University of California and Bickmore to Lead Public Risk Needs Study

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 9 -- The Public Risk Management Association issued the following news release:

The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) and its partner organization, the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), are pleased to announce the selection of the University of California, Office of Risk Services (UC) and Bickmore to conduct a public sector risk management needs study. The team is developing a survey that will be administered on a nationwide basis to state and local risk managers, chief administration officers, elected officials, risk pools and public risk management-related organizations. The objectives of the study are to:

* identify individual risk managers' information and skills gaps,

* help risk managers perform effectively in an organizational setting,

* address the broader needs of organizations to integrate risk management within organizational culture, and

* help the risk management community elevate its status within the public sector and within society more generally.

"UC and Bickmore have a long history of working together on innovative risk management programs and have expertise in survey methodology and an understanding of public entity risk management," said Marshall Davies, PhD, executive director of PRIMA and PERI. "These are critical elements for success in this study."

Working collaboratively with key stakeholder associations, the research team will gather data and produce information that will assist these groups to better understand their own members' needs and the perceptions of the public risk community as a whole. The study will also assist PERI in determining the types of tools, knowledge and other resources that should be developed with PERI funding.

UC provides resources for the practical enhancement of risk management practices through innovative, effective risk management solutions to the university system as well as to public and private organizations worldwide. Bickmore is one of the largest independent, non-brokerage-affiliated risk management consulting firms in the nation with clients in 33 states and has been reducing the cost of risk for its clients for more than 25 years.

"We need to understand if our future project funding should be focused on addressing technical information gaps, improving skills that help risk managers perform in an organizational setting, helping to integrate risk management within governments, or elevating the status of the profession," said Amy Larson, Esq., vice chair, PERI.

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