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GRISC ceased operations in 2014 following management changes at FEPSI and UAB. The centre was removed from all institutional records. This page serves as a documentary archive of its existence, activity and scientific output, and includes a selection of its work.———————————————————————————
GRISC (Risk Governance Research Centre / Centre de Recerca en Governança del Risc) was an inter-university research centre established in July 2006 through an agreement between the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), via the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), via the Fundació per als Estudis de Prevenció i Seguretat Integral (FEPSI-UAB).
The centre was directed by Dr. Ramon-Jordi Moles Plaza (UAB). The principal researcher for the fieldwork programmes was Dr. Anna Garcia Hom (IN3-UOC).
GRISC operated from 2006 to 2014. Its focus was the analysis of risk governance processes in complex socio-technical contexts: the social construction of risk, consensus-building mechanisms, institutional information flows and risk prevention in the public and private sectors.
During this period the centre secured funding (about 2 million €) and conducted research with public and private institutions, published in international scientific journals and presented findings at conferences in Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Greece and the United States.
Main research lines and programmes
NEGRISC — "Negotiating Risk"
Risk analysis in socio-technical environments. Director: Dr. Anna Garcia Hom (UOC). Researchers: Dr. Ramon-Jordi Moles Plaza, Sergi Fàbregues Feijóo, Rachel Louise Palmen.
Projects: consensus-building for mobile phone infrastructure deployment; evaluation of the SMRF radiofrequency monitoring programme (CTTI-Generalitat de Catalunya); social construction of occupational risk perception; RFID, nano-risk and GMO risk analysis.
PRECORR — "Prevention and Regulation of Corruption Risk"
Analysis of the quality of anti-corruption regulatory systems. Design of a risk management model for corruption risk prevention. Director: Dr. Ramon-Jordi Moles Plaza (UAB).
EDURISC — Risk in educational settings
Design of a risk management model for educational centres. Director: Dr. Joaquín Gairín Sallán (UAB).
PLURICITY
Analysis of policies to prevent the risk of social cohesion loss. Projects: "Consensus-building for the establishment of religious facilities" and "Map of the needs of Muslims in Catalonia". Director: Dr. Enrique Santamaría (UB).
BIORISC — Food and environmental risk
Projects: Food Safety Observatory; Biosensors. Director: Dr. José Juan Rodríguez Jerez (UAB). Active 2009–2010.
GARO — Anticipatory Management of Operational Risks
Project for Banco Sabadell (December 2013). Design of a methodology to identify, systematise and anticipate emerging operational risks within the Basel II framework, using prospective analysis techniques. Director: Dr. Anna Garcia Hom.
Selected projects
2006–2007 (NEGRISC)
- GECODIT "Social consensus-building for mobile phone infrastructure deployment in Catalonia". Funded by the Secretaria de Societat de la Informació, Generalitat de Catalunya. Study of NIMBY conflicts between residents, operators and local authorities; analysis of legal and economic inefficiencies; local governance proposals.
- "Evaluation of the efficiency of the SMRF programme (Radio Frequency Monitoring Systems)". Commissioned by CTTI, Generalitat de Catalunya (April 2007). Assessment of the design, implementation and results of the public policy for monitoring electromagnetic emissions.
- "Development of an integrated Risk Management model". Applus (September 2007).
2008–2009 (GECODIT II)
- "Guide for the pilot implementation of consensus-building in the deployment of third-generation mobile telephony" (GECODIT II). Practical application of the GECODIT methodology in six municipalities in Catalonia. Three phases: local diagnosis, stakeholder consensus processes, subscription of a local pact.
2009–2010 (BIORISC)
- Laboratorios Ordesa. Food safety protocols.
- Henkel Ibérica. Web platform on cleaning and disinfection.
- Fagor Electrodomésticos. CENIT Seila project.
2010–2011 (EDURISC)
- "Integral safety in compulsory education centres in Spain". Funded by Fundación Mapfre. Agreement FEPSI-UAB / Fundación Mapfre, December 2010. Coordinated by Dr. Joaquín Gairín Sallán (EDO-UAB).
2010 (Analysis of External Nuclear Emergency Plans)
- Review of the five external nuclear emergency plans in force in Spain (PENGUA, PENCA, PENBU, PENTA, PENVA). Study of inter-administrative coordination, technical resources and the applicability of innovative risk governance methodologies. Project director: Dr. Anna Garcia Hom.
2013 (GARO)
- "Anticipatory Management of Operational Risks", Banco Sabadell. Methodology for anticipating emerging operational risks through prospective techniques within the Basel II framework.
Publications and scientific communications (selection)
Articles and working papers
- Moles, R.; Garcia, A.; Fàbregues, S.; Palmen, R. (2007): "Methodology for social consensus-building in the deployment of mobile phone infrastructure in Catalonia". Working Papers IN3.
- Garcia, A.; Palmen, R.; Moles, R.; Fàbregues, S. (2008): "Risk Management or Uncertainty Governance?" International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
- Moles, R.; Garcia, A.; Fàbregues, S.; Palmen, R. (2007): "Rethinking risk management in complex technological systems". PAPERS. Revista de Sociologia.
Papers at international conferences
- 2nd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. Granada, July 2007 (2 papers)
- Mixed Methods Conference 2007. Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge. July 2007 (2 papers)
- 8th Annual Conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA). Glasgow, September 2007
- IX Congreso Español de Sociología (FES). Barcelona, September 2007 (2 papers)
- Ibero-American Congress on Citizenship and Public Policies in Science and Technology. Madrid, February 2008
- Risk Analysis 2008. Greece, May 2008
- ESRC Research Methods Festival / SCARR. St Catherine's College, Oxford. July 2008
- 24th EGOS Colloquium (Risky Organizations). Amsterdam, July 2008
- First ISA World Forum of Sociology. Barcelona, September 2008
- ESREL 2008 (Society for Risk Analysis & ESRA). Valencia, September 2008
Research team
- Ramon-Jordi Moles Plaza — Centre director. Associate Professor of Administrative Law, UAB. Director of FEPSI. Principal researcher for PRECORR and the regulatory analysis area.
- Anna Garcia Hom — Principal researcher. IN3-UOC. Director of the NEGRISC and GARO programmes.
- Sergi Fàbregues Feijóo — Researcher. Doctoral candidate (risk and mobile telephony).
- Rachel Louise Palmen — Researcher. Doctoral candidate (community participation in decision-making).
- Joaquín Gairín Sallán — Director of the EDURISC programme. Professor of Applied Pedagogy, UAB.
- Enrique Santamaría — Director of the PLURICITY programme. UAB.
- José Juan Rodríguez Jerez — Director of the BIORISC programme. UAB.
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