The Only Risk Management Software Developed with UKHSA to Match the UK Government's Orange Book Guidelines
Purpose-built with guidance from UKHSA to meet every requirement of the UK Government’s Orange Book — covering governance, risk, controls, and assurance in the most affordable, ready-to-use, and easily customisable platform for public sector organisations.
Award-Winning GRC & Audit Software, Trusted Since 1999 by
Built with UKHSA. priced for real budgets.
Aligned with the UK Government’s Orange Book Risk Management Principles
At Symbiant, we’ve worked directly with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to develop a fully compliant, practical, and cost-effective system that meets the exact requirements outlined in the UK Government’s Orange Book.
Built with UKHSA Guidance
Designed in collaboration UKHSA to meet real-world challenges in the public sector.
Aligned with Every Principle
From governance and accountability to risk appetite and assurance – Symbiant reflects the full Orange Book framework.
Affordable for Public Sector Budgets
From only £100 per module per month*. No hidden fees. No complexity.
What Is the Orange Book? HM Treasury’s Risk Management Framework for the UK Public Sector
The Orange Book is the UK Government’s official to risk management in the public sector. Published by HM Treasury, it sets out the principles and concepts that help organisations make informed decisions, manage uncertainty, and deliver services efficiently while ensuring public funds are used responsibly.
Designed for government departments, arm’s length bodies, and other public institutions, the Orange Book outlines a principles-based framework that promotes transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. It recognises that there’s no one-size-fits-all model—each organisation must adapt the principles to its own purpose, scale, and culture.
At its core, the Orange Book defines five key risk management principles, which every organisation should either comply with or explain deviations from in their annual governance statement.
Orange Book–Aligned Risk Management
The Five Core Orange Book Principles for Risk Management in UK Government and Public Sector Organisations
Purpose-built with input from UKHSA, Symbiant GRC, Risk Management & Audit Software is designed to meet every requirement of the UK Government’s Orange Book—delivering governance, risk, controls, and assurance in the most affordable, fully configurable, and ready-to-use platform for public sector organisations.
“Each public sector organisation should establish governance arrangements appropriate to its business, scale and culture.”
— The Orange Book, Section A: Governance and Leadership
The Orange Book emphasises that there is no one-size-fits-all governance or risk process model. Each organisation must tailor its approach to reflect its unique purpose, mission, scale, and culture. As such, any digital solution must be equally adaptable, able to support the specific risk processes the organisation chooses to implement.
Symbiant fully supports this need for personalisation. Our modular, agile, highly trusted platform is designed for maximum flexibility, enabling you to configure every element, from risk scoring and workflows to layouts and reporting. This ensures your risk management solution aligns precisely with your organisation’s governance model, scale, and structure. Whether you’re a central government department or an arm’s length body, Symbiant adapts to your framework, not the other way around.
“Risk management shall be an integral part of all organisational activities to support decision‑making in achieving objectives.”
— Section B: Integration
risk management must be integrated into all organisational activities, from planning and budgeting to operations and delivery. It should never be an afterthought. Risk management is not a box-ticking exercise. It’s a strategic enabler that drives objective-setting and demands active participation across the organisation.
Symbiant transforms risk management from a post-decision checkbox into a fully integrated, participatory process. Risks are linked across modules, ensuring they’re visible wherever decisions are made. Role-based access means everyone sees what’s relevant to them, encouraging meaningful participation without information overload. Automated workflows embed risk reviews, escalations, and updates into daily operations, while real-time dashboards provide continuous visibility to support strategic governance. Because Symbiant is fully configurable without code, it adapts effortlessly to your organisational processes.
“Risk management shall be collaborative and informed by the best available information and expertise.” — Section C: Collaboration and Best Information
This principle highlights the importance of having a comprehensive, organisation-wide view of the risk profile—aggregated where appropriate, to support governance and decision-making. It also reinforces that effective enterprise risk management relies on collaboration and cross-functional, cross-organisational working.
Symbiant provides a single source of truth, a connected platform where all risk, audit, compliance, and governance data is centralised and kept consistent across the organisation. This shared environment enables seamless cross-functional collaboration with role-based access ensuring everyone works from the same accurate information. The Discussion tab, so users can raise queries, add context, and collaborate in real time, without needing to switch platforms or rely on email chains.
