Risk Management

Empowering UNSW to navigate uncertainty, amplify opportunities and enhance strategic decision-making.

Students on the main walkway at UNSW Kensington.

Risk enables UNSW and its controlled entities, through understanding uncertainty, complexity and their impacts on strategic objectives, to maximise opportunity, build resilience and enable insights that support effective decision making and governance.

The Risk team provides advice and support on Risk matters affecting the university. Meet the Risk team, which includes our roles and contact details.

Meet our team

View our training videos or use WHS monitor to manage all aspects of safety, incidents, site inspections, hazard reporting and management.

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Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) for UNSW is a comprehensive approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks that could affect the university's ability to achieve its strategic objectives and fulfill its mission effectively. ERM is a vital practice, as we face a wide range of risks, including financial, operational, reputational, regulatory, and strategic risks.

As the core pillars for UNSW's risk management activities, UNSW Risk has defined the Risk Management Framework which outlines the approach to risk at UNSW and its controlled entities, and the Risk Management Policy which has been approved by Council.

Risk management templates

The Risk Profile templateEnterprise Risk Criteria and Categories and UNSW Project Risk Criteria and Categories can help your Faculty or Division to identify, articulate and assess any risks within it.

The UNSW Risk Appetite Statement is undergoing review. Please contact risk@unsw.edu.au if you would like assistance.

Risk universe includes strategic risk, operational risk and travel risk.

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At UNSW, the Business Continuity and Resilience program focuses on identifying the most critical functions that need to continue in the event of an incident or disruption, developing a recovery plan (BCP) and where possible, improving the resilience of the organisation by building in redundancy, adapting the critical function or putting in place different processes that improve resilience when implementing change.

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UNSW has a duty of care to all staff and students travelling internationally on UNSW-related business.

If you are seeking approval to travel to a destination that is rated DFAT 3 or 4, or otherwise deemed to be a "High Risk" location by UNSW Risk, then you are required to complete a travel risk assessment for your trip and submit it in your PTA.

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The How to guide is undergoing review. Please contact risk@unsw.edu.au if you would like assistance.

A forward plan for 2024 commencing the transformation of risk management at the university has been devised by the Director, Risk. This plan sets out clear goals and expectations for 2024 aimed at enhancing the risk posture for UNSW.

Please contact risk@unsw.edu.au for guidance on agreed approaches across your respective faculty and division, or to discuss your requirement for Risk Engagement in 2024.

Risk Strategy

UNSW's risk strategy is usually reviewed every 3 years. It was last updated in 2019.