Covid -19 – IRM CEO Statement
Last updated: 24 June 2020
The current coronavirus epidemic (Covid-19) presents a challenge for the whole world, and for the risk management profession. We are seeing how our education, training and professional development has equipped us, and our organisations, to tackle this major risk.
Around the world, severe measures have been put into place, locking down economies, closing schools and shutting down public transport. Although limitations are now easing in many places, these measures will cause enormous economic and social costs. We have seen at first hand the challenges of decision making under conditions of extreme uncertainty and the vital input of risk management in situations with no good options. We have also seen the value of resilient organisations, systems and processes, and of course the people who work within them.
As risk professionals, we are skilled at framing and understanding these difficult policy choices.
In April 2020, we conducted a survey of our global community that indicated that the overwhelming majority are still hard at work, helping organisations of all types deal with the present and prepare for the future.
IRM, in common with other British organisations, has been following government advice to work from home and we have been able to continue, largely, with business as usual. We are continuing to recruit students for our distance learning qualifications and provide them with study support. Alternative arrangements have been made for examinations affected by centre closures. Our group meetings and events have been moved largely online and our webinars have attracted audiences from around the world. Our training courses have also gone online and this method of learning has proved popular and inclusive.
We will continue to monitor the situation and respond appropriately as lockdown restrictions ease.
We have compiled advice and resources from our international community which can be found here.
There has never been a more appropriate time to sharpen your skills in risk and resilience and IRM remains here to help you do that.
Dr Ian Livsey, IRM Chief Executive
