Feature
PROFILE
Raising the Standards BY ARTHUR PIPER
Simona Fionda is leading an initiative to overhaul IRM’s Professional Standards – and explains why she hopes the process will mark a significant milestone in the organisation’s journey
S
ix years ago, IRM concluded a landmark initiative that codified for the first time the professional practice of risk management. At the core of this programme was the Professional Standards published in 2015 and designed to provide structure and support to not only IRM’s members but also the risk profession worldwide. Until that point, risk managers had been served well by IRM qualifications. They provided much-needed technical competencies in enterprise risk management (ERM) and knowledge of the core principles and practices all risk
Enterprise Risk
Risk managers can use the Standards to codify and track their professional journey throughout their careers managers need in their toolkit. But, as Simona Fionda, a serving member on the IRM’s Professional Standards committee and one of the original team members who created the Standards, says, the qualifications on their own gave little guidance on issues such as behavioural competencies or career structure and progression. The Standards met that need and launched at the same
time as IRM’s certification and continuing professional development (CPD) regimes. The latter was an important step in promoting lifelong learning as a central element of individuals’ professional careers. Indirectly, this package helped provide a common language and professional touchpoints for all stakeholders of the risk community. 10
