Risk Assessment

Running head: RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk Assessment
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Risk Assessment
Introduction
Many organizations and systems are managed by corporate personnel, and an effective modeling of the leadership strategies is a necessary step. The journey towards successful operational structures has to face hindrances. Due to the emergence of various systems in the running of organizations, risk assessment has become a fundamental requisite. The reliability of any system or enterprise requires minimal risks and adequate resources, so as to ensure that productivity is realized. The negative impacts that have been experienced as a result of poor management are not pleasant. There are various organizations and institutions in the global capacities which can help in risk assessment and management. Different systems demand different departmental applications, so as to grow positively. This paper seeks to explore the importance and role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DOD) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in relation to risk assessment and management The different roles played by other organs in risk assessment are also discussed.
The USA has formed many federal and local organs to enhance risk management. Since the September 11 2001 attacks by terrorist groups, the American citizens have called for reformation of various public platforms, so as to ensure that security risks are properly addressed (Bellavita, 2008). However, terrorism is not the only risk that calls for action. There are many other forms of risk in the society, and the U.S homeland security programs encompass a number of issues (Bellavita, 2008). For example, hazards such as weather catastrophes, environmental effects and also jurisdiction conflicts are categorized as potential risks. On the business and economic scales, there exist other types of risks which must also be accorded the right assessment. These include industrial risks, technology related risks, fire risks, losses and computer system related risks among others (Bellavita, 2008). Some of the risks in can be termed as disasters, since they cause massive destruction to the affected victims.
The Department of Homeland Security and risk assessment
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) falls under the federal security programs in the US, and has various functions (DHS.gov, 2011). For example, this organ controls the various federal resources to ensure that public systems are incorporated. The DHS has several sub-departments, which carry out various security-related activities (DHS.gov, 2011). For example, the department provides training and informative programs to police agencies at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (DHS.gov, 2011). National security is provided to the citizens by the department’s military organ, which is also responsible for securing maritime demarcations. For medical services, the DHS controls the various healthcare programs in the country, to ensure that the state and local health agencies are well coordinated (DHS.gov, 2011). However, this federal organ has established proper avenues that are aimed at improving the risk assessment tasks.
In the DHS, the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is the division that is responsible for risk assessment (DHS.gov, 2011). The various risks that face the federal agencies are addressed in this sub-department, and proper measures have been put in place to ensure that such risks are reduced. Most of the federal buildings and other leased properties are evaluated by this division, which also covers the subsequent risk assessment activities. Specifically, the Risk Management and Analysis (RMA) is the section that is mandated with risk assessment in this division (DHS.gov, 2011). All public risk management activities are well coordinated by the DHS, and this strategy has greatly improved risk management programs in the USA. Most of the national hazards in the country are addressed in this office, including the rampant global cyber security risks. There are various special programs that have been established in DHS to ensure that the federal government is adequately prepared to address catastrophic occurrences. The information sector relies on the DHS on risk assessment activities, so as to reduce cyber security threats in the entire country (DHS.gov, 2011).
Risk assessment in the Department of Defense
In the USA, the Department of Defense (DOD) is the main national department that is mandated to preserve cross-border security. The DOD is consented to carry out many defense-related activities in the country. For example, this department safeguards the quality of the defense infrastructural systems, in addition to risk assessment (Flournoy, 2009). On the public scale, the DOD is responsible for protecting the country from resource depletion. Therefore, the public resources are prevented from unnecessary exploitation, especially the key infrastructural components. However, the DOD coordinates with other local and federal organs in security programs, such as the DHS (Flournoy, 2009). Most of these duties are executed by the department’s DOD Critical Infrastructure Protection office (DCIP), which supervises policy making in this organ. The DOD also manages all security issues in the information systems available at its disposal. The various risks which are associated with the department’s computer systems are addressed by the CIP office (Flournoy, 2009).
On the risk management issues, the DOD has formed a division that specifically assesses the various risks and applications in the department. The DCIP is the main section that offers remediation services for to the risk management personnel (Flournoy, 2009). For example, the office provides the department with adequate information on risk management, so as to lessen security perils and other national hazards. For the natural catastrophes, the office has established policies that can be used during such times. Risk assessment has tremendously been improved in this department due to the apt provision of risk management information to the relevant professionals. The main strength of the DCIP section is that it has the capability to assess many DOD systems that are located in remote areas (Flournoy, 2009). As a requirement in this federal department, all security sections must submit risk policy reports on the various national and departmental hazards to the headquarters for assessment. This strategy has been praised by other federal agencies, since it enhances the preparedness of the state to handle any kind threats.
The DCIP office has expanded risk assessment procedures in the recent past, to cover a significant number of susceptibilities in the country. For example, the risks that are posed by non-security factors such as weather are covered in the current DCIP program (Flournoy, 2009). Some of the solutions that have been outlined in the risk assessment reports include modification of security approaches and procedural systems, so as to curb the problem of insecurity in the country (Flournoy, 2009). The DCIP has also proposed other remedial actions such as seclusion of the affected installations, improving security policies and the establishment of new sys...