Alignment meeting
Last updated
Last updated
In the Alignment Meeting, the Team Captains meet with the Canvas Board to discuss risks and measures. The Alignment Meeting is organized after all teams have completed the Measures Workshop.
To establish cross-departmental agreements on risk treatment, priorities, measures, actions and action owners, measurement methods, and targets (intended effectiveness).
These agreements are documented in a Risk Treatment Plan, which is signed off by the Canvas Board.
This Risk Treatment Plan serves as the basis for an implementation plan.
The following parties participate in the Alignment Meeting:
the Team Captains
the
a Facilitator
The Team Captains present the risks on behalf of their teams, the Canvas Board makes decisions, and the Facilitator leads the meeting.
The teams have identified risks in the workshops and categorized them into one of four categories:
Control
Transfer
Accept
Avoid
There are also risks they have assigned a lower priority to and for which no treatment strategy has yet been chosen. These risks will be deferred to the next cycle.
The Team Captains seek the Canvas Board’s approval of the proposed risk treatment.
Additionally, it is discussed how a risk may be relevant to other teams and whether they can collaborate on certain measures (or whether another team has a better solution).
The questions from the Team Captains to the Canvas Board vary based on the different categories.
Risks to be controlled: these are risks the team can and wants to address on its own. The team seeks a commitment that the necessary time and resources may be allocated.
Risks to be transferred: the team wants these risks to be addressed but cannot do so itself. They seek a commitment that another team/department will take measures (with a concrete timeline).
In both cases, the Risk Board can decide that a risk is to be accepted. This may be frustrating for the team in question but clarifies the responsibilities regarding the risk and any consequences.
Risks to be accepted: the team believes a risk is acceptable (or that it is simply not feasible or practical to take measures). They seek confirmation from the Canvas Board that the risk is acceptable.
Risks to be avoided: the team wants to avoid the risk by, for example, discontinuing a certain activity or no longer using a piece of technology. The team seeks approval for this.
Risks to be deferred: the team believes a risk is of lower priority and wants to defer its treatment to the next cycle. They also seek approval from the Canvas Board for this.
Team Captain A presents their most significant risk along with the corresponding analysis. Others indicate whether they have noted the same risk: they discuss and agree on a common naming and analysis. Then Team Captain B presents their most significant risk, and so on.
It is possible that two teams identify the same risk but with a significant difference in risk score (likelihood or impact) or proposed treatment. In such cases, they discuss the considerations that led to the scores. If the likelihood or impact truly differs, consider different treatment strategies for each team.
If there are many risks to be discussed, a way to limit this must be found, such as only discussing high-scoring risks, limiting the session’s duration, or stopping when the maximum number of implementable risks for this Canvas cycle has been reached.
The Alignment Meeting leads to enrichment and corrections. It is important that the Teams can recognize their own risks and know that they have been heard and acknowledged. At the same time, some of "their" risks may be accepted, which may not be their preference, or measures may be implemented for risks they deemed acceptable. Alternatively, other or more extensive measures may be taken.
The outcome of the Alignment Meeting is the Risk Treatment Plan, signed off by the Canvas Board. This plan contains cross-departmental agreements on risk treatment, priorities, measures, actions and action owners, measurement methods, and targets (intended effectiveness).
The Risk Treatment Plan forms the basis for an implementation plan.
Project planning and monitoring are outside the scope of the Canvas Method and can be organized within the systems the organization has for this purpose.
It is recommended to assign an owner ("Control Owner") for each measure, who will be responsible for the implementation and documentation of the measure, including the effectiveness measurement.