Crisis Communications Workbook

Crisis
Communications
Workbook
AStep-by-StepGuidetoDevelopingaCrisisCommunicationsPlan
RevisedinFebruary2016forVermont
Acknowledgments
Editors:DianeT.Ducharme,ChrisGunter,andBenjaminChapmen
Author:DianeDucharme
Wewouldliketoacknowledgetheassistanceofmanyindividuals,includinggrowersandstate
collaborators,whoprovidedvaluablesuggestionsfortheimprovementofthisworkbook.Wewouldalso
liketothanktheUnitedStatesSweetPotatoCouncil,aswellasstatecouncilsliketheVermontSweet
PotatoCouncil,fortheirinvaluablesharingofexperiencesandfeedbackthroughoutthedevelopment
process.
FundingforthisprojectismadepossiblethroughagrantfromtheUnitedStatesDepartmentof
Agriculture,NationalInstituteofFoodandAgriculture:SpecialtyCropResearchInitiative(200905118106071),“ParticipatoryModelingandDecisionSupportforImprovingSweetPotatoProductionEfficiency,
QualityandFoodSafety.”Cooperatinginstitutions:LouisianaStateUniversityAgriculturalCenter,
MississippiStateUniversity,VermontStateUniversity,andUniversityofCaliforniaatDavis.
*RevisedinFebruary2016torepresentascenariothatinvolvestomatoesforVermonttraining.
i
TableofContents
ListofTables................................................................................................................................iii
Introduction.................................................................................................................................iv
Chapter1.AssembleaTeam........................................................................................................1
Chapter2.AssesstheCrisis..........................................................................................................4
Chapter3.IdentifyAudiences....................................................................................................12
Chapter4.CommunicationMaterials........................................................................................15
Chapter5.CommunicationChannels.........................................................................................22
Chapter6.Crisis..........................................................................................................................27
Chapter7.Recovery....................................................................................................................29
Chapter8.BestPractices............................................................................................................31
Chapter9.Resources..................................................................................................................32
References...................................................................................................................................47
ii
ListofTables
Chapter1
1.1SampleCrisisTeamContactInformation......................................................................3
Chapter2
2.1ListofGeneralTriggers................................................................................................4
2.2BasicTriggerQuestions...............................................................................................5
2.3SampleDecisionTree...................................................................................................7
2.4SampleCrisisAssessmentWorksheet........................................................................10
2.5SampleCrisisResponseMatrix..................................................................................11
Chapter3
3.1SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet.......................................................................14
Chapter4
4.1CrisisCommunicationLifeCycle.................................................................................16
4.2SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet.......................................................................20
4.3SampleSalmonellaFactSheet...................................................................................21
Chapter5
5.1SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet.......................................................................23
5.2SampleMediaContactInformation...........................................................................26
Chapter6
6.1MonitoringtheCrisis..................................................................................................28
Chapter7
7.1Post-crisisEvaluation.................................................................................................30
iii
Introduction
Thisworkbookoutlinestheprocessesorstepsinvolvedincreatingacrisiscommunicationsplan,using
theTomatoindustryasanexample.Itprovidesbasicinformation,checklists,andworksheetsthatcanbe
adaptedforyourindustryororganizationsimplybymakingthetemplatesorstructurefityourneeds.
Foreaseofreadingandgeneralunderstanding,theterm“industry”isusedinthisworkbookasa
universaldescriptorforanycompany,business,ororganization.
Thegoalofanycrisiscommunicationsplanistohelpanindustrybepreparedforanunexpectedevent.
Aplanreducesthestressofhavingtoreactinthemomentandallowsanindustrytheopportunitytobe
proactiveandthoroughinitsresponse.Theexamplesinthisworkbookarewrittenfromtheperspective
ofafoodindustry—theTomatoindustry—andhowitwouldrespondiftherewasafoodborneillness
outbreaktracedbacktoitsproducts.
Acrisishasthreephases:before,during,andafter.Thesephasesaresometimesreferredtoasplanning,
crisis,andrecovery.Mostoftheworkinvolvedincreatingyourcommunicationsplanwillhappenbefore
acrisisbegins,duringtheplanningphase,whenyouwillanticipatewhatcouldhappen.Duringanactual
crisisyouwillfollowthatplan,andintherecoveryphase,youwillevaluatepointssuchaswhetheryour
planworkedwellorwhetheryourindustryneedstobuildmorecommunitysupport.
Thefirstsevenchaptersinthisworkbookaredesignatedasbelongingtotheplanning,crisis,or
recoveryphases,witheachchapterrepresentingonestepofthetotalcrisiscommunications
plan.Thesechaptersalsocontainoneormoretasksforyoutodo,alongwithtipsortoolsto
rememberwhileyou’reperformingthetasks.Tasksarehighlightedbyahammericon,andtips
ortoolsarenotedwithalightbulbicon.Examplesarelistedastablesthroughoutthefirst
sevenchapters.
Completethisworkbookonechapteratatime,beginningwithchapter1andendingwithchapter7.
Whenthetasksinthefirstsevenchaptersarefinished,youwillhaveabasiccrisiscommunicationsplan.
Chapter8discussesbestpracticesforusingyourcommunicationsplan,andchapter9isfilledwith
resources,includingblankcopiesofthetablesshownintheworkbookthatarereadyforyoutouse.
iv
1
AssembleaTeam
Acrisisisasituationthatisunexpected.Itinterruptsnormalbusinessoperationsandoftenaffectsan
industry’sreputation.Sometimesacrisisanditseffectsarelocalized,andsometimesacrisisisinternational
initsscope.Anindustrycanlearnthatacrisisishappeningfrom:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
itsownemployees
anotherproducer
aregional,national,orinternationalindustryassociation
alawsuitorotherlegalsituation
thenewsmedia
aregulatoryagency
acustomer—retailer,wholesaler,grower,shipper,consumer
theInternet—Facebook,Twitter,orothersocialmediaoutlets
Havingadetailedcrisiscommunicationsplanensuresthatyouwillhaveaccurateresponsesforany
inquiries,establishedaccountabilityforanyactions,andminimalnegativeimpacttoyourindustry.A
thoroughplanisacombinationofgoodimaginationandprofessionalexperience;thebestplanscomefrom
agrouporateam.
Who’sontheTeam?
Acrisishasnotimetable;itoftenarrivesarbitrarilyandwithoutwarning.Rapid,accurateresponsesarea
must,soit’simportanttohaveallofthekeypersonnelonboardaheadoftime.Thecrisis-responseteamis
usuallymadeupof:
• adecisionmaker—oftentheCEOorsomeonewhohastheauthoritytomakemajordecisions
• aspokesperson—someonewhohandlesthemedia
• amessagedeveloper—someonewhowritesresponsesforalloftheindustry’saudiences
• aninternalcommunicator—someonewhoensuresthatstaffreceivemessages
• anexternalcommunicator—someonewhorelaysinformationtocustomers
• anemergencyliaison—someonewhotalkswithlawenforcementandemergencyservices
• agovernmentliaison—someonewhocontactsgovernmentofficialsasneeded
• anattorney—incaseyouneedlegalcounsel
• anoutsidecommunicationsconsultant—incaseyouneedhelpwithinquiries
Ifyourindustryislarge,youmaywanttoincluderepresentativesfromhumanresourcesorinformation
technology,too.Ifyourindustryissmall,onepersonmayholdmorethanoneoftheseresponsibilities.For
example,thepublicinformationofficermaybethemessagedeveloper,thespokesperson,andtheexternal
1
communicator.Assigningresponsibilitiesandestablishingaccountabilityupfrontwillsaveyoutimeand
aggravationwhenacrisisemerges.
