Uitgereikt te Rotterdam op 18 september 2020 aan Paul Hofstra.

The board of PRIMO Netherlands and the board of PRIMO Europe have awarded the PRIMO Risk Management Award 2019 to Paul Hofstra for his courage and leadership at the intersection of public value, public risk and governance.

The award is based, on the one hand, on his mature leadership as a board member and director of the Rotterdam Court of Audit and, on the other, on his professional contributions to the precise and essential application of the principles of risk management, as set out, for example, in the reports Heat Without a Pipeline and Public Value Under Pressure.

Laudatio

“The board of PRIMO Netherlands and the board of PRIMO Europe have awarded the PRIMO Risk Management Award 2019 to Paul Hofstra for his courage and leadership at the intersection of public value, public risk and governance. The award is based, on the one hand, on his mature role as Director of the Rotterdam Audit Office and his professional contributions to the precise and essential application of the principles of risk management, as set out, among other things, in the reports Heat without a pipeline and Public value under pressure.

At the Rotterdam Audit Office, his commitment is undeniable in conducting and promoting a constructive dialogue regarding the sound governance of the city of Rotterdam. In doing so, Paul – with his broad knowledge of the subject matter and his thorough approach to investigations and presentations – has ensured that his audit office is regarded as authoritative.

The facts he uncovers and analyses can be described as balanced, meticulous and reliable. The fact that, together with his colleagues from the Amsterdam Metropolitan Audit Office, The Hague Audit Office, Randstad Audit Office and Utrecht Audit Office, he has championed the G4+ Quality Charter has made the approach throughout the entire process of assessment and reporting well-founded, open and transparent. In the view of the PRIMO board, this greatly serves the trust of citizens and society in the government. Paul contributes to an audit office that can be regarded as a valuable asset within public administration.

In the Board’s view, the reports Heat without Pipes and Public Value Under Pressure excel in their thorough and factual analysis of how risk management is and should be applied as an integral part of good governance. Furthermore, the Board considers the analysis of how citizens, businesses, politicians, administrators, managers and staff act and should act within the context of the tasks at hand to be exceptionally robust. As the person ultimately responsible for these reports, Paul makes it clear that the discipline of risk management is essential in both the corporate and public sectors, of great value for achieving real results (actions speak louder than words), and that risk management is not a foreign element within the broader framework of public governance, but is logical and conducive to results, provided – and he makes this clear – that it is properly applied and carried out as agreed. In doing so, Paul links risk management and the principles of good public governance with the fundamental principles of quality management.

The lessons that can be drawn from the aforementioned reports – all of which cover relevant and current issues at the intersection of innovation, projects, and management – undeniably, in the opinion of the PRIMO board, form the basis for the further development of the discipline. Since their publication, these reports have become part of PRIMO’s Kaleidoscope educational program, which not only presents the analyses and conclusions but also enables the development of improvement plans based on design thinking and scenario analyses. Paul’s recommendations provide practical guidance for improvement. And that is a great asset.

In a more general sense, the board believes that Paul’s work is undeniably fundamental to the further development of the discipline of risk management in the public sector. Not least because of the courage with which he dares to identify and address issues. Courage should not be underestimated in this field, as it is precisely this aspect that emerges as a key point in the many scientific studies by, among others, Paul Slovic, Daniel Kahneman, and Amos Tversky. Good risk management requires courage, a great deal of courage: the courage to speak out, the courage to share what you see, or the courage to tell it like it is. Courage is the foundation of identifying, addressing, and mitigating risks. Paul has courage. Paul is a courageous man who does not hesitate to tell those in power what he sees, without reproach, and in a manner that commands respect from many.

Paul, therefore, uniquely links risk management as a profession, philosophy, and approach with the conceptual model of good public governance. With his sharp insight into projects and plans, he knows better than anyone that major political, administrative, and social issues require this connection to be effective. Paul has successfully established this connection in the practice of his profession and the delivery of his reports. Each and every one is a masterpiece.

In the eyes of the PRIMO board, Paul has made a fundamental contribution to the recognition that the governance and management of public assets benefit from an open attitude towards external trends and developments, from an understanding of how these can manifest as opportunities and threats, in a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of people and organisations, in emphasising that risk management is indispensable for success, and above all in the willingness and ability to think in terms of scenarios and solutions.

Paul places public value – that is, the value for which the council, executive committee, and management strive on behalf of citizens and society – at the heart of his approach and clearly identifies in his reports where and how damage has occurred and where public value is under threat. Paul’s approach in this regard is consistent, systematic, and authentic. It strikes the board that this fundamental attitude can be described as a form of public stewardship. It seems to be hard-wired into his nature, embedded in his DNA.

PRIMO is firmly convinced that this attitude of public stewardship leads to enrichment, stability, success, safety and security in the public domain of cities, villages, neighbourhoods and streets. In Paul’s view, reliability is the foundation of all effective governance and management. A pure philosophy from an exceptional individual.

It is with pride that we present the PRIMO Risk Management Award 2019 to Paul Hofstra.”