Risk-Management for Russian Non-Governmental Organizations

Abstract

The idea that risk management is an important factor for Russian NGOs and the development of civil society is not generally accepted. The author’s own experience in dealing with NGOs in Russia shows that they can paradoxically be both strong and developed on the one hand, and weak and vulnerable on the other. As such, they would appear to have much to gain from risk management. This article provides an analysis of the structure and content of risk management and looks to show how it can work in the context of Russian NGOs. It is based on a series of interviews and various media content. It represents opinion on the urgency of applying risk-management techniques in modern Russian non-governmental organizations. This article can be seen as merely a starting point for further investigation; a separate detailed study would be needed to provide a deeper understanding of the specifics of risk management in Russian NGOs. Firstly, a working definition of risk management is provided, which is seen to be made up of internal and external risks. Then the author uses the standard schemes of risk-management for commercial organizations and shows how these schemes can be applied to the specific context of Russian NGOs by providing examples of their risk management. The problem of common distinctions in the use of risk-management algorithms for commercial and non-commercial organizations is discussed, as are the informational, social and personal aspects of risk. Overall, internal risks are connected to general problems in the lack of the growth of civil society in Russia while the external risks are linked to economic instability and fear connected to uncertainty over the political climate. As such, risk management is seen as part of the promotion of civil society in Russia but remains in need of further articulation and conceptualization.