WhatDoestheTeamReallyDo?
Thecrisisteam’sbiggestresponsibilityisactuallyplanningforapotentialcrisisbycreatingacrisis
communicationsplan.Duringarealcrisis,teammemberswillfollowthiscommunicationsplanandcarry
outtheirassignedroles.Afterthecrisishasended,theteamwillevaluatehowwellthecrisis
communicationsplanworked.
Thefirstpartofthecommunicationsplanbeginswiththecrisisteamimaginingdifferentsituationsand
circumstancesthatmightbedescribedasacrisisfortheindustry.Forexample,whatwouldhappenif
SalmonellabacteriawerefoundonabatchofTomatoesthatcouldbetracedbacktoVermont?
Theteamthendeterminestheextentofthecrisis—howbadtheoutbreakis—andwhoneedstoknow
aboutit.Informationisgatheredandisultimatelysharedthroughvariouscommunicationschannels.The
crisisresponseismonitoredbytheteamasitunfolds.Mostofthesesteps,andtheinformationnecessary
tocompletethem,canbeanticipatedinadvanceandmakeupthebulkoftheplan.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Createacrisisteamthatincludesallofthepeoplewhoneedtobeinvolvedfortheindustry.Make
alistoftheirkeycontactinformation.Identifytheprimarydecisionmakerfirst,andthenlistthe
otherteammembers.LookatthesampleinTable1.1.
Makesureyouhaveonlyoneortwomessagedevelopersonthecrisisteam.It’simportantfor
messagestobeconsistent,notcontradictory,sohaveoneortwopeopleinchargeofcreating
(andobtainingthenecessaryapprovalfor)allmessagesconveyedtostaff,newsmedia,officials,
andyourcustomers.
Goaheadapickaplacetobeyourcommandcenterduringacrisis.Startholdingyourcrisisteam
meetingsthere,andgetcomfortablewiththespace.
Oncetheteamisinplaceandresponsibilitiesareassigned,
you’rereadyforthenextplanningstep—learninghowto
assessacrisisinchapter2.
2
SAMPLECRISISTEAMCONTACTINFORMATION
Name:JANEDOE
Title:
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
CEO,TomatoesRUs
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility:
802-123-4567or1-800-GO-GreenMtn
[email protected]
[email protected]
802-765-4321
802-250-1111
Chiefdecisionmaker,primaryspokesperson
Name:JOHNSMITH
Title:
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility:
DirectorofCommunications,TomatoesRUs
[email protected]
[email protected]
802-123-5678or1-800-GO-TATER
802-765-1234
802-250-3456
Messagedeveloper,secondaryspokesperson
Name:
Title:
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility:
3
Table1.1
2
AssesstheCrisis
Onceyourcrisisteamisinplace,youarereadytobeginthenextplanningstep,whichisassessingthecrisis.
Thisissimplyimaginingwhatcrisesyourindustrycouldfaceandformulatingcommunicationstrategiesto
fitthosesituations.Thesepotentialcrisesareoftenreferredtoas“triggers”because,ifandwhenthey
happen,theyinevitablytriggeraresponse.Throughoutthisworkbook,ourexampleofapotentialtrigger
willbeSalmonellabeingtracedtoTomatoes.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Createalistofgeneraltriggersorpotentialcrisesforyourindustry.Startbyidentifyingsituations
thathavehappenedmostfrequentlyorhavehadthegreatestimpactinthepast.Studythe
exampleinTable2.1atthebottomofthispage.
Onceyouhavedevelopedalistofgeneraltriggers,gobackandasksomequestionstohelpflesh
outthelist.Answerthe“who,what,where,when,how,andwhy”questionsregardingyour
industry’sinvolvementinthecrisis.FollowtheexampleinTable2.2onthenextpage.
Blankcopiesofalltablesarelocatedintheresourcesectioninchapter9ofthisworkbookforyou
touse.
Table2.1
LISTOFGENERALTRIGGERS
PotentialCrisesfor:TomatoIndustry
1
2
3
4
5
SalmonellaistracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVermont.Residentshavedied,andseveralothers,
includingacelebrity,havebeenhospitalized.
4
Table2.2
BASICTRIGGERQUESTIONS
Thesequestionsanswerthewho,what,when,where,how,andwhyofanevent.Theyhelpyougatherthe
informationnecessarytosupportyourindustry’sresponse.Usethemtofleshouteachitemonyourlistof
generaltriggers.
1. WHATORWHOISINVOLVED?(Trigger)
SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVermont—threeresidentshavedied,and
severalothersarehospitalized.Onepersonhospitalizedisacelebrity.
2. WHENDIDYOUFIRSTLEARNABOUTTHEISSUE?HOWLONGHASITBEENGOINGON?(Timeline)
OnTuesday(1/12)—theCentersforDiseaseControlnotifiedtheTomatoindustrywhenthefirst
deathoccurredanditappearedthatTomatoeswereinvolved.
3. WHOFIRSTLEARNEDOFTHEPROBLEM?(Initialcontact)
Theseniorcenter’sresidentphysiciancontactedthelocalhealthdepartmenttoinvestigatewhen
multipleresidentsexhibitedseveresymptomsofgastrointestinalillnesswithina24-hourtime
frame.ThelocalhealthdepartmentthencontactedtheCentersforDiseaseControl.
4. WHEREISTHEEVENTUNFOLDING?STATEWIDE,INANOTHERSTATE,ORNATIONAL?(Location)
TheseniorcenterislocatedinBarre,Vermont;however,celebrityinvolvementandthedeathsof
residentsmayfuelnationalinterest.
5. WHYAREYOUBEINGCONTACTED?(Relevancetoyourindustry)
Tomato,Inc.,istheprimarysourceforinformationonTomatoesandtheirproductionand
distributioninVermont.
5
DecidingWhetheraTriggerIsanActualCrisis
Everycrisisisunique,soeverycrisisortriggerrequiresdifferentlevelsofcommunicationandresources.It’s
crucialtodoaquickassessmentofthesituationtohelppredictthelevelsofcommunicationandresources
needed.Yourcrisisteammayneedtobeinvolvedwiththesituationeverydayforseveralweeks;
alternatively,theteammayonlybeneededonafewoccasions.
Thereareseveralwaystogaugethelevelofacrisis.Inthisworkbook,twotools—adecisiontreeanda
crisisassessmentworksheet—willhelpyouquicklygaugehowmuchyourindustrymayneedtobe
involvedandwhetheryouneedoutsidesupport.
Thedecisiontreeisbasicallyaflowchartthattellsyouwhetheryou’redealingwithacrisisornot.Ifthe
crisisrequiresaproactiveresponse,youthenlookatthatcrisisinmoredetailthroughthesecondtool—a
crisisassessmentworksheet.Theworksheetissimplyascoringsystemthatallowsyoutoassignanumerical
valuetostatementsaboutthecrisis.Thewayyouscorethestatementswilltellyouhowseverethecrisisis.
