Drawing from risk analysis methods used more broadly—from engineering to public health—offers valuable tools that could benefit biosecurity.
Conducting biosecurity risk analysis for imported goods is integral to achieving the appropriate level of protection (ALOP) for Australia. However, these risk analyses often take too long and have faced criticism for being too complex and difficult to understand.
The objective of this project is to review methods for risk analysis that are used in other fields (e.g. engineering, cybersecurity, public health, supply chain risks, financial risks). The review will help identify tools and techniques that could add value to the Department’s approach to analysing biosecurity risks. Process safety—an engineering field—offers tools that could enhance biosecurity applications including fault tree analysis, bow-tie diagrams, and the preparation of safety cases to characterise risk. Importantly, the project will include a range of methods that CEBRA (and ACERA previously) developed for the Department and other actors in the biosecurity system.
Project activities include
- a preliminary desktop review and evaluation of risk analysis methods
- a facilitated expert workshop with Department staff
- a final report providing recommendations for updating the Department’s biosecurity risk analysis approach.
CEBRA Project Leader: Susie Hester
Statement on 24A
After joint consideration, and noting project complexities, DAFF and CEBRA mutually agreed not to proceed with endorsement of the Final Report for project 24A. Draft findings from the project will be used internally by both organisations to inform relevant future work. The project is now closed and no report or summary will be published.