Risk assessment process

3-Key Elements

Consisting of Threat/Risk Assessment, Vulnerability Assessment, and Assets Classification Evaluation processes.

Defined as a systematic and analytical process assessing probability aspects of an adverse action occurring against an individual, group, facility, operation, or function; and the identification of those actions and counter-measures required to lessen the risk. While risk itself generally cannot be eliminated - the use of appropriate counter-measures and advanced risk assessment processes can effectively reduce it.

The questions of What is the Risk? and What is the Threat? must be jointly answered and then jointly determined. While risk can be classified as being the instrument, means, or type of an adverse action; a threat is the source of, or behind a specific type of adverse action. When considering natural disasters for example, Hurricanes are the risk and Katrina was the threat. Consequently CJES considers threat/risk as a single combined assessment entity.

CJES Threat/Risk Assessments (T/RA) incorporate a set number of baseline and multiple site-specific factors with consideration as to the identification, impact, cause and effect of natural and man-made disasters/hazards and criminal/terrorist actions.

CJES Vulnerability Assessments (V/A) identify and assess those areas of potential "weakness” that may be exploited by adverse actions or events.

* Both assessments outline and address the appropriate response actions and measures for identified threat/risk and vulnerability resolution.

CJES Assets Classification Evaluations (ACE) identify and assess critical operations, essential functions, potential key personnel at risk, and facility significance.

CJES Assessment Methodologies apply combinations of intersecting or calculated spheres of threat/risk, vulnerability, and assets classification from base-line and self-developed criteria that are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively and subsequently assigned linguistic/numeric rating values ascertained from conditional probabilities. 

The end result being a comprehensive Threat/Risk Vulnerability Assessment (T/RVA).

* Department of Homeland Security (DHS) studies have found that trained evaluators positively impact assessments more so than established processes do when conducting a comprehensive assessment. CJES takes these findings to further levels by advocating and utilizing operations-based    site-specific methodologies by trained and "experienced"  assessment professionals.