Thedecisiontreeandthecrisisassessmentworksheetarevaluableplanningtoolsbecausetheysimplify
decision-makingabouttheresourcesandmaterialsneededforanactualcrisis.Youwillhaveanideaof
wheretogoandwhat’sinvolvedbeforeacrisisevengetsstarted.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
RunthetriggersyoulistedfromTable2.1throughthedecisiontreeinTable2.3.Dosomeofyour
triggersneedtobeaddressedproactively?Onlythetriggersthatrequireproactiveresponses
(markedwithdoubleasterisks[**]onthedecisiontree)aretheonesyouneedtocarryforward.
Thedecisiontreeissimplyaquickreferencetoolthathelpsyoudecidewhetheryourtriggerisa
crisisatall.Don’tspendalotoftimethinkingabouteachtriggerandwhatresponseitmight
require;thecrisisassessmentworksheetwillgiveyouthatinformation.
6
Table2.3
SAMPLEDECISIONTREE*
GeneralGuidelinesforDecidingWhetheraTriggerIsaCrisis
Ifno
Doesthisissueaffect
asubstantialpartof
theTomatoindustry?
Isthisanissuethatdoesn’taffectthe
Tomatoindustrybutonewecould
stillreceiveacallabout?
Ifyes
Ifyes
Ifno
Defineanofficialpositionfor
beingproactiveorreactiveby
determiningthenextsteps.
Talkwithotherexperts
andhelpthemcreate
messagesifnecessary.
Ifyesto
anyof
these
Wouldourtaking
proactiveaction
demonstrateleadership
oftheTomatoindustry?
Ifyes
Isthisanissuethatwouldbe
betteraddressedbyanother
organization?
Ifno
Ifno
Doweneedtoenlistoutside
PRhelporlegalcounseldue
tothesizeortypeofthe
issueorduetoalackofa
predefinedposition?
Doesthisissueclosely
relatetotheoverall
goalsoftheTomato
industry?
Isproactiveaction
necessaryforthe
positivereputationof
theTomatoindustry?
Noactionneeded.
Ifyes
DoestheTomatoindustryhavea
clearpositionontheissue?
Willourtakingproactive
actionhaveapositive
impactontheTomato
industry?
Ifno
Ifnoto
allof
these
Ifyes
Releaseaproactive **
statementtokey
audiences(media,
legislators,etc.).
Obtaincounsel
**
todirectfurther
actionsandreview
positionontheissue.
Preparetomake
reactivestatementsif
necessary.
*ThistableisadaptedfromtheCrisisCommunicationPlanNonprofitToolkitproducedbytheColoradoNonprofitAssociation.
7
CrisisAssessmentWorksheet
Thecrisisassessmentworksheet,withitsaccompanyingresponsematrix,isatoolthathelpsdeterminethe
communicationsresponsetoapotentialtrigger.Eachtriggerisgivenadifferentnumericalscoreaccording
toitslevelandintensity.Thistoolsimplifiesdecision-makingaboutresourcesandmaterialsneededforan
actualcrisis.
PlanningActivities
TakeeachofyourtriggersthatrequiredaproactiveresponsefromthedecisiontreeinTable2.3
andevaluateitthroughthecrisisassessmentworksheetanditsaccompanyingresponsematrixin
Table2.4andTable2.5(lookatthesamplesinthischapter).NOTE:Ifyouhavethreetriggers
thatrequiredaproactiveresponsefromthedecisiontree,youwillhavethreecrisisassessment
worksheetsandthreeresponsematrices,oneforeachtrigger.
SpecificInstructionsforCompletingtheCrisisAssessmentWorksheetinTABLE2.4
1. PickoneofthetriggersthatrequiredaproactiveresponsefromthedecisiontreeinTable2.3,and
describeitinthespaceprovidedatthetopofthecrisisassessmentworksheetinTable2.4.
2. ReviewthecrisiscriteriaincolumnCandmarktheboxesincolumnAthatapplytoyourtrigger.
3. ForeachboxcheckedincolumnA,adduptheintensitypointslistedincolumnBtocomeupwith
thefinalnumericalintensityscoreforthisevent.
4. Recordthetotalintensitypointsinthespaceprovidedatthebottomoftheworksheet.
5. GototheaccompanyingcrisisresponsematrixinTable2.5torankeachpotentialcrisisortriggerA,
B,C,orD.
SpecificInstructionsforCompletingtheCrisisResponseMatrixinTABLE2.5
1. DescribeyourtriggeratthetopoftheresponsematrixpageinTable2.5(thismatchesthe
descriptionyouwroteatthetopofthecrisisassessmentworksheetinTable2.4).
2. Readthecrisiscriteriacolumnontheresponsematrixtableandconfirmwhethercertainitem
numbersfromthecrisisassessmentworksheetinTable2.4havebeenchecked.Thishelpsyou
determinetherankingofthetriggerasA,B,C,orD.
3. Recordthisletterrankingatthebottomoftheresponsematrixpageandatthebottomofthecrisis
assessmentworksheetinTable2.4.
4. Therecommendedoutcomescolumnontheresponsematrixtableoutlineswhatactionstepsyou
needtofollow.Forexample,aCtriggerwillhaveaCoutcomeresponse.
8
NOTES
Theinformationgatheredinthecrisisassessmentworksheetandresponsematrixisageneralguideline
thatwillhelpyoudeterminethelevelofyourparticularcrisisandtherecommendedoutcomesforyour
situation.Forexample,ifyourunthreetriggersthroughtheworksheetandmatrix,youwillhavethree
crisis-levelrankings,oneforeachtrigger.Theserankingshelpyouprioritizeyourresponsessoyoucan
effectivelytargetresourcesandmaterialsbeforeacrisisoccurs.
Thistoolismeanttotakeonlyafewminutestocomplete.Donotspendalotoftimeconsideringwhether
ornottomarkaboxincolumnAofthecrisisassessmentworksheetinTable2.4.
Yourultimategoalistobeabletoanticipatethelongevityoftheinitialphaseofthecrisisandtheneedfor
long-termmaintenanceandfollow-upfromacommunicationsperspective.Theresourcesandmaterials
neededforpublicinformationandmediarelations,thestaffingrequiredforthecrisis,andthehoursof
operationnecessaryduringthecrisisareallaffectedbytheintensityandlongevityofthecrisis.
PlanningTip
Whenassessingacrisis,it’simportanttorememberthatyoucananticipatemostnegativeindustry
situationsbeforehand.Takethetimetodevelopalistofpotentialtriggersandlearnthepossible
levelsofeachcrisissoyoucanbeonestepaheadifanactualcrisisoccurs!
Whenyouhavelistedpotentialtriggersorcrisesandhave
putthemthroughthecrisisassessmentworksheet,you’re
readytomoveontochapter3,wherethenextplanning
stepistoidentifyaudiencesthatcanhelpyoudistribute
messagesduringacrisis.
9
SAMPLECRISISASSESSMENTWORKSHEET*
Table2.4
BriefDescriptionofTrigger:SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVermont—deathandillnessconfirmed,
celebrityinvolved
Item#
ColumnA
Checkif
Applicable
ColumnB
CriteriaIntensity
(0-8)
ColumnC
CrisisCriteria
Theinitialcrisisisclearlyrecognizedasapublichealthemergencythatrequires
immediatecommunicationwiththepublictopreventfurtherwidespreadillnessor
death.
Deathsareexpectedwithinashortwindowoftime(catastrophicsituation).Solution
and/ortreatmentareuncertain.
Themediaandpublicperceivethecrisisasthe“first,”“worst,”“biggest,”etc.
Deathsareexpectedwellabovenormallevels.
