SAKOM senior management have a background in providing realistic risk assessments based on direct previous experience gained during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. This experience is formalised through the use of risk assessment tools, typically threat and mitigation matrices, which provide the basis of our written recommendations. Our risk assessment experience covers the appreciation, risk and subsequent threat mitigation in the areas of terrorist threat and attack, kidnap, indirect fire threat and at one stage, a threat analysis on the use of chlorine gas in Iraq during 2006. Our approach to risk assessment can be applied to other areas beyond those highlighted and our use of SME’s to deliver such assessments, ensures that clients receive a valuable product for their own planning use and resource allocation.

On a more formal level that simply experience, our approach to risk assessment is directed towards the effective management of potential opportunities for improvement and the reduction of adverse effects. SAKOM use six steps in our Risk Management process which we use together with matrix tables as necessary to formulate a report. SAKOM will:

• Establish the context of risk within the current operating environment
• Identify such risks
• Conduct analysis of such risk
• Evaluate and prioritize the risks
• Develop Risk Treatment Options
• Monitor and Review the risk

Within our risk assessment report and methodology we use Event Consequence Tables to indicate the impact to the client based on reputation, commercial, financial and of course medical impacts to an event. We also utilise Event Likelihood Tables which simplify in tabular format the actual likelihood of an event occurring within the established context (bullet point one above), use Risk Treatment Action tables, again to indicate the action to be taken in response to the risk (bullet point three above) and produce a Risk Ranking Table (bullet point four above) for easy reference.

All of the bullet points and tables mentioned are collated into a final matrix series of tables which show vulnerabilities, threat and likelihood of such threat, list the consequences, recommend pre-treatment risk, suggest mitigation options and strategies followed by further assessment of post treatment risk if ignored. Our risk assessment methodology is illustrated and presented in graphic format using relatively simple tables, color coded as necessary together with supporting narrative providing commentary to culminate in a professional document, well written and easy to understand at most levels of client staff.

Our view is that all staff operating in a post conflict or risk based environment, should fully understand the risks involved and the risk mitigation procedures recommended, in order that they can operate with the confidence and knowledge that they remain safe at all times.