Difference between revisions of "Testiwiki:Drafting a risk assessment using pyrkilo method"
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#* '''Unit''': What is the unit of measurement? | #* '''Unit''': What is the unit of measurement? | ||
#* '''Result''': What is the answer to the question defined in the focus and scope? (If possible, a numerical expression.) | #* '''Result''': What is the answer to the question defined in the focus and scope? (If possible, a numerical expression.) | ||
| − | #* '''Moderator''': The name of the person that will take care that the variable is developed. There must be exactly one moderator | + | #* '''Moderator''': The name of the person that will take care that the variable is developed. There must be exactly one moderator. |
| − | #: | + | #: Each researcher should look at the draft causal diagram, identify his/her own area, and start describing what variables it has and what the variables contain. The main question that will be the focus of the assessment, will be described as well. |
| − | #Present the contents of your draft assessment to a group of stakeholders. Collect any specific feedback they have on the existing variables and variables that don't exist but should be included. Include all feedback in the variable descriptions. Then, you must either accept their comments or collect arguments and data do convince them about that your point is better than theirs. During | + | #Present the contents of your draft assessment to a group of stakeholders. Collect any specific feedback they have on the existing variables and variables that don't exist but should be included. Include all feedback in the variable descriptions. Then, you must either accept their comments or collect arguments and data do convince them about that your point is better than theirs. During the first iteration, other project researchers will often act as stakeholders. The real stakeholders (authorities, industry, citizens) can also be involved. An important question already in the beginning is to think, what stakeholders exist, and which of them will be invited to participate in the process. |
#When the causal model and the variables have been commented and improved, the focus and scope of the assessment is fixed, and it will stay untouched until the end of the assessment. | #When the causal model and the variables have been commented and improved, the focus and scope of the assessment is fixed, and it will stay untouched until the end of the assessment. | ||
#The focus and scope of each variable will be fixed after the moderator thinks that all comments have been incorporated. This can happen at different times for different variables. New variables can also be added if needed and if they are within the scope of the assessment. | #The focus and scope of each variable will be fixed after the moderator thinks that all comments have been incorporated. This can happen at different times for different variables. New variables can also be added if needed and if they are within the scope of the assessment. | ||
#All other attributes of the variables can be developed and worked on, when the question (i.e. focus and scope) is known. This will be the most labourous part of the work. Data will be collected from the existing sources, and new research will be performed. | #All other attributes of the variables can be developed and worked on, when the question (i.e. focus and scope) is known. This will be the most labourous part of the work. Data will be collected from the existing sources, and new research will be performed. | ||
#While the variables are worked on, the stakeholders will look at what you have done, make comments and suggest changes. As in the previous phase, all comments must be recorded and either accepted or argumented. The moderator of the risk assessment will be active in both commenting and also helping in practical questions about how to do this. | #While the variables are worked on, the stakeholders will look at what you have done, make comments and suggest changes. As in the previous phase, all comments must be recorded and either accepted or argumented. The moderator of the risk assessment will be active in both commenting and also helping in practical questions about how to do this. | ||
Revision as of 06:44, 6 December 2006
This page gives a short introduction on how to draft a risk assessment using pyrkilo method. Drafting is the first phase of the risk assessment.
In general, the purpose of a risk assessment is to produce a description of a certain risk situation. The key criteria for a successful assessment is that it describes the relevant scientific knowledge as defendably as possible, and as precisely as necessary (given data and resource limits). Everything that is said in the assessment, must be able to be defended against attacks from a (hypothetical or real) critical audience. The assessment is done in iterations so that it becomes more and more precise, until it either is able to answer the main question, or does no longer improve because of data or resource limitations. It should always be possible to perform an assessment based on the rules and process below. However, this does not guarantee that the main question will be answered in a definite way. Because this is a method development project, the process and its validation is more important than a specific answer to a specific question.
How to draft an risk assessment in practice?
- Draft a causal diagram about the risk situation (see below). This should contain a) environmental and health indicators (outcomes), b) management options that possibly could affect the outcomes, and c) all necessary variables in between; the variables together should explain how the management would affect the outcome. We already have a draft of the causal diagram so that we can start the work.
- Define each variable and add new variables as necessary. A variable must have the following attributes and answer the following questions:
- Name: What is the name of the variable? (Two variables must not have identical names.)
- Focus and scope: What is the question to which the variable answers? (This includes a verbal definition of the spatial, temporal, and other limits (system boundaries) of the variable.)
- Description: What do you need to know in order to understand the other attributes of the variable? (This may include references to relevant literature. Be sure that use also define any links and relations from and to other variables.)
- Definition: How can you derive or calculate the answer? (The definition uses algebra or other explicit methods if possible.)
- Unit: What is the unit of measurement?
- Result: What is the answer to the question defined in the focus and scope? (If possible, a numerical expression.)
- Moderator: The name of the person that will take care that the variable is developed. There must be exactly one moderator.
- Each researcher should look at the draft causal diagram, identify his/her own area, and start describing what variables it has and what the variables contain. The main question that will be the focus of the assessment, will be described as well.
- Present the contents of your draft assessment to a group of stakeholders. Collect any specific feedback they have on the existing variables and variables that don't exist but should be included. Include all feedback in the variable descriptions. Then, you must either accept their comments or collect arguments and data do convince them about that your point is better than theirs. During the first iteration, other project researchers will often act as stakeholders. The real stakeholders (authorities, industry, citizens) can also be involved. An important question already in the beginning is to think, what stakeholders exist, and which of them will be invited to participate in the process.
- When the causal model and the variables have been commented and improved, the focus and scope of the assessment is fixed, and it will stay untouched until the end of the assessment.
- The focus and scope of each variable will be fixed after the moderator thinks that all comments have been incorporated. This can happen at different times for different variables. New variables can also be added if needed and if they are within the scope of the assessment.
- All other attributes of the variables can be developed and worked on, when the question (i.e. focus and scope) is known. This will be the most labourous part of the work. Data will be collected from the existing sources, and new research will be performed.
- While the variables are worked on, the stakeholders will look at what you have done, make comments and suggest changes. As in the previous phase, all comments must be recorded and either accepted or argumented. The moderator of the risk assessment will be active in both commenting and also helping in practical questions about how to do this.
