How to Manage Ratings Bands

Who is this article for?

 Risk Managers responsible for managing risk assessments.

 Staff access to edit risk matrices is needed.

Risk Matrices are made up of dimensions (Likelihood and Severity) which quantify the risk. Each cell in the matrix is assigned a band which allows the risk to be weighed and thereby prioritised based on the outcome. These bands can be configured in Q-Pulse Cloud and assigned in matrices.

This article outlines the actions available to manage risk rating bands. This article does not include any details on how to perform the risk assessment (please visit How to Perform a Risk Assessment for details on how to use the risk matrix during an assessment).

To make the band management process easier to learn, this article is split into 7 sections so that you can either walk through the steps in sequence or you can jump to the section relevant to what you are doing in Q-Pulse Cloud:

1. Create a Band
2. Archive a Band
3. Reinstate an Archived Band
4. Delete a Band
5. Manage Ordering
6. Assign a Band to a Matrix
7. Further Reading

1. Create a Band

There is no limit to the number of bandings you can have in Q-Pulse Cloud, however it is important to remember that the more bands you have, the more complex (and potentially confusing to end users) your risk system will become.

To create a band:

1. Click on Risk and then Associated Lists.
2. Select Rating Bands.
3. Click Add a New Banding.
4. Enter the name of your band.

5. Press the enter key to continue.
6. Click on your newly created ratings band.
7. If required, you can now enter:

• • Code: A code that will be meaningful to the risk assessor.
  • Description: A clear and concise description which will help the risk assessor when using the matrix.
  • Colour: A colour code assigned to this banding.
  • Strategy: A recommendation on what should the risk assessor do when risks are assigned this rating.

2. Archive a Band

When a risk band is no longer required it should be archived.

Archiving a risk band does not remove it from active matrices but it does stop it from being used on draft matrices.

To archive a band:

1. Click on Risk and then Associated Lists.
2. Select Rating Bands.
3. Select the band you would like to archive.
4. Click on the archive button.

5. When prompted, click the option to proceed.

Note: The wording of the confirmation prompt will change depending on whether or not this banding exists on a draft matrix. Any draft matrices will be updated but active matrices will not be affected.

3. Reinstate an Archived Band

When a band has been archived it cannot be used in draft risk matrices. You can choose to reinstate archived bands so that they can continue to be used.

Note: Archived bands will be shown in grey italics.

To reinstate an archived band:

1. Click on Risk and then Associated Lists.
2. Select Rating Bands.
3. Select Include Archived.
4. Select the band you would like to reinstate.

5. Click on the re-instate button.

6. When prompted, click [Yes, Reinstate].

4. Delete a Band

Risk bands can also be deleted. This will completely remove them from Q-Pulse Cloud.

Remember, deletion is permanent! If you are unsure, consider archiving your band instead.

To delete a band:

1. Click on Risk and then Associated Lists.
2. Select Rating Bands.
3. Select the band you would like to delete.
4. Click on the delete button.

5. When prompted, click [Yes, Delete].

5. Manage Ordering

To make bandings easier for the end user performing risk assessments you may wish to re-order the bands from time to time.

To manage the ordering:

1. Click on Risk and then Associated Lists.
2. Select Rating Bands.
3. Toggle on Manage Ordering.
4. Click and hold on the handle to move the order of your risk bands.

5. Toggle off Manage Ordering.

Note: The top band is the default band and this will be used when archiving a band which exists on a draft matrix.

6. Assign a Band to a Matrix

The risk cells are weighted based on the choices from each dimension and as a result will have their own score along with a banding and recommended strategy to respond to the risk. These can be applied to each cell according to your risk appetite.

Need to change the bands or strategies available? Visit How to Create a New Risk Band or How to Create a New Risk Strategy for details.

To apply bands and strategies:

1. Edit your matrix.
2. Click on a cell.
3. In the detail section, click on Risk Band.
4. Choose the band you would like to apply.

For more details please visit How to Create a Risk Matrix.

7. Further Reading

• How to Create a Risk Matrix
• How to Revise a Risk Matrix