Basel Committee on Banking Supervision

1 Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk June 2011 Copies of publications are available from: Bank for International Settlements Communications CH-4002 Basel , Switzerland E-mail: Fax: +41 61 280 9100 and +41 61 280 8100 This publication is available on the BIS website ( ). Bank for International Settlements 2011. All rights reserved. Brief excerpts may be reproduced or translated provided the source is cited. ISBN 92-9131-857-4 (print) ISBN 92-9197-857-4 (online) Members of the SIG Operational Risk Subgroup Chairman: Mitsutoshi Adachi, Bank of Japan Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Michael Booth National Bank of Belgium Jos Meuleman Banco Central do Brasil, Brazil Wagner Almeida Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Canada James Dennison Aina Liepins China Banking Regulatory Commission Meng Luo Banque de France Jean-Luc Qu mard Deutsche Bundesbank.

2 Germany Marcus Haas Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), Germany Frank Corleis Reserve Bank of India Rajinder Kumar Bank of Italy Marco Moscadelli Bank of Japan Madoka Miyamura Financial Services Agency, Japan Tsuyoshi Nagafuji Surveillance Commission for the Financial Sector.

3 Luxembourg Didier Bergamo Netherlands Bank Claudia Zapp Polish Financial Supervision Authority Grazyna Szwajkowska Central Bank of the Russian Federation Irina Yakimova South African Reserve Bank Jan van Zyl Bank of Spain Mar a ngeles Nieto Finansinspektionen, Sweden Agnieszka Arshamian Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority Paul Harpes Financial Services Authority, United Kingdom Andrew Sheen Khim Murphy Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, United States Alfred Seivold Federal Reserve Board, United States Adrienne Townes Haden Kenneth G.

4 Fulton Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, United States Patrick de Fontnouvelle Federal Reserve Bank of New York, United States Ronald Stroz Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, United States Carolyn DuChene Maurice Harris Office of Thrift Supervision , United States Eric Hirschhorn Financial Stability Institute Amarendra Mohan Secretariat of the Basel Committee on Banking Andrew Willis Supervision , Bank for International Settlements Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk and the Role of Supervision Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk and the Role of Supervision Contents Preface.

5 1 Role of Supervisors ..2 Principles for the management of operational Fundamental principles of operational risk management ..7 Governance ..8 The Board of Directors ..8 Senior Management ..9 Risk Management Identification and Monitoring and Reporting ..13 Control and Mitigation ..14 Business Resiliency and Continuity ..17 Role of Appendix: Reference material ..19 Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk and the Role of Supervision Preface 1. In the Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk (Sound Practices), published in February 2003, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ( Committee ) articulated a framework of principles for the industry and supervisors.

6 Subsequently, in the 2006 International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework - Comprehensive Version (commonly referred to as Basel II ), the Committee anticipated that industry sound practice would continue to Since then, banks and supervisors have expanded their knowledge and experience in implementing operational risk management frameworks (Framework). Loss data collection exercises, quantitative impact studies, and range of practice reviews covering governance, data and modelling issues have also contributed to industry and supervisory knowledge and the emergence of sound industry practice. 2. In response to these changes, the Committee has determined that the 2003 Sound Practices paper should be updated to reflect the enhanced sound operational risk management practices now in use by the industry.

7 This document Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk and the Role of Supervision incorporates the evolution of sound practice and details eleven principles of sound operational risk management covering (1) governance, (2) risk management environment and (3) the role of disclosure. By publishing an updated paper, the Committee enhances the 2003 sound practices framework with specific principles for the management of operational risk that are consistent with sound industry practice. These principles have been developed through the ongoing exchange of ideas between supervisors and industry since 2003. Principles for the Sound Management of Operational Risk and the Role of Supervision replaces the 2003 Sound Practices and becomes the document that is referenced in paragraph 651 of Basel II.

8 3. A Framework for Internal Control Systems in Banking Organisations ( Basel Committee , September 1998) underpins the Committee s current work in the field of operational risk. The Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision ( Basel Committee , October 2006) and the Core Principles Methodology ( Committee , October 2006), both for supervisors, and the principles identified by the Committee in the second pillar (supervisory review process) of Basel II are also important reference tools that banks should consider when designing operational risk policies, processes and risk management systems. 4. Supervisors will continue to encourage banks to move along the spectrum of available approaches as they develop more sophisticated operational risk measurement systems and practices".

9 2 Consequently, while this paper articulates principles from emerging sound industry practice, supervisors expect banks to 1 Basel Committee on Banking Supervision , International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework - Comprehensive Version, Section V (Operational Risk), paragraph 646, Basel , June 2006. 2 BCBS (2006), paragraph 646. Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk 1 continuously improve their approaches to operational risk management. In addition, this paper addresses key elements of a bank s Framework. These elements should not be viewed in isolation but should be integrated components of the overall framework for managing operational risk across the enterprise.

10 5. The Committee believes that the principles outlined in this paper establish sound practices relevant to all banks. The Committee intends that when implementing these principles, a bank will take account of the nature, size, complexity and risk profile of its activities. Role of Supervisors 6. Supervisors conduct, directly or indirectly, regular independent evaluations of a bank s policies, processes and systems related to operational risk as part of the assessment of the Framework. Supervisors ensure that there are appropriate mechanisms in place which allow them to remain apprised of developments at a bank. 7. Supervisory evaluations of operational risk include all the areas described in the principles for the management of operational risk.