IRGC’s primary activity is to select and undertake projects which examine emerging global risks, identify gaps in the governance processes and structures which may hinder adequate assessment and management of these risks, and propose high-level recommendations for closing these governance gaps.
Projects are selected and prioritised by our Scientific and Technical Council and approved by our Board after funding (which must be demonstrably independent) and other resources have been identified. Our priorities are regularly reviewed to take account both of new risks that emerge or of policy or other changes affecting existing risks.
For IRGC to address a specific risk issue, it must:
be existing or emerging, not yet a major policy issue, but likely to become one
have the potential to harm human health and safety and the environment, and consequently a potentially adverse impact on the values and fabric of society at large and/or the economy
be relevant to more than one continent and to both developed and emerging economies
be of concern to a number of our stakeholder groups, that is government, regulators, industry, academia and NGOs, and to the general public
require clarification of, and advice regarding, practicable improvements to existing risk governance structures and processes or, alternatively, on the establishment of new structures and processes
not be the focus of work by other organisations with a similar purpose
Once we decide to undertake work on a particular problem field a member of the S&TC acts as project leader throughout and chairs a project sub-group, comprising other S&TC members and external experts, which scopes the project’s objectives, main activities and deliverables, assigns individual responsibilities and reports regularly on progress to the S&TC.
Project work is done by the project sub-group members themselves, sub-contractors, collaborating expert organisations and, less often, staff within the Secretariat. The Secretariat provides project management and other support. Project activities seek and integrate the views of other experts and key stakeholders through using surveys, technical workshops, seminars, or other means.
Project deliverables and their conclusions are subject to approval by the S&TC and will be published only after the successful completion of an external peer review and of any revisions required by that review.