Effective Crisis Communication

Introduction: Training Overview, Objectives and Outcomes

• What is a Crisis, what is an Emergency and the different responses required
• What is Crisis Communication (Aims, Objectives, Outcomes)
• The changing nature of crisis and emergencies
• Pre Planning for a Crisis – Observations from recent calamities and other crisis /emergencies across government
• Introduction to and Understanding crisis communication
• Importance of proactive crisis management
• Identifying potential crisis triggers – monitoring community sentiment, early warning signs and ‘red flags’
• Principles of crisis communication
  • What to communicate
  • What NOT to communicate
  • When to communicate
  • How to communicate
  • Message and Language
  • Mode / Method of Communication

Crisis Communications Planning

• The need for and importance of a formal documented Crisis Communications approach
• The 5 stage PPPTT Staged Approach to Crisis Communication: Policy, Plan, Process, Technology, Training
• The STOP Approach to Crisis Communication: Strategic Planning, Open Communication, Targeted Messaging, Preparedness and Practice.
• The Key components of a crisis communication plan:
  • Establishment of a crisis communication team
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Methods of communication
  • Triggers to invoke crisis communication

Activity / Discussion:

• What crisis communications tools, techniques and processes are in place within your organisation
• Begin developing your organisation’s Crisis Communication Plan, or review and refine your existing plan using the tools and frameworks explored in the course.

This session builds on Module 1 and is the start of a 'talk through‘ of the 10 steps of a Crisis Communication approach

The 10 Steps of Crisis Communications:

1. Anticipating and Planning for the Crisis Event
2. Identify and confirm Your Crisis Communications Team
3. Identify and Train Spokespersons
4. Spokesperson Training
5. Establish Notification and Monitoring Systems
6. Identify and Know Your Stakeholders
7. Develop Holding Statements (development of pre prepared statements)
8. Assess the Crisis Situation
9. Finalise and Adapt Key Messages
10. Post-Crisis Analysis

Role of Digital Media in Crisis Communications

• Platform strengths and limitations
• Dealing with misinformation
• Monitoring and analytics tools
• Informed response strategies
• Evaluating effectiveness of digital media communication
• People Behaviour approach – how people react/ respond in times of crisis.
  • What do people need
  • Immediate needs
  • Identifying the best communications approach

• Ethics and Transparency in Crisis Communication
  • What needs to be communicated
  • What does not need to be communicated
  • Time – when to release information
  • Overcoming misinformation
• Developing trust - short, medium, and long term

ACTIVITY / DISCUSSION: This session goes through the steps recommended to be undertaken, at the end of a crisis.

• The RAAT Approach (Responsibility, Accountability, Auditability, Trackability) to Policy oversight
• Conduct of a Crisis Communications AAR (After Action Review) including lessons noted.
• Plan to implement lessons, governance and oversight of the Crisis Communications.
• Identify and confirm any steps/ processes that need review and update to meet any legislative/ regulatory compliance changes.
• Collaborative refinement of post-crisis plans
• Integration of lessons learned and governance oversight

Q&A & Wrap Up

• Brief introduction and closing session
• Dedicated Q&A segment to address participant questions