Key Risks: Things That Could Affect our Ability to Achieve our Plans and Results

Various risks affect the NFB’s capacity to fulfil its mandate and meet its strategic objectives. Drawing on the NFB’s Corporate Risk Profile¹, the table below identifies the three most critical risks for the current and upcoming years, as well as the recommended mitigation measures.

Key risks

Risk	Mitigating strategies	Links to departmental programs	Links to mandate letter commitments or to government-wide and departmental priorities
Inability to reach audiences	Develop and implement the programming strategy Define a new digital content and accessibility strategy Develop innovative partnerships with major public and private institutions	Audiovisual programming and production Content accessibility and audience engagement Internal services	Fulfilment of the NFB’s mandate Innovation and digital universe
Inadequate technology	Implement the 2016–2020 Technology Plan Implement the 2017–2022 Investment Plan	Audiovisual programming and production Content accessibility and audience engagement Internal services	Innovation and digital universe
No business continuity plan (particularly in light of the 2018–2019 head office relocation)	Implement a business continuity plan	Audiovisual programming and production Content accessibility and audience engagement Internal services	Fulfilment of the NFB’s mandate

Inability to reach audiences

One risk is the potential failure of NFB-produced content to find its audiences (and vice versa); another is ending up with programming inadequate to today’s business context—see the section entitled “Operating Context.” As a mitigating measure, the NFB is pursuing audience-development initiatives across the country, backed by targeted plans like its programming strategy (entitled “Vision Statement for Creation at the NFB”) and digital-content strategy. Distinctive and bold programming and boosting the NFB’s presence on digital platforms are key to our strategies for reaching more viewers.

Inadequate technology

The risk of lagging behind in terms of technological tools and systems is directly proportional to the speed with which today’s technologies evolve. If the NFB is to remain an environment that’s conducive to innovation, then a flexible, modern infrastructure is required, one that can support emerging methods of production and distribution (e.g., 4K, high dynamic-range imaging [HDR], virtual reality, etc.). For a number of years now, the organization has managed this risk through its 2016–2020 Technology Plan.

No business continuity plan

The risk of a major interruption to business continuity will remain a key concern for the next three years. This is primarily due to the relocation of the NFB’s head office and its associated workforce of 250 employees, which includes creation, production, distribution and audiovisual technical services employees. We are currently putting together a solid business continuity plan to help us adapt to this specific situation.