| Tuesday, 06 April 2010 09:42 |
| When it comes to managing risk, attention to detail, consistency and execution of routines is where camps should focus much of their attention. Written by Matt Cruchet Originally published in Canada Camps - Winter 2010 under the title "Worth the Risk" Training staff to manage risk is an overwhelming large undertaking. Where do you start? Risk management starts with big ideas: what type of camp are we running, what are the outcomes we want to achieve and how do we get there? These ideas trickle down to day-in-the-life operations: do we have enough equipment, what trail should we take and who’s going to lead the activity? It is disingenuous to think that you can train staff to manage risk. You can train staff to manage participant safety. You can support staff in making sound judgment decisions. You can teach staff how to stop bleeding or administer an Epipen™. You can instruct on how to perform site inspections. But you can’t train staff to manage risk for your camp – that’s the owner’s and/or director’s job and can only happen from the top. Managing risk involves looking at all camp operations from a systems perspective. This type of holistic approach has proven incredibly useful in mainstream business settings. Its application to adventure based organizations provides a modern approach to managing risk. Systems based planning simplifies complex processes, illuminates gaps in existing practice, and points to practical steps to improve risk management and program quality throughout an organization. An effective systems-based risk management program is envisioned from the top, implemented from the bottom and maintained by all levels of the organization. In terms of training staff to manage risk, camp owners and directors need to first establish systems and then train staff on how these systems get implemented. Systems are cycles within the camps’ operating environment. Many exist. Every camp has seven main systems that drive camp activities (see sidebar). These primary cycles can be further broken down into sub-systems. Let’s look at equipment management as an example. To help visualize how this works think of tracking a piece of gear (a paddle) through its life with the camp. The Equipment Management System looks like this: Procurement -> Control of Equipment -> Inspection -> Maintenance -> Retirement -> back to Procurement. Most equipment items at most camps will go through a similar cycle. Each stage of the system has its own sub-system. For example Control of Equipment might look like this: Inventory -> Sign out -> Use -> Sign in -> Inspect -> Inventory or Maintenance. It is at this level where training staff can make a big difference in how your camp manages risk. These mirco-systems are essentially routines. They exist throughout the camp environment and when added together form the day-to-day cogs that keep everything running smoothly and safely. Many routines are second nature and have been developed over many years of trial and error (counselor-camper check-ins). Others have developed out of necessity (waterfront buddy systems) – some have been imposed (mandatory drinking water testing) . Regardless of how they were developed, it is the attention to detail, consistency and execution of the routines that takes your camp from adequate to excellent in terms of managing risk. How to implement systems in Camp settings
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