Operational risk management: the methods used by a credit cooperative

The purpose of this work is to examine whether the credit unions have sought to develop mechanisms for operational risk management that are compatible with its particularities. Operational risk refers to the risk of loss resulting from a failed or inadequate internal control process and may be generated by human, by the system or by external events. Such risk management enables to create quantitative and qualitative information for each area of the Organization, integrating operational risk with other types of financial risk by facilitating the monitoring of these and the allocation of capital. The methodology used is based on case study of the cooperative credit of Sistema de Cooperativas de Crédito do Brasil (SICOOB CREDILIVRE), located in Manhuaçu -MG. Documents reviews and semi structured interviews were conducted. As result, it could be realized that, even being a cooperative with significant capital structure that occupies a prominent place in your Credit Center, it is deficient in developing mechanisms for operational risk management, and dependent systems proposed by the central cooperative. Contributed to this situation the lack of resources to finance the development of a system and the shortage of professionals who know the characteristics of the Organization and are able to translate into programming language the Manager expectations about the System and the question of governance of the single on comparing to the central one, which may seem to be lots of autonomy and independence. The conclusion is that there is a great disparity between the level of complexity of the cooperative and simplicity with which he has dealt with operational risk management. Therefore, the organization requires investments in risk measurement methods, seeking to leverage efficiencies and profitability and avoiding losses.