Auteursarchief: Jack P. Kruf

PRIMO is leaving ISO 31000 behind

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PRIMO Res Publica | August 2026

The new draft ISO 31000 (2026) is moving further away from PRIMO’s approach to the issue of public values (and their associated risks). The framework remains too organisation-centred, fails to focus on the public domain and lacks the tools for systemic thinking with regard to public values. The framework was launched in 2009 and updated in 2018 in an attempt to give ‘risk’ a central place in the guidelines amidst the many other ISO frameworks. In the public sector, due to its lack of integration with core processes, it has never really taken root in the world of politics and governance. Furthermore, because of its general nature, it is a framework that cannot be certified, unlike other more specialised and specific frameworks, and partly for this reason it is not really usable.

With the new 2026 update on the horizon and the framework appearing to become increasingly isolated within its own world of risk management, it is time for some reflection. The conclusion:

PRIMO Res Publica advises against the use of the ISO 31000 framework for public organisations.
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PRIMO laat ISO 31000 achter zich

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PRIMO Res Publica | augustus 2026

Het nieuwe concept ISO 31000 (2026) komt verder en verder weg van hoe PRIMO het vraagstuk van publieke waarden (en hun risico’s) benadert. Het raamwerk blijft te veel organisatiegericht, heeft het publieke domein niet in de focus en ontbeert de handvatten voor systemisch denken met betrekking tot publieke waarden. Het raamwerk is in 2009 op de markt gekomen en in 2018 geactualiseerd als een poging om ‘risico’ een centraal podium van richtlijnen te geven te midden van de vele andere ISO-raamwerken. In de publieke sector is het door zijn gebrek aan koppeling met primaire processen nooit echt geland in de wereld van politiek en bestuur. Het is door zijn algemeenheid ook een raamwerk dat niet certificeerbaar is, in tegenstelling tot de andere meer toegewijde en specifieke raamwerken en mede daardoor niet echt bruikbaar.

Met de nieuwe 2026 update in het vooruitzicht en het raamwerk zich verder lijkt te isoleren in de eigen wereld van risicomanagement, is het tijd voor een reflectie. De conclusie:

PRIMO Res Publica ontraadt het ISO 31000-raamwerk voor publieke organisaties.
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Kernwaarden in retrospectief

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Eric Frank bij 10 jaar PRIMO Nederland*

Na het lezen van vele honderden essays, rapporten en boeken in het proces van ordenen en cureren voor het internationale PRIMO-netwerk, de conclusie is dat deze vereniging zich primair heeft gericht op publieke waarden en de besturing om er te komen.

Het gaat daarbij in feite over het afstemmen van zes kernwaarden, zijnde (1) het dienen van bestuur en bestuurder zelve, (2) het verfijnen van het proces van besturing en haar zorgvuldigheid, (3) het bereiken van burger, bedrijf en samenleving, (4) het scheppen van de waarde in product en dienst op zich inclusief de levering (output), (5) het bereiken van de beoogde outcome bij de doelgroep en (6) het dienen van de systemische balans waarbinnen dit gebeurt.

Voormalig directeur van PRIMO Nederland, Eric Frank, verwoordt het goed bij het tienjarig bestaan van de vereniging in 2016. Het gaat niet om het beheren van risico’s – dat is een vorm van verzekeren – maar om het behalen en borgen van publieke waarden. Daarom heeft PRIMO in 2024 het accent opnieuw gelegd op ‘res publica’, de publieke zaak.

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About ‘Public Risk’

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Board of PRIMO Europe | April 2007

Introduction

During the founding of the idea of PRIMO in Strasbourg on the 1st of April 2005, the need for design principles related to the governance of public risk was extensively discussed. We, to be precise the executive committee of the European Association of Local Chief Executives UDITE, defined it as a form or way of working towards the prevention and reduction of possible hazards and risks (i.e. a measure of hazard) in our (European) cities, to build public trust on values like safety, quality of life, protection and coherence in society. In 2020, we reflect on and specify these principles.

A myriad to deal with

Based on experiences in this network we conclude that most of the public leaders and managers we meet – and if we ask them in our Public Risk Forum, round tables and thinktanks -, define risk all in their own way. It is a myriad of definitions and perceptions. We guess there are 100 different definitions of risk around, all based on unique principles, perspectives, angles, and driven towards further segmentation by a myriad of advisors, trainers, scientists (o, yes), and software developers.

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Enacting resilience

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Adventure racing as a microcosm of resilience organizing

Michelle Barton and Kathleen Sutcliffe | March 2023

In this inductive study we explore the relational microdynamics of organizational resilience in adventure racing. Drawing from an organizing lens, we frame resilience as an ongoing process by which organizational actors work together to absorb strain and maintain functioning within dynamically uncertain and adverse environments.

Adventure racing exemplifies such a context: stress, technological breakdowns, and untoward environmental conditions are both frequent and unpredictable. By analyzing and triangulating interview data from 103 members of 53 adventure racing teams, we found that racers experienced ongoing adversity punctuated by discrete acute shocks.

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World Risk Poll Report 2026

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The quiet hazards: How everyday risk shapes daily life

Lloyd’s Register Foundation | June 2026

Dr Ruth Boumphrey, Chief Executive: “The Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll provides a crucial platform for people around the world to voice concerns about their safety, gathering data on everyday risks and harms every two years. By amplifying the voices of those who are often marginalised or underrepresented, the Poll offers invaluable global insights to guide interventions aimed at protecting those most at risk. Developed and conducted in partnership with Gallup and shaped through dialogue with international bodies, sector experts and frontline organisations, the Poll has been built collaboratively from the outset and is intended to be used the same way.

Now in its fourth edition, the Poll has spanned major periods of global and regional change and provides a unique insight into emerging trends in people’s perceptions and experiences of risk in turbulent times. With more than 143,000 interviews conducted across 140 countries and territories in 2025, this new edition allows trends first identified in earlier editions to be tested and refined.

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Pathways to Positive Public Administration

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An International Perspective

Edited by Patrick Lucas, Tina Nabatchi, Janine O’Flynn, and Paul ’t Hart | 2024

In an era of low trust in government and a pervasive negativity bias, this volume goes against the grain. It examines the foundations, practices and tools of a distinctly positive strand of public administration (PPA).

This book asserts that there is a perennial need for social, evidence-based learning on what to aspire to and what works in public administration. Responding to this need, scholars from five continents present research designed to do just that. Employing an array of frameworks and methods, they present studies of high-performing policies and programs, exploring what makes them tick and what can be learned from their design and delivery. Taken together, the 27 contributions make a powerful case for the added value of PPA as an intellectual and practical endeavour.

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