The Office of Head Start Risk Management process serves as the overarching framework tying together the Funding, Monitoring, and Technical Assistance processes to serve the following purposes:

• Prevent or reduce risks 
• Focus on early intervention and build on strengths
• Improve communication and information sharing
• Create corporate knowledge

The Risk Management Meeting is a central and dynamic stage in the Risk Management process.  The goals of the RMM are to identify grantee strengths as well as performance areas that need improvement, and for the participants to collaborate to produce a comprehensive action plan that will address those areas in need of support and improvement.

The Risk Management process is repeated each year for all grantees in advance of their continuation funding to inform the Funding Guidance letter and Refunding Application.

While this means that all grantees will have at least one Risk Management Meeting each year, there are circumstances when additional Risk Management meetings will be held to gauge progress in meeting goals or sustaining improvements. 

An example is a grantee that has been determined to have deficiencies or a significant number of non-compliances as the result of a monitoring review.

Information Memorandum ACF-IM-HS-08-06, Risk Management, introduces the process.
A video containing a full discussion of the Risk Management Process, including presentations by several senior OHS staff, can be accessed here.

Grantees are encouraged to contact their Regional Offices with questions.  Grantees may also submit questions about the Risk Management Process by logging into their Grantee Profile on ECLKC and using the input form provided.   

Read what grantees are saying about the Head Start Risk Management Process

View Risk Management Webcast