Thecrisisisoccurringinametropolitanarea(w/moremediaoutlets)versusa
sparselypopulatedarea(w/fewermediaoutlets).
Thecrisisissudden,isnationalinscope,orhasthepotentialtohaveanational
healthimpact.
Thegovernmentisperceivedasacauseoforasbeingresponsibleforthecrisis.
Thecrisispredominantlyaffectschildrenorpreviouslyhealthyadults.
Thecrisisispossiblyman-madeand/ordeliberate.
Controllingthecrisismayrequireasuspensionofcivilrightsforasignificantportion
ofthepopulation.
Personsinvolvedinthecrisismusttakeactivestepstoprotecttheirpersonalhealth
andsafety.
Responsibilityformitigatingthecrisisfallswithinthescopeofyourindustry.
Thecrisishassomeexoticaspect.
Awell-knownproduct,service,orindustryisinvolved.
Sensitiveinternationaltradeorpoliticalrelationsareinvolved.
Awell-knowncelebrityisinvolved.
Anongoingcriminalinvestigationisinvolved.
Thecrisisorpublichealthissueisnotwellunderstoodbythegeneralpopulation,or
thegeneralpopulationismisinformedaboutthecrisis.
Thecrisisisacute.Thecrisisoccurred,andyourindustryisfacedwithexplainingthe
crisisandtheaftermath.
Thelong-termhealtheffectsforhumansinvolvedinthecrisisareuncertain.
Thecrisisisevolving.Itsprogressionisuncertainandmaybecomemoreorless
serious.
Thecrisissitedoesnothaveawell-equippedandwell-resourcedpublicinformation
responsecapability.
Thecrisisoccurredinternationally,withlittlechanceofaffectingtheU.S.population.
Treatmentorcontrolofexposureisgenerallyunderstoodandwithintheperson’s
control.
1
8
2
4
3
4
5
X
4
4
3
6
3
7
8
9
10
X
3
3
3
3
11
3
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
X
X
X
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
19
2
20
21
1
1
22
1
23
24
X
0
0
TotalIntensityPoints: 13
CrisisLevel:
(A)—HighlyIntense
(B)—Intense
X(C)—ModeratelyIntense
(D)—MinimallyIntense
*ThisworksheetisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisand
EmergencyRiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
10
SAMPLECRISISRESPONSEMATRIX*
Table2.5
BriefDescriptionofTrigger:SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVermont—deathandillnessconfirmed,
celebrityinvolved
EventEvaluationFactors
CrisisLevel
CrisisDescription
CrisisCriteria
RecommendedOutcome
Operate24hoursaday,7daysa
weekformediaandpublic
response,withanunderstanding
thatreliefandreplacementstaffwill
beneeded.Accordingtoyourplan,
formorjoinajointinformation
center(JIC).
Operate20hoursaday,7daysa
weekduringtheinitialphase.Setup
routinetimesformediabriefings,
allowthepublictoe-mailorleave
phonemessagesduringnon-work
times,andmoveintomaintenance
phasewhenpossible.Beprepared
toface“initialphase”demands,
dependingondevelopmentsduring
themaintenancephase.Mayneed
toformaJIC.
Operate10-12hoursaday,5-6days
aweek,andassignasingleteam
memberforafter-hourspurposes
duringtheinitialphase.Operateon
weekendifcrisisoccurson
weekend;otherwise,useon-call
staffonlyonweekends,notduring
fulloperation.Attempttomovethe
mediaandpublictomaintenance
phaseswithprescribedtimesand
outletsforupdates.Noneedto
formaJIC.
Operatenormallyintheinitial
phasewhilepreparingtomoveto
24hoursaday,7daysaweekif
needed.Notifyreliefand
replacementstaffthattheymaybe
calledfordutydependingonhow
thecrisisdevelops.Donotburnout
staffwithlonghoursbeforethe
publicandmediademandescalates.
Practiceyourcrisiscommunication
operations(duringnormalwork
hours)toensurethatthesystem
works.ConsideroperatingaJICif
informationreleaseisshared.
A
Highlyintenseintheinitialphase.
Theneedtodisseminateinformation
rapidlytothepublicandmediaiscritical.
Lifeandlimbareatriskifthepublicisnot
notifiedabouttheriskandpublichealth
recommendations.
Item#1mustbecheckedonthe
assessmentworksheet.From
amongitems#2,3,and4,at
leasttwomustbechecked.
B
Intense.
Theneedtodirectlyprovidepublichealth
recommendationstothepublicandmedia
tosavelifeorlimbisnotimmediate.The
publicandmedia,however,believetheir
healthandsafetyareorcouldsoonbeat
risk.Thereisahighandgrowingdemand
formoreinformation.
Item#1isnotcheckedonthe
assessmentworksheet,and
items#3and4arechecked.
C
Moderatelyintense.
Mediafrenzydevelops.Interestis
generatedbecauseofthecrisisnovelty
versusalegitimateandwidespreador
immediatepublichealthconcern.Interest
coulddiesuddenlyifa“real”crisis
occurred.
Item#3ischeckedonthe
assessmentworksheet,and
items#1,2,and4arenot
checked.Threeormoreofthe
criteriaintensity2itemsare
checked,andoneormoreofthe
criteriaintensity3itemsare
checked.
D
Minimallyintense.
Buildsslowlyandmaycontinueforweeks,
dependingontheoutcomeoffurther
investigation.Requiresmonitoringand
reassessments.
Items#1,2,and3arenot
checkedontheassessment
worksheet.Morecriteria
intensity1orcriteriaintensity2
itemsarecheckedthancriteria
intensity3items.
Results:C3
*ThismatrixisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisandEmergency
RiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
11
3
IdentifyAudiences
Audiencesareindividualsororganizationsthatneedtoknowaboutacrisis.Theymayalsobeableto
helpyoudisseminateinformationaboutthecrisis.Audiencesaredifferentfromcommunication
channels;achannelisthemethodorwayofreachinganaudience.
Ifyouidentifyyouraudiencesbeforeacrisisoccurs,you’remorelikelytochoosethebestchannelsof
communicationtoreachthem.Youwon’tbeunderstressandtemptedtousethefirstcommunication
channelthatcomestomind,whichmayormaynotbethebestone.
Duringacrisis,theexactaudiencesyoucontactwilldependontheactualsituation;however,itis
absolutelycriticalthateveryaudiencereceivesconsistent,approvedinformationonregularschedules.
Multiplemessagesgoingoutatdifferenttimeswillresultinconfusionforeveryoneinvolved.Thereare
sixgeneralaudienceswithwhomyoucommunicateduringacrisis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Newmedia—anaudiencethemselvesaswellasaconduittootherimportantaudiences
Staff—internalgroupssuchascompanyemployees,theirfamilies,andcolleagues
Customers—clientssuchasconsumers,retailers,wholesalers,growers,andshippers
Governmentofficials—national,state,regional,andlocalofficials,electedandappointed
Consultants—outsideprofessionalswhomayhelpcreatemessagesforallaudiences
Tradeassociations/alliedorganizations—othergroupsthatmayneedtobeinformedandmay
beabletohelpyou
Eachofyouraudienceswillbelookingforamessagethatisspecifictothemandtheirneeds.Onceyour
audiencesareidentified,it’shelpfultosubdividethemintolevels.Thisissimplyamatterofprioritizing
whoneedsthemessagefirst:
•
•
•
Level1—peoplewhoareimmediatelyaffectedbythecrisisorintimatelyinvolvedinthe
response.Theyneedinformationthatallowsthemtotakeactionrightawaybecausetheirwellbeingandsafetydependonit.
