Understanding our Risk Review policy

PATH requires all communications and materials that will be visible to external audiences to be reviewed against risk criteria in four categories: 

1. Technical accuracy: Communication is technically and scientifically accurate.  
2. Legal, policy, and funder compliance: Complies with PATH policies and applicable laws and requirements.
3. Brand standards and ethics: Meets PATH’s brand standards.
4. Reputational risk: Is aligned with PATH’s brand positioning on sensitive topics. 

External communications are defined as those intended for or accessible to public, event, or sector audiences.

External communications do not include most proposals or deliverables/work products for donors and major funders that are not intended to be publicly accessible, reports that will not be publicly accessible, and private/professional correspondence.

To read the full Risk Review policy on the policy portal, click here.

PATH categorizes external communications as either high or low risk. 

High-risk communications are those that: 

• Will be posted online or potentially be seen by more than 500 people in the 12 months after release, AND contain images or stories of people, including PATH staff, partners or collaborators, or individuals/communities impacted by our work (real or imagined/illustrated/animated), OR, 
• Address topics currently in the news, or are related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, or are associated with an ongoing or former PATH crisis.

All new language and content developed for individual/philanthropic fundraising, regardless of topic or audience size, is also considered high risk. 

All other external communications are defined as low risk.

All external communications, regardless of risk level, should be reviewed and approved by program leaders or their designees, using the risk criteria listed in the policy/procedure. 

• Low-risk communications can be reviewed and approved within the program that creates them.
  
• High-risk communications must also be reviewed and approved by the institutional risk reviewers, through the system managed by the External Affairs division and described in the procedure. You may submit materials for High Risk Review via the EXA Request Form. Please allow a minimum of two business days for High Risk Review.
  
  • When you submit materials for High Risk Review, you will be asked to provide the following information:
    • Criteria of high risk that your communication falls under.
    • Requestor name and PATH program/department.
    • Requested review deadline.
    • Title and type of communication.
    • PATH program risk reviewer and proofreader.
    • Vendor engagement.
    • File of the communication.