Risk Management Review: Where We’ve Been — and Where We’re Going

Our Risk Management Review (RMR) has helped members and Risk Management Consultants identify agency-specific areas for improvement, track progress toward agreed-upon goals and report on those results. And there’s even more progress ahead in 2023! 

“In 2022, our Target Forms focused on Injury Prevention and Fleet Safety,” notes Tim Lenac, PDRMA Risk Management Services Supervisor. “Next year, we’re addressing Slip, Trip and Fall hazards — and expect quicker turnaround times from members, now that everyone’s more familiar with the review.”

How We Got Here

In 2022, we fully implemented the RMR with 156 Property/Casualty members participating. They received Kickoff Forms from their Risk Management Consultant with information specific to their agencies and then added details. “Although we only received 39 percent of the completed forms within the 15-day deadline,” explains Lenac, “we hope for a better response rate in 2023, since we’re now all familiar with the forms and process.”  

After returning their completed forms, members met with PDRMA either on-site or virtually in Kickoff Meetings to discuss the forms and identify agency needs. Park districts, forest preserve districts and conservation districts completed the Injury Prevention Target Form, which focused on parks/operations departments. Special Recreation Associations received the Fleet Target Form. Our Risk Management Services Department entered information from those completed forms into the in2vate platform between June and October.

We’re now working with the National Safety Council to evaluate that data and analyze correlations between form rankings, membership exposures and loss data.

Risk Management Improvements

During the Kickoff and Target Form meetings and field observations, PDRMA and members identified 27 additional activities for 2022 and 68 activities for 2023. “I’m happy to report that we have already completed or scheduled many of the 95 identified activities — things like OSHA gap analysis, training programs from outside vendors, specific PDRMA training programs and Athletico Back Safety Trainings. The RMR allows us to offer more targeted member assistance and trainings than ever before,” says Lenac.

What to Expect in 2023

Risk Management Consultants will send the Kickoff Form to agency Safety Coordinators in January 2023, with the expectation that follow-up meetings (online or in person) will likely be shorter than last year. “They will be more of a touch-base meeting with fewer items to identify and more discussion about how the past year has gone,” explains Lenac. “Consultants will also follow up on the results of the Injury Prevention and Fleet Forms from 2022.”

We will evaluate the data from the 2023 Target Forms and compare it with our 2021 results to identify member accomplishments as well as areas for improvement. The last part of the RMR is creating SMART goals for activities needing additional resources (i.e., budget, staff time, etc.). In early 2023, we plan to offer members additional training on creating SMART Goals.

“Members have been our diligent partner in this effort, and the success of the RMR demonstrates that,” adds Lenac. “We thank each agency for your patience as we move through full RMR implementation and look forward to benefitting from everyone’s efforts in 2023 and beyond.”