Level2—peoplewhoarenotimmediatelyaffectedbythecrisis.Theyneedfactsaboutthe
crisisandinformationaboutsafetymeasuresbecausetheyareinvolvedonacertainlevel.
Level3—peoplewhoarenotaffectedbythecrisis.Theystillneedgeneralinformationabout
thecrisisthatprovidesreassuranceandallowsthemtoplanfortheirownsafety,evenifthey’re
notinvolved.
Theeasiestwaytobeginidentifyingaudiencesistothinkaboutapotentialcrisisandwhomightbe
affected;thiswillbasicallybegroupsfromthesixgeneralaudienceslistedabove.Then,outofthose
affectedgroups,considerwhomightbeaffectedthemostandprioritizethemaslevel1,2,or3.
12
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Foreachcrisistriggerthatreceivedaranking(A,B,C,orD)onthecrisisassessment
worksheetandresponsematrixinTables2.4and2.5,youwillhaveonemessageplanning
worksheet.LookatthesampleworksheetinTable3.1.
Describethetriggeratthetopoftheworksheetandidentifyaudiencesforonetriggerata
time.Remembertouseaseparatesheetforeachtrigger.Thendetermineifthoseaudiences
fitinlevel1,2,or3.FILLOUTONLYTHE“AUDIENCEANDLEVEL”COLUMNATTHISTIME.
Youwillfilloutothercolumnsonthisworksheetasyoumovealongintheplanningprocess.
Takeyourtimebrainstormingaudiences,andbegenerousinhowmanyyouidentify.It’s
bettertodotheworknowthantorealizeinthemiddleofacrisisthatakeygroupwas
overlooked.
Rememberthatyoucanreusepiecesofyourcrisisplan;e.g.,audienceidentificationforone
crisistriggermaytranslatetoanothertrigger.Youdon’thavetoreinventthewheel!
Whenyouhaveidentifiedaudiencesandwhichlevels
theyfallintoforeachcrisistrigger,movetochapter4to
startdevelopingmessages.
13
Table3.1
SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet*
Crisis:SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVT—deathsandillness,celebrityinvolved
AudienceandLevel
Localmedia—L1
• TV
• Newspaper
• Radio
Nationalmedia—L1
• Cablenews
Internalstaff—L1
Customers—L2
Healthofficials—L2
KeyMessage
SupportingFacts
CommunicationChannel
*ThisworksheetisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisand
EmergencyRiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
14
CommunicationMaterials
4
Duringacrisis,peoplehandleinformationdifferentlythantheydoduringnormaltimes.Theyprocessit
andactonitdifferently,usingtheirownselectivewaysofhearing.Peoplefilterwhattheyhearthrough
theirbeliefs,values,patternsofbehaviors,andphysicalandemotionalstates.Communicationdoesn’t
takeplaceuntilpeoplefilteranddecodemessages.Thewayinwhichthesemessagesaredecodedis
uniquetoeveryindividual.
Theseuniquewaysofprocessinginformationmakedeliveringclearmessagesduringacrisisabsolutely
essential.Acrisisdoesn’tunfoldneatlyaccordingtoaplan,soit’simpossibletowritedetailedmessages
foreveryaudienceinadvance.However,genericmessagescanbedevelopedthatarereadytousein
differentsituations,alongwithfactsheets,resources,andmessagetemplatesthatcanbequicklyfilledin
duringacrisis.
Thegoalofcommunicationmaterialsistoshareinformationsopeoplecanmakedecisionsortake
appropriateaction,aswellastoestablishtrustandbuildthecredibilityofyourindustry.Ifyouholdback
informationordownplaytheseriousnessofacrisis,youwillactuallyaddtothepanicandfearthat
peoplemayfeel.Behaviorexpertshavedemonstratedthatpeopledon’tusuallypanicunlesstheyfeel
trappedandhelpless.Well-thought-out,thoroughmessagesthataredeliveredeffectivelyaremore
likelytodispelpanicthancreateit.
Communicationmaterialsneedtoevolveinconjunctionwiththenaturalcyclesorphasesofacrisis—
planning,crisis,andrecovery.Eachphasehasitsownuniqueinformationrequirementsandmovesatits
ownspeed,dependingonwhattriggeredthecrisis.Rememberthatallcrisesarenotcreatedequal,and
thedetailsofeachcrisiswillaffectyourresourcesandstaffdifferently.
Bydividingacrisisintothephasesofplanning,crisis,andrecovery,it’smucheasiertoanticipatethe
informationneedsofthemedia,keystakeholders,andthegeneralpublic.
Table4.1outlinesthelifecycleofacrisisintermsofcommunicationandidentifiestypicalquestions
peopleaskandwhatinformationtheymightneed.
15
Table4.1
CRISISCOMMUNICATIONLIFECYCLE*
PLANNING
Pre-crisis
CRISIS
Initial
Yourinformationgoals
Typicalquestionspeoplewillask
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Identifyaudiences.
• Developgeneric
messagesand
materials.
• Identifychannelsof
communication.
• Exercisetheplanto
makesureitworks.
• Getbuy-inand
approvalsfromlegal
andmanagement.
• Buildrelationships
withaudiencesand
medianow.
• Identifyandtrain
spokespeople.
• Makesureemployees
knowwhattodoif
they’reapproachedby
themedia.
•
•
•
•
•
Whathappened?
Whereandwhen?
Who’sresponsible?
Who’stoblame?
Arewesafe?
What’sthedangertomy
familyandme?
What’sbeingdoneto
protectorhelppeople?
Isanyonehurt?Sick?
Dead?
Whoarethey?
Whatareyougoingto
doaboutit?
Who’sincharge?
What’sgoingtohappen
next?
Acknowledgethecrisis
withempathy.
Explainandinform
abouttheriskinsimple
terms.
Establishyour
credibility.
Provideappropriate
coursesofaction
(includingwhereand
howtogetmore
information).
Committocontinued
communicationfor
stakeholders.
CRISIS
Monitoring
RECOVERY
Resolution
RECOVERY
Evaluation
• What’stherisktome?
• WhatcanIdoto
minimizemyrisk?
• Whatshould/canIdoto
help?
• Whyareyoudoingwhat
you’redoing?
• Whyaren’tyoudoing
more/doingit
differently?
• WhoshouldIlistento?
Who’sright?
• Whydidn’tthe
responsego
better/differently?
• Who’sresponsiblefor
gettingusbackto
normal?
• Whyisittakingsolong
to____?
• I’mnotseeingthison
thenewsanymore.
ShouldIstillcare?
• Helpappropriatepeople
developamoreaccurate
understandingofthe
impactofthesituation
andtheirrisk.
• Providebackgroundand
encompassing
informationtothose
whoneedtoknow.
• Gainunderstandingof
andsupportfor
response.
• Monitorwhat’sbeing
saidbywhom,and
correctany
misinformation.
• Explainemergency
recommendations(if
any).
• Improvefuture
responsebyproviding
educationaboutthis
response.
• Honestlyexamine
problemsandmishaps.
• Reinforcewhatworked.
• Persuade/buildsupport
forpolicyandresource
allocationchanges.
• Promotetheactivities
andcapabilitiesofyour
industry/agency.
