Canadian Risk Management Standard -- Lessons Learned. James W. Wright, 43 Ferguson Rd., Box T8, Old Chelsea, Quebec, Canada, J0X 1N0
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has recently published the Canadian Risk Management Standard (CSA-Q850). The standard is designed as a decision process and provides a systematic methodology for identifying, analyzing, evaluating, controlling and communicating about risk. Recently CSA-Q850 has been incorporated into Federal Regulations related to the provision of air navigation services in Canada. A not-for-profit, commercial entity NavCanada has been created as the service provider, while the Federal Regulator, Transport Canada has maintained regulatory oversight. Both the regulator, (Transport Canada) and the regulatee, (NavCanada) have adopted CSA-Q850 as the required methodology for identifying, analyzing and evaluating the changes in risk associated with any proposed reduction in current levels of air navigation services. The Regulations also specify that NavCanada follow the stakeholder consultation framework incorporated within CSA-Q850. The approach has offered significant benefits in the area of regulatory policy by providing both the regulator and the regulatee with an accepted standardized approach to analyzing risk issues of concern to both parties. The approach has also generated both safety and financial benefits for the flying Canadian public who pay for these services. This paper will discuss the benefits that have been realized through the adoption of CSA-Q850 by Transport Canada and NavCanada. As well, lessons learned with respect to the implementation of this risk management framework within these two organizations will be detailed.