MART Vol. II MO/MP - NESA - Civil Air Patrol

The mission staff will probably show you around mission base and inform youof transportation, lodging and meal arrangements. They will also tell you when toreport for duty, normally by telling you when the general briefing will be held.10.3 Operational Risk Management ReviewOperational Risk Management (ORM) is a practical way to accomplish themission with the least possible risk. It is more than just common sense (althoughplain common sense is very important) and more than just a safety program. Itcan be used to identify and assess anything that might have a negative impact ona mission.ORM is a method of getting the job done by identifying the areas that presentthe highest risk, then taking action to eliminate, reduce or control the risks. It canbe very flexible and can take from a few seconds to a few hours or days.ORM cannot be mandated, but it must become a part of the CAP culture. Wein CAP are willing to take educated (informed) risks, but we do not like to gamble.Therefore ORM should be embraced both by individual members and missionplanners and supervisors.The Air Force uses a six-step "building block" approach:1. Identify the hazards.2. Assess the risks.3. Analyze risk control measures.4. Make control decisions.5. Implement risk controls.6. Supervise and review.10.3.1 ORM PrinciplesAccept no unnecessary risks. Unnecessary risk comes without acommensurate return in terms of real benefits or available opportunities. All CAPmissions and our daily routines involve risk. The most logical choices foraccomplishing a mission are those that meet all mission requirements with theminimum acceptable risk.Make risk decisions at the appropriate level. Making risk decisions at theappropriate level establishes clear accountability. Those accountable for thesuccess or failure of the mission must be included in the risk decision process.The appropriate level for risk decisions is the one that can allocate the resourcesto reduce the risk or eliminate the hazard and implement controls. Levels includethe incident commander, aircraft or mission commander, ground team leader, orindividual responsible for executing the mission or task.Accept risk when the benefits outweigh the costs. All identified benefitsshould be compared to all identified costs. The process of weighing risks againstopportunities and benefits helps to maximize unit capability. Even high-riskendeavors may be undertaken when there is clear knowledge that the sum of thebenefits exceeds the sum of the costs. Balancing costs and benefits may be asubjective process and open to interpretation. Ultimately, the balance may haveto be determined by the appropriate decision authority.Integrate ORM into planning at all levels. Risks are more easily assessedand managed in the planning stages of an operation (this includes planning for asortie). Integrating risk management into planning as early as possible provides190