Book Review Owning the Future: Integrated Risk Management in Practice

The Australasian Journal of Disaster
and Trauma Studies
ISSN:  1174-4707
Volume : 2000-2

Review of:

Owning the Future:
Integrated Risk Management in Practice

by : David Elms (Edited by)
Published by the Centre for Advanced Engineering 1998; ISBN: 0-908993-17-X; 330 pages.

Reviewed by: David Johnston
Wairakei Research Centre
Taupo, New Zealand

"Owning the Future: Integrated Risk Management in Practice" was developed from papers presented at two conferences in 1997. Published by the conference organisers, the Centre for Advanced Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand 24 authors from four countries (Australia, Great Britain, the United States and New Zealand) cover a range of topics on risk management from varying perspectives. Topics include: both the history and principles of risk management, the need and cost effectiveness of an integrated approach to risk management, risk management techniques, the Australian/ Zealand Risk Management Standard, risk communications and risk management in a business, legal, central government, health and safety and insurance setting. The book also contains a number of case studies ranging from the risk of rabies from imported dogs to avalanches on the Milford Road.

There is a clear bias towards the more formal financial and engineering risk assessment/management approaches. Apart from one chapter on risk communication little discussion is directed towards the social or behavioral sciences and the personal, social and organisational factors which are known to act as impediments to the effectiveness of many risk management programmes. However, "Owning the Future" provides a valuable mix of principles, approaches, case studies and guidance for those involved in many aspects of risk management.

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