• Debriefand
evaluatehowthe
planworked.
• Documentthe
responseaspartof
anafter-action
report.
• Takethe
opportunitytogrow
bydevelopingan
improvementplan
toaddresstraining
andexerciseneeds.
• Revisetheplanto
incorporatechanges
basedonlessons
learned.
*ThisworksheetisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisandEmergencyRisk
Communicationtrainingprogram.
16
DevelopingMessages
Nowthatyouhaveanideaofwhattheinformationlifecyclelookslikeforacrisis,it’stimetostart
writinganddevelopinggenericmessages.It’simportanttokeepmessagesclear,direct,andsimpleby:
•
•
•
Makingnomorethanthreekeypoints
Usingclear,directlanguage
Avoidingjargonortechnicalterms
Craftingmessagesisnothard;however,itdoestaketimetothinkthingsthrough.Thisiswhyyoudon’t
wanttowaituntilyou’reinthemiddleofacrisistofigureoutwhatyouneedtosaytowhom.
Here’sanexampleofamessage,usingthecrisisfromthesamplemessageplanningworksheetinTable
3.1.Thecrisisis“SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVermont—deathsandillness
confirmed,celebrityinvolved”andwasrankedasaC-levelcrisisusingthecrisisassessmentworksheetin
Table2.4.
TheTomatoindustrywasprobablynotthefirstorganizationthemediacontactedwhenthestorybroke;
however,thatdoesn’tmeantheindustrycan’tbeproactiveinhandlingmessagessurroundingthe
event.ThefirstaudiencelistedfromTable3.1is“localmedia,”andtheinitialmessagetomediafrom
theTomatoindustrymightemphasizetheorganizationasaresource:
Freeinformationonhowtopreventthedevelopmentof
Salmonellaiosis,oneofthemostfrequentlyreportedbacterial
foodbornediseases,isavailablefromtheTomatoindustryonits
website,www.sweetpotatoesrus.org.
“Thisparticularbacteriumoftenshowsupwhenproperfoodhandling
techniquesarenotobserved,”saidJaneDoe,CEOofTomatoInc.
“Consumersdon’tneedtobeafraidofeatingTomatoesorother
produce;theyjustneedtobeawareofhowtohandleproducesafely.”
Salmonellahasbeentracedtotherecentillnessoutbreakreportedat
HappyGoldenYearsRetirementCenterinBarre.TheCentersfor
DiseaseControlandPreventionisinvestigatingthatevent.Consumers
withquestionsorconcernscancontacttheCDCat1-800-MY-NEWS1.
Inthisexample,theunderlinedportionscan’tbefilledinuntilthecrisishappens.Notethatthemessage
isshortanditanswerstypical“amIsafe”or“wheredoIgetmoreinformation”questionsthatalways
comeearlyinthelifecycleofacrisis(Table4.1).
17
SupportingFacts
Informationthatgivesmoredetailanddepthtoacrisisisasupportingfact.Asyouworkondeveloping
keymessages,payattentiontothenaturalquestionsthatcropupduringthelifecycleofacrisis(Table
4.1)andhowyoumightbeabletofillthatinformationgap.Factsheetsandotherresourcesaresimple
waystosharemoreinformationquicklyandeasily.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Takeeachoneofthecrisistriggersidentifiedonyoursamplemessageplanningworksheetin
Table3.1andwritedownkeymessagepointsonthesamplemessageplanningworksheetin
Table4.2.NOTE:Rememberthatifyouhavethreecrisistriggersidentified,youwillhave
threeplanningworksheets—onewithkeymessagepointsforeachtrigger!
ThesamplemessageplanningworksheetinTable4.2alsohasacolumntitled“Supporting
Facts.”Usethiscolumntolistsupportinginformationthatmightaccompanyyourinitial
message.FILLOUTONLYTHEKEYMESSAGEANDSUPPORTINGFACTSCOLUMNSATTHIS
TIME!
Composeaninitialmessageforyourcrisistrigger.Keepitshortandavoidjargon.Don’tworry
aboutfinalizingtheformatnow;simplywriteitdown.Createasmanymessagesasyouhave
triggers.
Considerturningtheinformationinyour“SupportingFacts”columnintoafactsheet.Fact
sheetsareeasytosharewiththemediaandhelpfulformanyotheraudiences,too.Lookat
Table4.3foranexampleofafactsheet.
Asyoudevelopmessages,haveothersreviewthemessagestomakesurethey’reclearand
direct.Reviewerscanbemembersofyourcrisisteamor—ideally—membersoftheaudience
themessageisintendedfor.
Rememberthatyouwillprobablybeabletouseavariationofthesamemessageformultiple
audiences,sodon’ttieyourselfinknotstryingtocomeupwithsomethingnewforeach
audience.Onemessage,oronemessagewithafewadjustments,maydothetrick.
It’snormaltofeeloverwhelmedatthispoint!Completeonemessageforonecrisisscenariofor
oneaudienceatatime.
18
Whenyouhavedevelopedkeymessagesandsupporting
factsforthecrisisscenarioslistedonyourmessage
planningworksheets,movetochapter5tolearnabout
communicationchannelsandspokesperson/media
training.
19
Table4.2
SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet*
Crisis:SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinNC—deathsandillness,celebrityinvolved
AudienceandLevel
Localmedia—L1
• Newspaper
• TV
• Radio
KeyMessage
SupportingFacts
• Freeinformationon
Salmonellaiosisfrom
theVERMONT
Tomatoindustry
• WhatisSalmonella?
• Howisitspread?
• Howtoreduce
exposure?
• Howtotreatit?
• Commonfoodlist?
• WhatisSalmonella?
• Howisitspread?
• Howtoreduce
exposure?
• Howtotreatit?
• Commonfoodlist?
• Additionalinfoon
freshproducesafety,
plusthesameinfo
giventomedia
Nationalmedia—L1
• Cablenews
• Freeinformationon
Salmonellaiosisfrom
theVERMONT
Tomatoindustry
Internalstaff—L1
Customers—L2
Healthofficials—L2
• Wearearesourcefor
accurateinformation
aboutTomatoesand
freshproducesafety
• Wearearesourcefor
accurateinformation
aboutTomatoesand
freshproducesafety
• Additionalinfoon
freshproducesafety,
plusthesameinfo
giventomedia
• Weareavailableto
assistifneeded
• Weneedtobekeptin
theinfoloop
20
• Correctphone
numbersande-mail
addressesofhealth
officials
CommunicationChannel
SAMPLESALMONELLAFACTSHEET
Table4.3
WHATISIT?
Salmonella(pronounced“sal-muh-nel-uh”)isabacteriumthatisthemostfrequentlyreportedcauseof
foodborneillness,sometimescalled"foodpoisoning".Twotypes,SalmonellaEnteritidisandSalmonella
TyphimuriumarethemostcommonintheUnitedStatesandaccountforhalfofallhumaninfections.
WHEREISITFOUND?
Salmonellabacteriaarefoundinthegastrointestinaltractsofmanyspeciesofanimals,birds,reptiles,and
humans,andalsointheenvironment,whichmaybecontaminatedbythefecesofanimalsandpeople.
Anyrawfoodofanimalorigin,suchasmeat,poultry,milkanddairyproducts,eggs,seafood,andsome
fruitsandvegetablesmaycarrySalmonellabacteria.
WHATHARMCANITCAUSE?
