Risk management

The PPRR risk management model

The prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) model is a comprehensive approach to risk management. This model has been used by Australian emergency management agencies for decades and can save your business time and money when responding to a setback, incident or disaster.

You can use the PPRR model to put plans in place to minimise losses in the event of an incident. PPRR will help you to anticipate possible direct impacts to your business, and impacts on your suppliers and customers, which may flow on to your business.

Learn more about identifying business risk.

PPRR steps

Prevention - take actions to reduce or eliminate the likelihood or effects of an incident. Learn more about preparing a risk management plan.
Preparedness - take steps before an incident to ensure effective response and recovery. Read about conducting a business impact analysis.
Response - contain, control or minimise the impacts of an incident. Learn more about preparing an incident response plan.
Recovery - take steps to minimise disruption and recovery times. Read about developing a recovery plan.

Business continuity planning

Documenting all of the PPRR steps is often called business continuity planning.

Depending on the size of your business, you may choose to have separate risk management, impact analysis, incident response and recovery plans, or a single plan incorporating all of the above elements, known as a business continuity plan.

A business continuity plan is a practical blueprint for how your business will recover or partially restore critical business activities after a crisis or disaster. It includes predetermined time frames to minimise loss. Use our free business continuity planning template to prepare your risk management plan.

Rehearse, maintain and review

A business continuity plan needs to be tested and updated as your business and the wider business environment changes.

By testing your plan regularly, you can evaluate how reliable it is likely to be if you have to respond to an incident or crisis. You can use a variety of strategies to test your business continuity plan, including drills, training and scenario testing.

Learn more about business continuity plan management.