Who has the authority to accept risk in RM?

• A. The commander or appropriate decision-maker at the level of authority; the SUL can accept certain levels of risk within provided guidance but must escalate higher risks.
• B. Any team member can decide risk.
• C. Only the risk manager at HQ can accept risk.
• D. Risk acceptance is optional and not assigned to anyone.

Answer: (A)

In RM, the authority to accept risk rests with the commander or the designated decision-maker at the appropriate level. The Small Unit Leader can accept low levels of residual risk as long as that risk stays within the guidance and risk tolerance the command has set. If the remaining risk after applying controls is higher than what the SUL is authorized to accept, it must be escalated to the commander (or the appropriate higher-level decision-maker) for a formal risk acceptance decision. This keeps risk decisions tied to mission priorities, available resources, and the unit’s overall risk posture. Risk acceptance isn’t something any team member can decide on their own, and it isn’t a matter of leaving it unassigned—the unit needs someone with proper authority to formally accept the remaining risk.