Who? The Small Agency Community of Practice (SACoP) provides an open and engaging venue for federal government Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) practitioners from small agencies to share their best practices and resources on ERM implementation. SACoP serves as a forum for Risk Professionals to discuss common challenges, brainstorm solutions, and provide learning opportunities, while fostering networking and collaboration. All government (local, state, and federal) ERM practitioners are welcome to join SACoP. In fact, ERM practitioners who manage component-level ERM programs at large agencies have found the SACoP discussions relevant and helpful because they face similar challenges.

Why? Small government agencies may have fewer staff and financial resources dedicated for ERM implementation. ERM practitioners from small agencies may benefit from leveraging their relationships with colleagues engaged in risk management within their agencies and meeting ERM professionals external to their agencies, to advance their ERM program’s efforts.

What? SACoP co-Chairs poll their members annually for potential ERM topics of interest for presentations and discussions. Common themes that have emerged over the years include:

1. ERM training and risk awareness tools and techniques
2. ERM and audits and ERM’s relationship with internal controls
3. Integration of ERM with budget, strategy, and performance
4. Understanding risk appetite statements and tolerance levels
5. Cyber ERM and Data Analytics ERM Communities of Interest

Where? SACoP meets virtually each month on the third Wednesday at 2 pm from January to September. Quarterly in-person networking gatherings are planned around downtown DC, in March, June, and September. SACoP members also meet during the annual Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM) Summit and Government Risk Awareness Week.

When? SACoP was formed in 2016, around the release of the revised OMB Circular A-123: Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control to help small agencies fulfill the federal requirements to implement ERM outlined in the circular.

How? Interested federal ERM practitioners from all agencies are welcome to join SACoP. AFERM membership is not required. ERM practitioners who manage component-level ERM programs at large agencies have found the SACoP discussions relevant and helpful and are welcome to join. State and local government ERM practitioners may also join, if interested. Please click on the link below to sign up or contact the co-Chairs for additional information.

https://www.aferm.org/communities-of-interest-practice/

We look forward to hearing about your ERM efforts and welcoming you into the ERM SACoP.

Sincerely,

Marianne Roth, SACoP Co-Chair
Anu Sharma, SACoP Co-Chair

The State and Local Outreach Committee is designed to promote ERM education and professional development by bridging federal, state, and local ERM government entities.  This involves creating an inclusive environment for exchanging ideas, sharing effective practices, and discussing common experiences for the betterment of all ERM government practitioners.

The Committee was developed out of national need to start involving various levels of government to start engaging in ERM best practices and educational opportunities.  By opening new channels and networks to all public entities that share in the critical need to manage their risks, the true value of ERM emerges for every level of government.  Federal government practitioners bring their maturity of experience to state and local practitioners; whereas state and local practitioners bring innovation and agile ideas that may benefit federal practitioners.  Bringing together all levels of government ERM practitioners for deep conversation and dialog will benefit all participants by increasing their understanding and awareness of ERM practices and approaches.

2024 will be a pivotal year for AFERM.  At the November Summit, AFERM will be announcing the first State and Local Outreach Committee Members to serve and represent state and local government entities implementing ERM across the U.S.  These positions include:

• National Committee Chair
• National Vice Committee Chair
• National Committee Advisor
• Western Regional Representative
• Midwestern Regional Representative
• Northeastern Regional Representative
• Southern Regional. Representative

If you are interested in ERM or currently have a program and the state and local level, we encourage to reach out to us and join the state and local outreach group. We are here to build a coalition of ERM professionals at all levels of government. Regardless of where you are at in your ERM journey, our first mission is to just find you! To reach us, please visit us at AFERM’s website at https://www.aferm.org/committees/

The ERM Community of Practice (ERM CoP) was created to provide an open forum for enterprise risk management (ERM) professionals from across the Federal Government. The ERM CoP was founded in 2017 after the release of the update to OMB Circular A-123 as a forum for federal employees in ERM to come together to share experiences and get and provide advice to each other. It is led by Treasury’s Deputy Chief Risk Officer. It is comprised of and operated entirely by federal employees from over 50 agencies. This group has been central in mobilizing ERM efforts for the Federal Government including writing and updating the ERM Playbook, creating a Federal ERM Maturity Model, and providing input into other various related guidance and regulations.

Past Highlights

Roundtable Discussions

• Defining Risk Appetite
• Integrating with Strategic Reviews and Strategic Planning
• ERM Policy and Governance
• Enterprise-level Risk Assessments
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular Guidance
• Strengthening the Connection with Strategy and Budget
• Implications of Artificial Intelligence for ERM

Shared Risk Area Discussions

• Hiring
• Procurement
• Security Clearance
• Artificial Intelligence
• Administration Transition
• Cyber
• Fraud
• Environmental, Social, and Governance
• Emerging Risks

Call for Action!

The ERM CoP welcomes federal employees who are ERM practitioners for agencies. Non-federal employees are not permitted to join, and the group does not include inspectors general. If you have interest in joining the ERM CoP, please reach out to Karen.Weber@treasury.gov or Andrew.Tiedeman@treasury.gov.

Government Risk Awareness Week (Gov-Risk Awareness Week) will be the week of November 27-December 1, 2023. Federal Risk Awareness Week began in 2021, to raise awareness and build support for risk management in federal agencies. This year, with the addition of the State and Local ERM Committee and AFERM Book Club, we are expanding to all levels of government. An annual Gov-Risk Awareness Week showcases the value of creating a risk aware culture and amplifies the importance of identifying and communicating the connection between risks and achievement of strategic objectives.

Gov-Risk Awareness Week is a collaboration of government ERM Communities of Practice (CoPs) to share opportunities to engage with and learn from each other. During Gov-Risk Awareness Week, government ERM professionals organize activities (trainings, video messages, townhalls, podcasts, blog posts, etc.) to promote a risk aware culture within their organizations and governmentwide. If interested, please join us to become involved in the following ERM Communities: Federal Agency ERM CoP, Cyber-ERM Community of Interest (Cyber ERM CoI), Data Analytics CoP (DACoP), Small Agency CoP (SACoP), and State and Local Outreach Committee.

Together we can make a difference! 

 Tips for Raising Risk Awareness at Your Agency 

The Risk Awareness Toolkit for Federal Risk Practitioners is part of an ongoing collaboration between risk management professionals from the Enterprise Risk Management Community of Practice (ERM CoP), Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM), and AFERM Small Agency Community of Practice (SACoP). This document provides several tips for raising risk awareness and will expand in the future to contain examples and lessons learned from agencies’ successful risk awareness campaigns. Federal risk management practitioners are encouraged to leverage these tips and future examples, customizing them to align with their agency’s culture, norms, and other characteristics.