The Geneva-based International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has unveiled plans to make its risk management standards “easier and clearer” for practitioners.

Several sections of complicated text in the ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management – Principles and guidelines have been removed without compromising key information, it says.

And substantial additions, such as the importance of human and cultural factors in effectively managing risk, have been made.

“The major task was finding the right balance between giving sufficiently detailed guidance and writing an entire textbook,” the ISO says.

“With this in mind, the text has been reduced to its fundamental concepts to create a shorter, clearer and more concise document that is easier to read while remaining widely applicable.

“The revision work follows a distinct objective: to make things easier and clearer.”

The new version is expected to be published at the end of the year or early next year.

ISO 31000 provides guidelines on effective and efficient risk management.