The birth of Public Risk Management Organisation (PRIMO)

Jack Kruf* | May 2005

Last month, on April 1, 2005, the Executive Committee of UDITE, the network of local government Chief Executives across Europe, met in Strasbourg to discuss ‘public risk management’ as a new idea. City managers from across Europe looked forward to a newly proposed approach, which Alan Vendelbo, president of UDITE, put at the top of the agenda.

It was clear from the start that they believed it could strengthen their role and function in supporting politics, society, and their organisations. Current events, social attacks, and out-of-control budgets or projects have raised the importance of proactive thinking about public values, targets, and their risks. Here is a short personal impression. I was there on this day.

Orientation

Risks seem to emerge everywhere. They all tell us how fragile society is and that our values are endangered. How far in control are we, in fact, over the public domain? Too often, so was the impression of the meeting; city managers feel alone in this. But imagine the power and strength we could harness if we shared our knowledge and experiences

This would not only be a great approach but a transformative one under the umbrella of an association. After all, we must do it together and cooperate smartly. An association with a truly European approach is not just a possibility but a necessity. City managers from Denmark and Sweden shared initial ideas for a possible approach, and this is just the beginning of a collective effort.

“A combined approach of more care and precision related to the corporate aspect of public organisations and the public domain of citizens and society—two smart public risk management approaches in one.”

The stakes and roles in society and government are becoming increasingly complex, demanding a more sophisticated governance system than we currently have. We are constantly confronted with various crises, and politicians’ current approach, often proposing unimplementable, expensive, and ineffective policies, is not helping. This lack of effective governance hinders innovation in the public domain, and it’s high time we addressed this issue. 

Steering wheel

The increasing biodiversity across European societies demands a more advanced ‘steering wheel’. Otherwise, it can lead to fragmentation and even disintegration of public values. Public administration, governance, and management should develop at the same speed and intensity.

Public governance needs an update. One transparent element is the proper management of risks (read: potential harm to a chosen value) tomorrow or in the near future. We have to build more intelligence into our governance. It is, in fact, a combined approach of greater care and precision for the corporate aspect of public organisations and the public domain of citizens and society—two smart public risk management approaches in one.

This approach necessitates establishing a European association focused on holistic value and risk management. However, this association is not just a concept; it’s a collective effort, and everyone’s input and participation are crucial. Together, we can answer the question: What factors contribute to a sounder, more successful approach? Which starting points and constraints are essential for its development? And which facets of governance need further improvement to manage our public risks properly? Our collective expertise and insights are invaluable in this process.

Conviction

In general, we are convinced that many aspects of government need to be developed, updated, repaired, renewed, restyled, redesigned, and innovated. This can be seen in the many views in articles, books, and blogs, and, more importantly, in the everyday experiences of leaders, managers, and scientists in the public domain.

“With the momentum of the meeting in Strasbourg, can we transform collectively to that higher level of collective intelligence?”

Further studies on the new association should also focus on the scientifically accepted identification of critical interfaces, perceptions, methods, and tools within the public domain of our society and its environment, from a management and governance perspective. The science of public administration seems to be behind this need, though.

It is essential to examine how public leaders handle values and risks by leveraging the advantages of modern, proven theories, facts, and models. This would give city managers a generally accepted approach, a standard. Which would be great. Now, there is nothing of the kind, and we find it all out for ourselves.

It is interesting to find out to what extent public risk management and governance can be improved by taking a ‘higher point of view’ and providing proven technology. With that, we feel we can contribute to a better understanding and acceptance of good, lean, and effective governance.

With the momentum of the meeting in Strasbourg, can we collectively transform to that higher level of collective intelligence? A lot of work lies before us to find our way. Improvements in public governance are needed and desired. It is a challenge to be both cautious and entrepreneurial while preventing crisis and loss. Further, we must build trust in the government from the perspectives of citizens and companies. Risk management can help us with that.

On our way

We all think it is the city manager’s first task to keep pace with the myriad trends and developments around us, which present both opportunities and threats. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of ourselves, our mayors’ and aldermen’s governing councils, our elected councils, and our organisations is crucial. We will have to change, too. We are on our way.

*Jack Kruf is a member of the UDITE Executive Committee, representing the Netherlands and the city manager of the City of Roosendaal.