Assessing the Contributions of Legal Framework to Risk Management Adoption in Local Authorities: Insights from a Moroccan Perspective

Implementing risk management within public organizations, and particularly local authorities, may generate various benefits, including goal achievement. However, many scholars involved in this research area have identified several challenges and barriers hindering the effective and efficient implementation of risk management. These challenges relate, notably, to the absence of a specific legal framework. Indeed, this paper aims to explore and grasp the role and the contributions of legal frameworks to the adoption of risk management in local authorities. To this end, we conducted qualitative research using a literature review and a case study of the Moroccan local authorities. We also examined and assessed the contributions of the current legal framework enacted by the New Organic Laws in Morocco. The results indicated the lack of a specific legal framework dedicated to implementing risk management, determining the actions and measures to be undertaken, and defining the stakeholders’ responsibilities. Despite various laws addressing directly or indirectly risks and risk management, their contributions are limited, covering only a few specific risks and dealing with some aspects of risk management. The study reveals many notable findings. First, it contributes to filling the gap in the existing state of knowledge related to the crucial role of legal frameworks in the implementation of risk management. Second, it analyzes the current provisions promulgated by the New Organic Laws related to risks and risk management. Third, it provides some insights to policymakers and practitioners regarding the importance of defining a legal framework to successfully implement risk management.