InfectioncausedbythebacteriaiscalledSalmonellosis.Consumingfoodsand/orwatercontaminated
withfecesusuallycausesthisinfection,ororalcontactwithfecesfrominfectedanimalseitherdirectlyor
indirectly.Forexample,directcontactwithmanurecanhappenifdirtyhandsareusedtowipeyour
face/mouth/eyes,whensmoking,oreventogetsplashedwithmanureinthefacefromacow’stail.
Indirectexposurewithacontaminatedsurfacesuchasasoiledcigarette,acup,cellphones,orapen
placedintothemouth.Symptomsofinfection,whichusuallyoccurwithin8to72hoursafterthebacteria
areingested,includethefollowing:
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominalcramps
Additionalsymptomsmaybechills,headache,nausea,andvomiting.Symptomsusuallydisappearwithin
4to7days.AsmallnumberofpersonswhoareinfectedwithSalmonellamaydeveloppainsintheir
joints,irritationoftheeyes,andpainfulurination.ThisiscalledReiter'ssyndrome.Itcanlastformonths
oryearsandcanleadtochronicarthritisthatisdifficulttotreat.
WHOISMOSTSUSCEPTIBLE?
Salmonellainfectionscanbelife-threateningespeciallyforinfantsandyoungchildren,pregnantwomen
andtheirunbornbabies,andolderadults,whoareatahigherriskforfoodborneillness,asarepeople
withweakenedimmunesystems(suchasthosewithHIV/AIDS,cancer,diabetes,kidneydisease,and
transplantpatients).
WHAT’STHEBESTWAYTOPREVENTINFECTIONSANDMINIMIZEFOODBORNEILLNESSES?
Thekeytopreventingillnessathome,inarestaurant,atachurchpicnic,oranywhereelseistoprevent
thebacteriafromgrowingtohighlevelsandtodestroythebacteriathroughcookingtoasafeminimum
internaltemperature.Followtheseguidelinesforsafefoodpreparation:
• CLEAN:WashHandsandSurfacesOften
• SEPARATE:Don'tCross-contaminate
• COOK:CooktoSafeTemperatures
• CHILL:RefrigeratePromptly
TheaboveinformationwasfoundattheFoodSafetyandInspectionServiceoftheUnitedStatesDepartmentof
Agriculture:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-factsheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/salmonella-questions-and-answers/
FormoreinformationaboutSalmonella,seetheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)websiteat:
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/
21
CommunicationChannels
5
Qualitycommunicationwithyouraudiencesreliesonselectingappropriatechannelsofcommunication.
Achannelissimplythemethodorwayofreachinganaudience.Well-craftedmessagesalonewon’tdo
anygoodiftheydon’treachtheintendedaudience.
Therearemanychannelsthatcanbepartofyourcrisiscommunicationtoolbox:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Newspapers
Television
Radio
Websitesandblogs
Socialmedia(e.g.,Twitter)
Printedmaterials
Communitymeetingsandforums
Pressconferences
Combinationsofalloftheaboveorothersources
Whendecidingwhatchannelstouse,youneedtoask:
•
•
•
Whichchannelsaremostappropriateforthemessage?
WhichchannelswilltheaudiencefindcredibleANDaccessible?
Whichchannelsandhowmanychannelsarerealistic,consideringtimeframeandbudget?
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Lookatthemessageplanningworksheetsyou’vedeveloped(Table4.2)andidentifythemost
appropriateandrealisticcommunicationchanneltodeliveryourkeymessagetoeach
audiencelisted.THISISTHELASTCOLUMNTOCOMPLETE!Rememberthateachtrigger
you’veidentifiedonyourworksheetshasitsownchannel(s),althoughyoumayrepeatthe
channel(s)todelivermessagestodifferentaudiences!
Checkouttheprosandconsofsomecommunicationchannelsintheresourcesectionofthis
workbookifyouneedmorehelpdecidingwhatmightworkbestforyourcrisisscenario.
22
Table5.1
SampleMessagePlanningWorksheet*
Crisis:SalmonellatracedtoTomatoesataseniorcenterinVT—deathsandillness,celebrityinvolved
AudienceandLevel
Localmedia—L1
• Newspaper
• TV
• Radio
Nationalmedia—L1
• Cablenews
Internalstaff—L1
Customers—L2
Healthcareofficials—L2
KeyMessage
SupportingFacts
• Freeinformationon
Salmonellaiosisfrom
theVERMONTTomato
industry
• Freeinformationon
Salmonellaiosisfrom
theVERMONTTomato
industry
• Wearearesourcefor
accurateinformation
aboutTomatoesand
freshproducesafety
• Wearearesourcefor
accurateinformation
aboutTomatoesand
freshproducesafety
• Weareavailableto
assistifneeded
• Weneedtobekeptin
theinfoloop
• Correctphone
numbersande-mail
addressesofhealth
officials
23
• Factsheet
distributedtoCitizenTimes,Channel13,
andWCQS-FMviaemail,phone,andfax.
Prepareforpublic
mediastatement.
• Factsheet
distributedtoCitizenTimes,Channel13,
andWCQS-FMviaemail,phone,andfax.
Prepareforpublic
mediastatement.
• Additionalinfoon
freshproducesafety,
plusthesameinfo
giventomedia
• Additionalinfoon
freshproducesafety,
plusthesameinfo
giventomedia
• WhatisSalmonella?
• Howisitspread?
• Howtoreduce
exposure?
• Howtotreatit?
• Commonfoodlist?
• WhatisSalmonella?
• Howisitspread?
• Howtoreduce
exposure?
• Howtotreatit?
• Commonfoodlist?
CommunicationChannel
• Factsheet
distributedinternally.
• Keystaffidentified
forpubliccomments
ifrequired.
• Factsheets
distributedviae-mail
tocustomerlist.
• Keystaffidentified
forcustomer
response.
• Keystaffidentified
forphonecontact
withhealthofficials.
BeingaSpokesperson
Aspokespersonisthefaceoftheindustry.Heorsheliterallyembodiestheindustryandgivesitahuman
identity.Agoodspokespersonhastheabilitytoconnectwithanaudience,sharesinformationclearly
andconcisely,andestablishescredibilityfortheindustry.
Attitudeandnonverbalmessagesareimportant.Beingcalm,attentive,andpolitewitharelaxedand
neutralphysicalstanceduringacrisisarethehallmarksofagoodspokesperson.Feelingsarenot
allowedtointerferewiththeabilitytocommunicatepositively.
Trainingmustbeprovidedforthepeopleonyourteamthatyouhaveidentifiedasspokespersons.They
willbetheaccesspointsthataudiencescometoformoreinformationduringthecrisis.Itishardto
remaincalmandattentiveinemotionallychargedsituations;thisiswhytrainingandpracticeare
needed.
GeneralRecommendationsforSpokespersons:
•
•
•
•
Knowyourindustry’spoliciesaboutthereleaseofinformation.
Staywithinthescopeofyourresponsibilitiesandknowledge.Answerfactuallywithonlywhat
youareauthorizedtoknow.
Tellthetruth.Beasopenaspossible.
Followuponquestionsorissuesimmediately.
GeneralDo’sandDon’tsforSpokespersons:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dorememberthatjargonconfusespeopleandimpliesarrogance.
Dousepositiveorneutraltermswhenpossible.
Dorefutenegativeallegationswithoutrepeatingthem.
Dodiscusswhatyouknow,notwhatyouthink.
Don’tassumeyou’vemadeyourpoint.