“Risk management processes shall be structured to include:
a) risk identification and assessment to determine and prioritise how the risks should be managed;
b) the selection, design and implementation of risk treatment options that support achievement of intended outcomes and manage risks to an acceptable level;
c) the design and operation of integrated, insightful and informative risk monitoring; and
d) timely, accurate and useful risk reporting to enhance the quality of decision-making and to support management and oversight bodies in meeting their responsibilities.”
— Section D: Risk Management Processes
Symbiant supports a structured, end-to-end risk management lifecycle across its platform. Risks can be identified, assessed, treated, monitored, and reported in a consistent, repeatable way using fully configurable templates and workflows. Users can apply custom scoring methods, automate review cycles, assign actions, and track overdue items to improve oversight and accountability. Live dashboards surface real-time insights for better decision-making, while configurable reports help demonstrate process maturity and compliance with Orange Book principles. Each module is designed to ensure your risk management practices are standardised, evidence-based, and easily auditable.
“Risk management shall be continually improved through learning and experience.” — Section E: Continual Improvement
The Orange Book states that risk management shall be continually improved through learning and experience. The organisation should monitor and adapt the risk management framework to address external and internal changes.
Symbiant is designed to grow with you. Our platform is modular and fully configurable, so you can continuously improve your risk management framework without needing to start from scratch. Whether you want to add new modules, refine workflows, adjust scoring models, or respond to emerging risks—Symbiant gives you the tools to adapt at speed, without high development costs. It’s a living system that evolves with your organisation, helping you stay compliant, future-ready, and aligned with Orange Book expectations for ongoing learning and improvement.
Why Symbiant Is the Most Cost-Effective Orange Book–Aligned Risk Management Software for UK Public Sector Organisations
With government departments and public bodies under increasing pressure to do more with less, investing in risk management software can often feel out of reach. Symbiant changes that.
Symbiant provides all the functionality needed to meet HM Treasury’s Orange Book standards — delivering enterprise-grade capability without the inflated costs of legacy systems.
There’s no expensive implementation phase, no reliance on external consultants, and no costly per-user fees. Symbiant is fully configurable in-house, meaning your team retains full control without needing technical specialists.
In a climate of shrinking budgets and rising scrutiny, Symbiant offers an affordable, scalable, and future-ready solution that lets you strengthen governance and accountability—without compromising your bottom line.
Today, Symbiant supports a growing network of UK government and regulatory organisations, proving that affordability and robust governance can go hand in hand.
Understanding the Key Orange Book Definitions
The Orange Book outlines several important definitions that establish a common understanding and language for effective risk management across public sector organisations.
Governance
Governance represents the framework through which an organisation is steered and overseen. It defines how accountability, authority, and decision-making are distributed among leaders, managers, and stakeholders. Effective governance not only sets the direction and objectives of the organisation but also establishes the systems and checks needed to achieve them responsibly. Central to this is the creation and supervision of a robust risk management framework that supports sound decision-making and transparency.
Risk Management
Risk management refers to the structured, coordinated processes that identify, assess, and control risks within an organisation. It ensures that potential threats and opportunities are managed systematically so they do not hinder — and ideally can support — the achievement of strategic and operational goals. It is both a proactive and reactive discipline, guiding organisations to anticipate issues and respond effectively when uncertainties arise.
Risk
Risk is the impact that uncertainty can have on objectives. It is usually described in terms of what might cause it, the events that could occur, and the possible consequences that follow.
Causes are the conditions or factors that could generate a risk.
Events are the occurrences or changes in circumstances that may arise — whether expected or unexpected.
Consequences are the outcomes of those events, which may be positive or negative, direct or indirect, and sometimes cumulative.
When defining risk, it’s important to understand the underlying causes rather than focusing solely on surface-level effects or missed objectives. By analysing what could lead to those outcomes, organisations can manage risks more intelligently and prevent escalation.
When evaluating potential impacts, consider a broad range of dimensions — including financial, reputational, legal, operational, and safety implications — and regularly review these criteria to ensure continued relevance. In determining severity, assess not just likely outcomes but the most plausible worst-case scenario to support informed, resilient decision-making.
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