Risk maturity model for the maritime authorities: a Delphi study to design the R-Mare matrix model

Maritime authorities have the administrative responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution caused by ships. This responsibility involves various tasks that can be supported through effective risk management, but currently, there are no models available to evaluate its level of maturity in maritime administrations. To fill this gap and respond to the needs identified by maritime authorities, this article introduces a new risk maturity model called the R-Mare matrix. This model is built on recent scientific knowledge in the field of risk management, and it has been designed in close cooperation with end-users and maritime risk management experts using the Delphi methodology. As a result of this process, the article provides a qualitative risk maturity matrix specifically tailored to support the self-evaluation of maritime authorities. The matrix consists of 17 state-of-the-art risk management attributes, a five-step risk maturity scale, and associated risk maturity grid descriptions. These elements can be used to evaluate the current risk management performance of maritime authorities, identify areas for improvement, and develop a plan to achieve a higher level of maturity. Overall, the R-Mare matrix model represents an important step forward in this field while laying the foundation for further development.