Promoting a risk-sensitive culture to enhance accountability

Information document Seventy-first session of the Regional Committee RC71/INF/2 6 October 2020 ________________________________________________________________________ PROMOTING A RISK-SENSITIVE CULTURE TO ENHANCE ACCOUNTABILITY Background Accountability and risk management have been identified as important enablers of the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific Region for many years. During the past decade, much work has been done to strengthen the culture of compliance and risk management within the Organization. Along with engagement in global initiatives, the Region has consolidated the global work on these issues in the Accountability Framework in the Western Pacific Region, which is a living document that evolves with changes in the operational environment. Promoting a culture of staff being responsible for actions and decisions enhances staff ownership of the objectives of the Organization with the reward of contributing to the overall success of the Organization. Along with the establishment of the Compliance and Risk Management unit, which reports directly to the Regional Director, an Advisory Group for Accountability and Risk meets regularly to monitor compliance and risk and to make recommendations to the Regional Director. The same concepts of compliance, accountability and risk management have been applied in translating the vision of For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region into our workplans. This work has become even more relevant and necessary in these uncertain pandemic times of the COVID-19 pandemic as we try to visualize the future and our work. COVID-19 as an opportunity to promote a risk-sensitive culture With accountability structures firmly in place, the Region was well placed to tackle the challenges brought on by the onset of the pandemic. In order to remain operational, 2 safeguard our staff and assets, and be agile enough to continue to deliver for Member States, risk management became an inherent step in the decision-making process. Based on the discussed risk appetite, risk analysis is being used in how we manage to keep our staff and work environments safe, how we best support Member States to combat the outbreak, and how we decide on prioritization and resource allocations, the modes of programme delivery, ongoing and changing operational constraints, and other areas. Specific internal risk analyses to support our work in the Western Pacific Region were conducted in the areas of: the Accountability Framework; risk management for COVID-19, expanding response action for COVID-19, contact tracing and management in the Regional Office, business continuity plan and operational readiness, and the halting of funding from the United States of America; risk mitigation measures for office operations under COVID-19; and risk management checklists for business continuity for meetings, travel, consultants and procurement during COVID-19. Having processes in place to continually review, adjust and amend as needed, while the surrounding operational landscape changes, is a key component of our work in this area. A tried-and-tested business continuity plan (BCP), which was in place from the beginning, provided the initial structure for our response to COVID-19. We quickly learnt that our plan did not cover some crucial areas of work. Other areas of work had changed so drastically and rapidly that there was a need to constantly review and upgrade the BCP to react to the realities on the ground. We integrated risk management into this iterative process, as we considered staff safety and the ability to keep essential operations going to support our work throughout the Region. Benefiting from our existing networks – such as our Programme Committee, regional administration network and others – risk mitigation and accountability discussions helped us maintain and sustain our work. This also allowed staff to cross over between programmes to focus on the work for the COVID-19 response. Other areas of constant risk monitoring included travel constraints, procurement and shipping complexities, increased need for information technology and communication channels, placement of staff where they were most needed, and management of the increased number of consultants. By embedding these concepts into our everyday work, 3 we have been able to maximize the delivery of support while keeping our most valuable asset – our staff – safe and on the ground working and delivering. Now that risk and accountability are a regular part of our work in the Region, we have the opportunity to maximize our impact in this changing and challenging environment as we implement the For the Future agenda. Planning beyond the “new normal” for a “new future” in the areas of financial and human resources with potential material swings in funding and ways of working will be enhanced by applying our risk mitigation and accountability lens. By promoting this risk-sensitive culture through operational processes and further embedding these principles in our daily work, we will continue striving to make the Western Pacific the world’s healthiest and safest region.