different approaches to drawing lessons from crises and analyse how they have led to policy changes in risk management. The goal is to understand the dynamics of reform, the role of the actors and the institutional conditions that are conducive to effective change.
Discussants:
- Prof. Eric Stern, University of Delaware, United States
- Prof. Ove Njå, Stavanger University, Norway
11h00 – 11h15 Coffee break
11h15 – 13h00 Expert Panel 2: Lessons learned from recent crises
The occurrence of a disaster or crisis opens a window of opportunity to identify what went wrong, to take curative action and to put in place policies that may prevent future crises. This panel of government officials will present recent experiences in crisis management that provided lessons used to reform risk management measures.
Moderator: Mr. Jack Radisch, Project Manager, OECD
Panellists:
- Mr. Patrick Helm, Prime Minister’s Office, New Zealand
- Ms. Maaike van Tuyll, Ministry of Security and Justice, The Netherlands
- Mr. Ciarán Desmond, Office of Emergency Planning, Ireland
Issues for discussion:
 How can countries systematise learning processes beyond ad-hoc post event reviews?
 What are the key ingredients to a comprehensive and successful post-crisis review?
 How can governments position policy reform without the need of a crisis to trigger change?
 How could international cooperation be mobilised to support national processes for learning lessons from crises?

5. LEARNING FROM CRISES AND FOSTERING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF RISK GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
13h00 – 14h30 Lunch break
14h30 – 16h00 Special focus on the lessons from the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway
Mr. Tor Saglie, Secretary General, Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Norway
Mr. Per. Brekke, Deputy Director General, DSB, Norway
This session will focus on how the Norwegian government took away lessons from the terrorist attacks, describe the role of the Commission established afterward and explain its recommendations.
16h00 – 16h15 Coffee break
16h15-17h00 Designing a systematic method for crisis investigations
Dr. Edward Deverell, Crismart, Swedish National Defence College, Sweden
Post crisis investigations performed in an ad-hoc fashion can pose major complications for post-crisis learning. This session presents a methodology for systematically identifying different types of crises and argues for more targeted and precise evaluations of crisis management and for post-crisis learning. The method is evaluated as it is applied to cases of recent national crises.
SESSION 3: Conclusion
17h00 – 17h50 Concluding roundtable: advancing the OECD policy toolkit on the governance of critical risks
Moderator: Mr. Charles Baubion, Policy Analyst, OECD
The roundtable will react to the lessons and good practices discussed during the workshop that could be considered for inclusion in the “HLRF Toolkit’- a set of recognised good practices that countries could try to put in place to implement specific aspects of the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Critical Risks. The roundtable will aim to draw input from the entire workshop audience.
Discussants:
- Prof. Bengt Sundelius, Senior Adviser, Civil Contingency Agency, Sweden
- Dr. Christoph Doktor, Swiss Federal Chancellery
- Mr. Patrick Helm, Prime Minister’s Office, New Zealand
Issues for Discussion:
 What formal processes have proven useful to ensure that lessons learned can drive policy change?
 What are some examples of barriers to change following a crisis/ disaster, and how can these be overcome?
 How might governments better institutionalise learning in risk management organisations and keep track of improved outcomes?
17h50 – 18h00 Concluding remarks and way forward
OECD Secretariat

6. www.oecd.org/governance/risk