Day 1: Foundations and Frameworks
Session 1: Introduction to COSO Framework
- Legislative guidance – PFMA | MFMA | Structures Act | Systems Act | OHSA
- Overview of the COSO ERM Framework – Relevance of COSO for municipalities.
- Key components: Governance and culture, strategy and objective setting, performance, review, and reporting.
Activity: Group discussion on current municipal challenges.
Session 2: Governance and Culture
- Establishing ethical leadership and a risk-aware culture.
- Defining roles and responsibilities in municipal governance.
- Aligning risk management with municipal policies and values.
- Activity: Case study analysis on ethical governance in South African municipalities.
Session 3: Risk Identification and Assessment
- Identifying risks in municipal operations (e.g., service delivery protests, regulatory compliance, climate change).
- Tools and techniques for risk assessment – full set of risk tempates.
- Prioritizing risks based on likelihood and impact, aligned with IRMSA 2024 Risk Report findings.
- Activity: Practical exercise: Risk mapping for municipal services.
Session 4: Risk Response and Control Activities
- Developing risk response strategies: Avoidance, reduction, sharing, acceptance.
- Designing and implementing control activities – adequacy versus effectiveness.
- Examples of effective risk controls in municipalities.
- Activity: Role-playing exercise: Creating a response plan for a critical risk.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Day 2: Application and Strategic Integration
Session 5: Strategy and Objective Setting
- Integrating risk management into municipal strategic planning.
- Addressing risks related to regulatory uncertainty and financial sustainability.
- Developing key risk indicators (KRIs) aligned with strategic goals.
- Activity: Workshop: Aligning municipal objectives with risk strategies.
Session 6: Monitoring and Reporting
- Establishing monitoring mechanisms to track risk performance.
- Reporting on risk management to stakeholders.
- Leveraging technology for real-time monitoring.
- Activity: Workshop: Designing a risk management dashboard tailored for municipalities.
Session 7: Addressing Emerging Risks
- Exploring risks from the IRMSA 2024 Risk Report: service delivery protests, climate adaptation, and financial mismanagement.
- Developing scenario plans and contingency strategies.
- Collaborative approaches to addressing complex risks.
- Activity: Group project: Developing a COSO-aligned risk management strategy for a hypothetical municipality, addressing IRMSA-identified risks.
Session 8: Continuous Improvement
- Embedding a culture of continuous improvement in risk management.
- Lessons learned from case studies.
- Building resilience through adaptive risk management.
- Activity: Open forum: Sharing insights and feedback.
