While delivering a training course on risk assessment, one of the delegates asked that particular question.
In thinking about it, my answer needed two parts:
1. I needed to genuinely answer his question
2. I needed to not provide a blatant description of myself (while I may not always succeed, I do try to be professional)
So … back to the query … and if you have alternative suggestions, please contact us and let us know.
? Do you require your facilitator to have any kind of certificate / diploma credentials? Some legislation requires these credentials, but that is the exception and not the norm. Check with your appropriate government authority to see if a certificate or diploma is required.
? What special skills do you require, and do you expect your facilitator to provide these skills? You might need the facilitator to fill a role your company cannot fill. For example, if your company is doing a compliance assessment of an existing facility – for the first time – you may want to get a facilitator that has worked with your government authorities, and understands THEIR requirements.
? Do they have references? Ask for them, and contact them. Then (and this is important) ask the references for contact details of other members of the assessment team, and contact them. The reference person will almost always give a glowing recommendation, but another member of the assessment team will give a more balanced appraisal. Find out what the facilitator did well, and what the facilitator did badly.
? What software does the facilitator provide? While you may provide your own software for an assessment, you should ask anyway. A facilitator that has invested in dedicated process hazard assessment (PHA) software has made a corporate commitment to risk assessment. It should therefore be part of their core business. The response does need to be compared to the size of the company. A company with one person (a self-employed risk facilitator) may not be able to justify the investment is dedicated PHA software (which can cost thousands of dollars). On the other hand, a large company that provides only public domain word processing and spreadsheet software is a reason to avoid that company, and their facilitators. NOTE: If you provide your own software, you will need to ensure the facilitator is familiar with the software. One of the most important jobs of the facilitator is managing the data as it is generated, and a facilititator that is not familar with the recording software can become a liability.
? Check insurance. Risk assessment is an inherently higher risk industry than other engineering services. Check that the facilitator has more than the basic insurance requirements. Again, a higher level of coverage shows a corporate commitment to risk assessment as a core business.
? Scribe. Who will scribe the assessment? If you (the organisation hiring the assessor) will provide the scribe, it is vital the facilitator and scribe meet and ensure they can work together. I once was assigned a scribe that had trouble with my accent (note: I am a migrant to the land where I base my employment). I had to spend a few hours having simple discussions with the scribe, until he was comfortable with my accent. On the other hand, some facilitators are also the scribe. A person that performs the facilitator/scribe dual role is often more efficient in recording the minutes, but cannot be a technical contributor to the assessment.
? When does the role of the facilitator end? If the assessment is short, it is reasonable for the role to end after issuing a report. For longer assessments (weeks to months) it is reasonable for the facilitator to be involved in close out actions. Check for references regarding performance outside of the assessment itself.
What is your opinion? We hope you will contact us and give us your opinion.