Chapter 3: Operational Risk Flashcards

1
Q

What is the definition of operational risk?

A

The risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events.

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2
Q

What does the Basel Committee require banks to do?

A

Hold capital for operational risk

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3
Q

What is an example of a workplace safety operational risk event?

A

Personal injury claim, Health and Safety fines

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4
Q

What does improper dissemination mean?

A

Giving out misleading information about an investment or issuer of an investment purposely.

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5
Q

What 3 provisions are used to prevent Money Laundering and Terrorist financing?

A
  1. Customer Identification (KYC)
  2. Record keeping of customer activity
  3. Reporting suspicious activity to authorities
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6
Q

How can Operational Risk cause Reputational Risk?

A

If clients or media become aware of the issue it can tarnish the firms reputation.

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7
Q

How does Segregation of Duties reduce operational risk?

A

If an employee has access to multiple areas of an institution they can cover up losses and skirt in place risk mechanisms.

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8
Q

How does having an independent centralized risk department help?

A

Work with other departments to improve controls
Maintain operational risk systems and framework
Ensure there are no ownerless areas of the bank
Escalation, analysis, oversight etc

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9
Q

What 3 ways can you reduce the likelihood of a risk materializing?

A
  1. Identify the risk
  2. Clear ownership for the risk
  3. Set up risk indicators
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10
Q

What are the 6 steps of a Risk Management Framework?

A
  1. Risk Identification
  2. Risk Measurement
  3. Management and Control
  4. Risk Monitoring
  5. Risk Reporting
  6. Operational Risk Policy / Appetite
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11
Q

Why is it useful to categorize risks?

A

More succinct risk frameworks, based on each category
Better understanding where weaknesses lie
Resource allocation

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12
Q

What categories can you put operational risk into?

A

Process risks
People risks
System risks
External events

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13
Q

What are the limitations of Self-Assessment Risk Identification

A

It is subjective, and open to abuse. Should be independently validated.
Aggregating scores can be difficult. People view risks subjectively.

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14
Q

What is risk measurement?

A

Using quantitative techniques to understand the size of a firm’s risk profile.

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15
Q

What is risk assessment?

A

Using human judgement to analyse risk data to estimate business impact.

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16
Q

What is Impact and Likelihood Assessment?

A

Using the product of an events Likelihood and Impact ratings to determine the event Severity/Risk.
Likelihood can be events per year, Impact can be financial loss.

17
Q

What is Scenario Analysis?

A

‘Top down’ method, highlights potential risk combinations.
Using a model possible scenarios can be used to determine which risks are exposed. Preventative measures can be used to decrease the risk of occurrence.

18
Q

What is Bottom-Up Analysis?

A

Identifying individual risks and control inadequacy across business processes.
Aggregate them for a detailed profile of risks in each department

19
Q

What are some pros and cons of Bottom-Up Analysis?

A

Its advantages are:
* It addresses risk and control issues at the process level.
* Accountability and responsibility for risk management can be clearly defined.
* It encourages a more transparent and risk aware culture.
* It encourages continuous improvement.
be taken immediately if necessary.
* It can improve the quality of management information.
Its disadvantages are:
* It takes time to implement.
* It can be subjectively influenced by managers if not properly managed.

20
Q

What is a Key Risk?

A

Risks with the highest severity.

21
Q

What are Key Risk indicators?

A

Quantitative data that describes the status of a Key Risk

22
Q

What are the advantages of KRIs?

A
  • Trends can be monitored, problems anticipated
  • Basis for objective risk management
23
Q

What are expected losses?

A

Losses that occur with a regular frequency, usually with limited business impact. In a firms risk appetite.

24
Q

What are unexpected losses?

A

Low frequency, high impact events. Hard to manage due to small sample.

25
Q

What are some constraints of operational risk management?

A

Data collection - hard to build a comprehensive data set.
Cultural constraints - Many people are opposed to operational controls
Resource - Takes a lot of time and resources to implement
Indicators - Often the indicators are not comprehensive

26
Q

What is a risk register?

A

List of key risks from high to low impact
Includes the impact of risk, risk owner, action plan, mitigation controls etc.

27
Q

If a risk is too high and managing it is too resource intensive what can be done?

A

Withdraw from business
Modify a product offering
E.g. Prime for CS

28
Q

What is a preventative control?

A

Prevents error from occuring in the first place. Conventionally technological
E.g. Bilateral matching in CREST prevents incorrect settlement
Segregation of duties

29
Q

What is a detective control?

A

Detect errors once they have occurred.
Fails reports
EOD’s

30
Q

What is a business continuity plan (BCP)

A

Deals with premises and people plan after a disaster. “Where will staff work if main site is out of action?”

31
Q

What is disaster recovery?

A

Procedures which deal with IT and key infrastructure to keep business running

32
Q

How can you outsource risk?

A

Allowing a third-party to handle it.
In Prime, many hedge funds have J.P.M handle settlement risk.

33
Q

What is the major disadvantage of KRIs?

A

Can affect business performance if managers start managing to their KRIs to enhance bonus rating.
E.g. Rich cancelling the SLRs.

34
Q

What kind of operational risk would a damage to premises be called?

A

Damage to physical assets

35
Q

A firm decides it is not worth the expense of mitigating a risk. What would this be called?

A

Risk acceptance

36
Q

Customer identification prevents which stage of money laundering?

A

Placement/Layering
Report suspicious customers and identify customers

37
Q

Which type of risk assessment uses loss data and experience of personnel to measure risk?

A

Bottom-up measurement

38
Q

Who is operational risk best MANAGED by?

A

Business departments in which they arise. E.g. OTMs managed by us.
Best planned and monitored by a centralised risk department though.