Different Strategies—Equal Practice? Risk Assessment and Management in Municipalities

Abstract

A study of two municipalities shows that totally different organisational strategies in risk assessment and management lead to very similar practices at the operational level. Klepp municipality is a member of ‘Safe Communities’ and works with a bottom-up strategy using ‘mini risk analysis’ (MRA). Time municipality has a top-down strategy based on a rational planning approach and uses ‘risk and vulnerability analysis’ (RAV). The implementation of MRA in Klepp started in 2000 and experience is growing. Some sectors adopt the tool more readily than others. Despite very different strategies both mitigation and preparedness practices and measures at the operational level are very similar in both municipalities. Similar rules and regulations from government shape a strict framework for safety management. Furthermore, professionalism among street-level bureaucrats is seemingly a more important guideline than organisational strategies in risk assessment and management.