The Strategyfinder tool and method is currently probably the only effective approach to systemic risk assessment and mitigation.

  • TRADITIONAL METHODS of risk assessment and mitigation development do not address a system of risks that interact with each other
  • Risk Management must recognize that risks are rarely independent of each other – they are a system of interacting risks
  • The Strategyfinder tool and method facilitates mapping out the expertise of a wide range of both experienced practitioners and those with the power to act.  The map represents often 100’s of risks that are connected causally – so creating an assessment of the system of risks which is then analysable.
  • The participants in the risk assessment activity can be located apart from each other, often in different countries, and connected via the internet using the Strategyfinder tool ensuring the right people are involved.  Using Strategyfinder they can often develop a risk assessment – risk system – of over 100 interconnected risks in under 1hour of group work. 
  • Risk assessment and mitigation development needs to be done to create a high level of ownership of the assessment and mitigation strategies.  This means it needs to be done efficiently: the Strategyfinder tool and method acknowledges this need. 
  • In contrast to developing a risk register the Strategyfinder approach to risk assessment acknowledges and focuses on the interaction of risks. 
  • Effective risk assessment and mitigation that acknowledges risks as a system is crucial in a complex world.  No other tried and tested tool and method can support systemic risk management.

“It was important for us all because it gave us a conversation where we could reach conclusions and prioritise. We finished up with agreements that were neither NHS nor Government, but rather a shared understanding and agreement. We ‚got to a good place as a group‘.
In these sorts of groups, many participants refer upward rather than speak their minds, whereas here we got the full range of views. Stuff got put on the table.
It would have taken us months to get to where we got to in 5 hours.
The ‚uncontrollable‘ and important issues became controllable. The ability of the system to build from one another’s contributions was particularly useful.
The speed with which the system enabled the distillation of issues and the assimilation of different views was impressive and undoubtedly contributed to the workshop’s success.”

Stephen, Scottish Government, Health Policy

WORKSHOPS

The Strategyfinder Systemic Risk Management method in summary

Workshop #1

about 1.5hrs – gathering the risks as seen by participants, and structuring the risks into a risk system

DELIVERABLE after 90mins:  A group view of the risk system and a rough sense of priority risks for mitigation.

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AD Workshop 1: about 1.5hrs – gathering perspectives and structuring

  1. Connect from emailed URL invitation to Strategyfinder to browser, or by email address and password
  2. ‘Blind’ gather of individual perspectives on key risks: allows all participants to have their say, whether ‘quiet or shouty’, and provide their expertise and wisdom anonymously and without the influence of the views of others.

Participants located anywhere with an internet connection: use Teams/Zoom/Skype + Strategyfinder.

Get about 60 statements – a quick and broad perspective.

The facilitator sees all contributions as they come in and organises these into risk clusters/topics while participants express their views.

3. The facilitator shares all the contributions through the rough topics and so participants ‘listen’ to the views of all the other participants.

4. Participants add missing key risks not currently declared, using ‘open’ gather. Now have about 70-75 statements.

PRODUCT after about 30-45mins:  the beginnings of a group view of the range of risks with everyone having contributed, BUT no structuring.

5. Causal linking of risks by participants. What other risks might be impacted by a risk.

PRODUCT after about 50-70mins: rough means-ends/causal structure.

 

Workshop 1: about 1.5hrs – gathering perspectives and structuring

  1. Quick and rough analysis of the new range of topics based on the network of causally linked statements.
  2. Strategyfinder analysis tools provide a rough indication of any possible vicious cycles of risks and those cycles that are most potent, and an indication of where is the most potent mitigation that impact the most risk outcomes.
  3. Use of ‘rating’ facility in Strategyfinder tool to gather judgments about the relative importance of the risk topics.

Strategyfinder provides an indication of the judgments made about relative importance of topics through relative rating and degree of consensus.

DELIVERABLE after 90mins:  A group view of the situation and a rough sense of priority topics.

 

Click to FIND OUT WHAT ANALYSIS TOOLS SF HAS

 

 

Link to Analyse Tutorial

Workshop #2

about 1.5hrs – exploration, validation, editing and adding

DELIVERABLE:  An agreed and validated group view of the risk system and a sense of priority topics and the degree of consensus of judgements.

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Workshop 2: about 1.5hrs – exploration, validation, editing and adding

 

  1. Strategyfinder automatically produces a range of key smaller ‘chunks’ of the whole risk system based on Strategyfinder range of analyses: potential/draft goals (final outcomes) and their relationships; finding key feedback loops (vicious cycles of risks); key drivers of risk outcomes; central/core clusters in the network.
  2. The group explore these risk sub-systems (‘chunks’) – exploring the most crucial first (key vicious/virtuous cycles, key drivers, and most central clusters).
  3. Participants can edit their own risk statements, add more risks, and change their own links. 
  4. Facilitator edits and adds during discussion. 
  5. Through discussion the group gradually validates the causal risk network: validate risk feedback loops, validate causal links, tighten wording of statements, merge risks that have exactly the same meaning but different wording.
  6. Use of ‘rating’ facility in Strategyfinder tool to gather judgments about the relative importance of the new range of topics (‘chunks’/sub-systems).

DELIVERABLE:  An agreed group view of the situation and a sense of priority topics and the degree of consensus of judgements.

 

Click to explore extract from SRM manual

Workshop #3

about 1.5hrs –finding impactful and practical risk mitigation

DELIVERABLE:  An agreed group view of effective strategies and actions to deliver agreed goals.

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Workshop 3: about 1.5hrs –finding impactful and practical risk mitigation

  1. Strategyfinder analyses enable the automatic production of a new set of ‘chunks’/sub-systems of risks, reflecting the validated causal network. The most potent vicious and virtuous cycles are shown with the possible interventions to decrease the impact of a vicious cycle. Analysis finds the most potent intervention points that drive the risk outcomes, and shows the sub-system of causal links from the mitigation to its impact. 
  2. For each of the key sub-systems: Using ‘blind’, or open, gather, the group suggest practical and impactful possible actions (options).
  3. Use the Strategyfinder preferencing tool to evaluate options, using potential impact and degree of practicality as criteria. 
  4. Focus on those mitigation options that have high impact and high practicality, and reasonable consensus of judgement. Consider how high impact and low practicability might be made more practical, and vice-versa.
  5. Prioritise and agree effective mitigation strategies and portfolios of mitigation actions.

Click to EXPLORE AN EXAMPLE OF POTENCY IN VICIOUS CYCLES

DELIVERABLE:  An agreed group view of effective strategies and actions to deliver agreed goals.