Risk management for your (scientific) events

As a community manager, I have organized a number of events ranging from formal conferences, to semi-formal training events, to informal social meetings, both locally and internationally. In the last three years, I have become very comfortable with the kind of work that goes into organizing such events. I have also become quite aware of the fact that my events will face unexpected threats even though I have planned everything well. In this process, I have identified the important aspects of planning a scientific event. Furthermore, I have also created comprehensive lists of responsibilities that appear in the different stages of event organization, risk assessment, task prioritization, and risk mitigation.

My complete notes on this topic and a related presentation are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are welcome to use this resource in your own workflow. I will be happy to receive your comments and contribution to improve this materialAs a community manager, I have organized a number of events ranging from formal conferences, to semi-formal training events, to informal social meetings, both locally and internationally. In the last three years, I have become very comfortable with the kind of work that goes into organizing such events. I have also become quite aware of the fact that my events will face unexpected threats even though I have planned everything well. In this process, I have identified the important aspects of planning a scientific event. Furthermore, I have also created comprehensive lists of responsibilities that appear in the different stages of event organization, risk assessment, task prioritization, and risk mitigation.

My complete notes on this topic and a related presentation are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are welcome to use this resource in your own workflow. I will be happy to receive your comments and contribution to improve this material.

Please use this presentation in combination with the file available on Zenodo: https://zenodo.org/record/3368395#.XVQWxpMzbOQ. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3368395.

All the best.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Transcript

1. malvika.sharan@embl.de @malvikasharan Risk Management for (Scientific) Events Malvika Sharan 2019-05-17
2. Case Study When organising an event or a workshop, what could go wrong before, during and after and how would I mitigate such risks
3. 1. Identifying important Aspects of Event Planning Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash
4. Important Aspects of Event Planning Institute Program Venue Budget Audience Speakers Catering Sponsors Stakeholders Communication Documentation Volunteers
5. 2. Identifying Possible Risks Image by @helloquence on Unsplash
6. Institute Program Venue Budget Audience Speakers Catering Sponsors Stakeholders Communication Documentation Volunteers Identifying Possible Risks
7. Before the Event During the Event After the Event Identifying Possible Risks
8. Misalignment of the workshop goal During the Event After the Event Identifying Possible Risks Before the Event
9. Misalignment of the workshop goal During the Event After the Event Incident that could damage reputation Before the Event Identifying Possible Risks
10. Misalignment of the workshop goal During the Event After the Event Incident that could damage reputation Failed to assess the impact of the workshop Before the Event Identifying Possible Risks
11. Misalignment of the workshop goal Ineffective program design During the Event After the Event Incident that could damage reputation Bad weather Failed to assess the impact of the workshop Ineffective assessment of success and failures Identifying Possible Risks Before the Event
12. Misalignment of the workshop goal Ineffective program design Venue not available on a day of choice Insufficient budget Not enough participants Delays in confirming Unavailability of specific catering company Lack of sponsorship Don’t know where to contribute Lack of transparency Multiple locations of documents Not enough volunteers During the Event After the Event Incident that could damage reputation Bad weather Accessibility or technical issues Unexpected cost Participant shows up without registration Drops out Certain dietary preferences are missing Sponsor is unhappy with certain aspect Don’t know what tasks to deliver Unclear communication of agenda/information Missing guideline Not enough volunteers Failed to assess the impact of the workshop Ineffective assessment of success and failures Unexpected expenses Overspent budget Participants complain about something Speakers complain about something Unexpected expenses Displeased by the use of their sponsorship Feel unacknowledged/ underappreciated Post-event information is not shared Data lost/corrupted Volunteers feel Underappreciated Complete file: https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk Identifying Possible Risks Before the Event
13. Image by @epicantus on Unsplash 3. Risk Assessment and Prioritising Tasks
14. Risk Assessment: Likelihood Vs. Impact Medium Before the Event During the Event After the Event Legend High Low https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk
15. Medium Risk Assessment: Likelihood Vs. Impact Before the Event During the Event After the Event Legend High Low https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk
16. Risk Management • Risk Avoidance • Drop tasks that don’t add value but come with risks • Risk Reduction • Create contingency plans to reduce last minute threats • Risk Transfer • Identify third party to deal with specific risks • Risk Acceptance • Develop monitoring plan for important tasks with risks MICHAEL POWER, (2004) "The risk management of everything", The Journal of Risk Finance, Vol. 5 Issue: 3, pp.58-65, https://doi.org/10.1108/eb023001
17. Minimize the negative impact of risks that may occur Task with risk Risk Avoidance Risk Reduction Risk Transfer Risk Acceptance Risk Mitigation Adapted from an Illustration from Barron & Barron Project Management for Scientists and Engineers
18. Medium Prioritizing Tasks: Depends on the Workshop Format Before the Event During the Event After the Event Legend High Low https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk Prioritising Tasks: Depends on the Workshop Format
19. 4. Creating Contingency Plans to Mitigate Risks Image by @john_cameron on Unsplash
20. Contingency Plans to Mitigate Risks https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk Before the Event During the Event After the Event Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Goals not aligned Institute’s reputation Assessment strategy
21. Before the Event During the Event After the Event Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Goals not aligned Set effective goals Institute’s reputation Security & Policies Assessment strategy Meaningful survey Contingency Plans to Mitigate Risks https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk
22. Contingency Plans to Mitigate Risks https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk Before the Event During the Event After the Event Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Goals not aligned Set effective goals Institute’s reputation Security & Policies Assessment strategy Meaningful survey Insufficient budget Effective budget plan Unplanned expense Reserve over - head cost Overspent budget Get quotes from vendors
23. Contingency Plans to Mitigate Risks Before the Event During the Event After the Event Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate Risks Mitigate https://tinyurl.com/eventrisk
24. Key Points to Consider for Mitigating Risk Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash
25. Key Points to Consider for Mitigating Risk Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash • Involve all the stakeholders from the beginning • Maintain communication and set right expectations
26. Key Points to Consider for Mitigating Risk Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash • Involve all the stakeholders from the beginning • Maintain communication and set right expectations • Store data in a common location • Checklists, policies, invoices/quotes, task delegation etc.
27. Key Points to Consider for Mitigating Risk Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash • Involve all the stakeholders from the beginning • Maintain communication and set right expectations • Store data in a common location • Checklists, policies, invoices/quotes, task delegation etc. • Transfer specific risk to reliable service providers • AV, catering, budget handling and transportations
28. Key Points to Consider for Mitigating Risk Image by @dhudson_creative on Unsplash • Involve all the stakeholders from the beginning • Maintain communication and set right expectations • Store data in a common location • Checklists, policies, invoices/quotes, task delegation etc. • Transfer specific risk to reliable service providers • AV, catering, budget handling and transportations • Acknowledge contributions • Create values for people to participate and contribute
29. Image by @chigraph on Unsplash Personal Notes • Review past events (triggers & tips) • Involve community members • Delegate tasks effectively • Establish strategies, timelines, and budget in advance • Stay connected with people
30. Image by @freegraphictoday on Unsplash Things always go wrong…
31. Image by @freegraphictoday on Unsplash Things always go wrong… and that’s alright!
32. Personal Experiences No show High demand Low budget Lost packages No internet Technical issues Flood Projector failure Earthquake
33. Xe 1. Identifying important Aspects of Event Planning 2. Identifying possible risks 3. Risk assessment and prioritisation 4. Developing contingency plan for mitigating risks 5. Bringing in personal experiences Summary
34. @malvikasharan Thank you.