Kohderiski

Kohderiski, literally “target risk” in Finnish, is a concept used in risk assessment to denote the risk that a defined objective or target may not be achieved. It focuses on the exposure that threatens a specific outcome rather than the overall operation. The term appears in risk management discussions, project governance, and performance reporting in Finnish contexts, and is sometimes used in bilingual texts as “target risk.”

Identification and measurement: Start by specifying the target (KPI, milestone, financial target, or security objective). Identify threats that could prevent achievement (technical failures, market changes, regulatory shifts, human error). Assess the probability and impact for each threat and aggregate into a kohderiski score or risk matrix. The concept emphasizes causality: a risk is linked to a particular target rather than to the organization as a whole.

Applications: In project management, kohderiski helps prioritize tasks to meet deadlines; in finance, it can denote risk to hitting an investment target; in cybersecurity, risk to achieving designated security objectives. It supports scenario planning and contingency budgeting.

Management: Mitigation strategies include reducing likelihood or impact, contingency planning, resource reallocation, and setting more robust targets. Monitoring involves tracking the target's progress and updating the kohderiski as conditions change.

Limitations: The concept relies on well-defined targets, which may be subjective or shifting. Risk estimates depend on data quality and judgment, and focusing on a single target can understate broader organizational risk.