Evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities

This standard is about evaluating risks, challenges and opportunities within the scope of your role to support effective planning and decision-making. You determine the information you need, gather and analyse evidence and assess factors that may affect priorities, plans and outcomes. You communicate clearly, collaborate with colleagues and support shared understanding of risks, challenges and opportunities. You identify barriers that may affect progress and opportunities that support improvement. You work in line with organisational values, apply relevant leadership and management theories and contribute to informed, evidence-based decisions. 

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Determine the information you need to evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities within your area of responsibility to inform sound and evidence-based decisions. 
2. Gather and analyse information from relevant sources to understand factors that may affect priorities, plans and outcomes. 
3. Evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities to support effective planning and decision-making. 
4. Communicate and adapt your communication and behaviour in ways that support clarity, inclusion and colleagues’ participation when discussing risks, challenges and opportunities. 
5. Collaborate with colleagues to analyse risks, challenges and opportunities and develop a shared understanding of their potential impact. 
6. Identify and address barriers that may affect progress and opportunities that support improvement to strengthen outcomes. 
7. Respond constructively to concerns raised during analysis in line with organisational procedures to maintain trust and progress. 
8. Promote practices that support fairness, inclusion and organisational values when evaluating risks, challenges and opportunities. 
9. Monitor changes in the working environment to assess their potential impact on risks, challenges and opportunities and take proportionate action. 
10. Monitor behaviours that may affect analysis and discussion and respond in line with organisational procedures to maintain a positive analytical environment. 
11. Apply relevant leadership and management theories to strengthen the quality, consistency and rigour of your evaluation. 
12. Reflect critically on your performance and behaviour to identify improvements in how you evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities.

1. The purpose of evaluating risks, challenges and opportunities and how this supports effective planning and decision-making. 
2. The types of information needed to evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities.
3. How to gather and analyse information from relevant sources. 
4. How to evaluate risks, challenges and opportunities and assess their potential impact. 
5. How to communicate in ways that support clarity, inclusion and shared understanding during analysis. 
6. How to collaborate with colleagues to develop shared understanding of risks, challenges and opportunities. 
7. How to identify barriers that may affect progress and opportunities that support improvement. 
8. How to respond constructively to concerns raised during analysis in line with organisational procedures. 
9. How to adapt your communication and behaviour to support colleagues’ participation in analysis. 
10. How to promote practices that support fairness, inclusion and organisational values. 
11. How to monitor changes in the working environment and assess their potential impact on risks, challenges and opportunities. 
12. How to recognise behaviours that may affect analysis and discussion and how to respond in line with organisational procedures. 
13. How leadership and management theories can strengthen evaluation and decision-making. 
14. How to critically reflect on your performance and behaviour to identify opportunities for improvement.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Integrity - acting consistently with organisational values when identifying risks, constraints and opportunities.
• Openness - sharing information to support shared understanding.
• Inclusion - valuing diverse perspectives when analysing information.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of your contribution to identifying risks and opportunities.
• Respect - considering the needs and experiences of colleagues.
• Equity - reducing barriers that affect participation in discussions about risks and opportunities.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with integrity, aligning your analysis with organisational values and evidence.
• Be inclusive, valuing diverse perspectives when evaluating risks, challenges and opportunities.
• Act with respect, treating colleagues with dignity and supporting psychological safety.
• Communicate openly, sharing information clearly to support shared understanding.
• Show curiosity, questioning assumptions and exploring risks, challenges and opportunities from different perspectives.
• Take accountability for owning your contribution to evaluating risks, challenges and opportunities.
• Consider wellbeing, recognising how analysis and decision-making processes affect colleagues’ workload, participation and engagement.