Incident risk management: the case of banks in East and West Africa

Abstract

An incident is the occurrence of a seemingly minor event, which is important enough that, if not properly managed, can lead to serious consequences. In contrast, a crisis is a stage in a series of events that significantly determines the direction of all future events. Following the much-publicized financial crises around the world, research was conducted amongst banks in East and West Africa to establish whether these banks are actively managing their incidents and crises. The study on which this article is based found that little was being done with regard to managing incidents. It was concluded that banks need assistance to prevent incidents turning into crises. A specific incident management framework is recommended that when implemented could reduce the risk of incidents becoming crises.