The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) initiative has multiple factors of complexity in its Governance, including technological innovation, organisational model, rapid adoption curves, transnationality, cross-disciplinary usership, that might lead to a significant number of risks.
Types of risks vary in topic and severity. A number have been raised at EOSC Stakeholder Forum events such as the EOSC Consultation Day including financial disengagement of stakeholders, monopolies of providers within EOSC catalogues, cross-border service provision and oligopoly in data analytics. With no risk governance structure in place as we move towards 2021 and the implementation of the EOSC, it is of paramount importance that an analysis of risks and how they should be managed is carried out.
Thanks to the EOSCsecretariat.eu co-creation funding, a new study will be carried out by risk management specialists AON Hewitt(*). The study, with a delivery date scheduled for October 2020 will perimeter, assess, and draw a concept to address the most relevant issues in terms of risk governance for EOSC.
The two-phase study will first consider current risk management governance, carry out a preliminary assessment of the macro-areas of risk in order to identify and evaluate the overall risk profile of the various stages of EOSC Implementation.
AON Hewitt will then provide a proposal of guidelines to establish an adequate EOSC Risk Governance. This will include an appropriate set of Risk Assessment and treatment methodologies and tools, with a roadmap for adequate risk management up to full implementation of the EOSC initiative.
The Final Report will be delivered to the EOSC Executive Board and European Commission. It will comprehensively encompass a risk assessment that covers aspects such as Sustainability, Rules of Participation, Architecture, Landscape of the EOSC priorities. The ultimate scope will be for the EOSC Legal entity to assess and decide which areas need further attention and, if deemed relevant, implementation of the suggested model, with an adequate initiative, to be included as an integral part of the EOSC implementation plan.
* About AON HEWITT Aon Hewitt Risk & Consulting S.r.l. is the Italian leader company in the Risk Management branch of Aon PLC, with its own offices in Rome and Milan, currently active in consultancy and activities in public and private sector. Aon PLC is the leading group in risk management consultancy and business consultancy for human resource management. Aon has its premises in 25 Italian cities and employs over 1,300 employees to provide SMEs, large industrial, financial groups and public bodies with tailor-made solutions for adequate risk management. Aon Italia is the Italian branch of Aon PLC, the holding firm – listed on the NYSE – whose headquarters are in London. Among the main services: Risk, Governance and Organisation consultancy in ERM Projects, Cyber Risk and Data Protection consultancy projects, Analytics, HR projects – Engagement, Talent, Wellbeing, etc. – Claims management, Outsourcing activities (e.g. Automotive sector) and Training.