Don’texpresspersonalopinions.
Don’tuseone-liners,clichés,andoff-the-cuffcomments.
Don’tshowoff.
WorkingwiththeMedia
Mediacanbestrongalliesingettingyourmessagesoutquicklyandaccuratelyduringacrisis—ifyou
takethetimeinadvancetounderstandtheirroleanddeveloprelationshipswiththem.Themediaare
anaudienceallbythemselves,aswellasacommunicationchanneltootheraudiences.Regardlessof
whetheryouarethedesignatedspokesperson,makeeveryefforttoaccommodatemediadeadlinesby
answeringrequestsforinformationasquicklyaspossible.Rememberthattoday’sdeadlinesareoften
timedinminutesratherthanhours!
24
Letthemediaknowwhennewinformationwillbeprovided,andestablishascheduleforinformation
releases.Youcanpostinformationonawebsiteorablogorshareitatapressconferencewhere
reportershavetheopportunitytoaskquestions.
Don’tplayfavoritesamongthemedia;givethemallthesameaccesstothesameinformationatthe
sametime.Yourgoalistohaveconsistentinformationflowingbackandforthacrossalllevelsofthe
crisisresponse.
Intheearlymomentsofacrisis,mediaoperateina“notbusinessasusual”mode—justlikeyouand
therestofyourcrisisteam.Themediamayexpectyoutoshareinformationimmediately.Theymaynot
verifyyourinformationcompletelybeforerunningastory.Theymaybypassyourteamandlookto
nationalmediaorscientificexpertsfortheirinformation.
Themediahavethelegalrighttoaccesswhateverinformationthegeneralpubliccanaccess,andthey
arenotobligatedtoreportonanevent—nomatterhowimportantyouthinkitis.Thebestwayto
managethemediaistobuildgoodrelationshipsbeforeacrisisoccursandtounderstandtheirroles
duringacrisis.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Createalistofmediacontacts,startingwiththelocalchannelsthatarethemostlikelytocarry
newsofyourindustry.Expandthelisttoincludestate,regional,andnationalcontacts.Lookat
thesampleinTable5.2togetstarted.
Takethetimetomeetyourlocalmediacontactsinperson,evenifit’sjustforfiveminutes.It
givesbothofyouanopportunitytoputafacewithaname.Evenbetter,invitethemoutfora
sitevisitandletthemgetasenseoftheworkyoudofirsthand.
Whenyouhavelistedthecommunicationchannelsfor
eachofyourmessagesandaudiences,headtochapter6
tolearnaboutmonitoringanactualcrisis.
25
SAMPLEMEDIACONTACTINFORMATION
SomeNewspaper
Name
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
JaneDoe
EnvironmentalReporter
[email protected]
[email protected]
828-455-WORK
828-455-HOME
828-455-CELL
Coverslocalbeatsthatdealwithenvironment/healthissues
SomeTVStation
Name
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
JohnDoe
StaffReporter
[email protected]
[email protected]
828-455-WORK
828-455-HOME
828-455-CELL
Coverslocalbeatsthatdealwithenvironment/healthissues
26
Table5.2
6
Crisis
Youhavenowreachedthepointinyourcrisiscommunicationsplanwheremostoftheworkhasbeen
completed—thepotentialcrisesarelisted,theaudiencesareidentified,thegeneralmessagesare
prepared,andthecommunicationchannelsarelinedup.Thenextstepismonitoringtheactualcrisis.
Duringacrisis,it’snotenoughtodisseminatemessages;youhavetomonitorwhat’sbeingreported,
said,oraskedbyyouraudiences.Monitoringthecrisisgivesyoutheopportunityto:
• Spotrumorsormisinformationandcorrecttheerrorsbeforethingsgetoutofhand
• Clarifyorexpandyourinitialmessages
• Helpaudiencesunderstandthetruenatureofthecrisisandanyrisks
Monitoringcanbeassimpleasreadingthroughphonemessagestoseewhatkindsofquestionspeople
areasking,oritcanbeasinvolvedashavingadedicatedstaffmemberconstantlywatchingtelevision,
radio,andWeb-basednewsreports.Thelevelofmonitoringdependsonthemagnitudeofthecrisisand
thetypeandnumberofaudienceswithwhomyou’recommunicating.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Lookatthedifferentcrisisscenariosyouhavelistedonyourfinalmessageplanning
worksheetsfromTable5.1.Foreachcrisis,writeashortparagraphorlistdescribinghowyou
willmonitorinformationduringthecrisis.LookattheexampleinTable6.1ofthischapter.
Startwritingamonitoringparagraphorlistbyworkingthroughthedifferentrankingsofcrisis
triggersyouidentifiedinthecrisisassessmentworksheetinTable2.4.IfyoustartwithanA
rankingfirst,youmaybeabletoadapttheparagraphorlistformanyoftheothercrises
you’veidentified—maybeeventurnitintoageneralchecklist!
Remember,justbecauseyouhaveimplementedyourplan,thatdoesnotmeanyourworkis
done!ReferbacktothecrisiscommunicationlifecycleinTable4.1toremindyouoftypical
questionspeopleaskandinformationgoalsyouneedtomeet.
27
MONITORINGTHECRISIS
Table6.1
Crisis:SalmonellaonTomatoesataseniorcenterinVT—deathsandillnesses,celebrityinvolved
IntensityLevel:C
MonitordailyonlineversionsoftheBarreCitizen-Times;listentomorning,noon,and6p.m.broadcasts
onChannel13;andloganyphonecallsthatcomeintotheTomatoindustryoffice.Monitornational
televisionbroadcastsat6a.m.and5p.m.forcontinuedcelebrityangle;alsochecknationalwebsites.Do
bothoftheseforaminimumofthreedays.Thisshouldcoverinitialnewsdissemination;moretimecan
bespentifnewdevelopmentsoccur.ContactDepartmentofHealthforregularupdates(atleastoncea
dayforthreedays).
OR…
Crisis:SalmonellaonTomatoesataseniorcenterinVT—deathsandillnesses,celebrityinvolved
IntensityLevel:C
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MonitordailyonlineversionsoftheBarreCitizen-Times
Listentomorning,noon,and6p.m.broadcastsonChannel13andcheckwebsite
LoganyphonecallsthatcomeintotheTomatoindustryoffice
Monitornationaltelevisionbroadcastsat6a.m.and5p.m.forcontinuedcelebrityangle;also
checknationalwebsites
Dobothoftheseforaminimumofthreedays;thisshouldcoverinitialnewsdissemination
Moretimecanbespentmonitoringifnewdevelopmentsoccur
ContactCDCforregularupdates(atleastonceadayforthreedays,thenreassess)
28
7
Recovery
Everycrisisgivesyouanopportunitytoapplylessonslearned.Whatworkedwell?Whatcouldhavegone
better?Whenthecrisishassubsidedorbeenreduced,theteamneedstoholdadebriefingandevaluate
thecommunicationsplansofutureresponsescanbeimproved.
Somepointstoevaluateinclude(butarenotlimitedto)thefollowing:
•
•
•
Werethemessagesreceivedandinterpretedinthewaytheteamintended?
Didthecommunicationchannelsworkinthewaytheteamexpected?
Wasthecrisiseffectivelymonitored,andwastheresponseadaptedasneeded?
Theroleofcommunicationsoftendoesn’tendattheexactmomentthecrisisisover.Thereisagood
chancethattherecoveryphaseofthecrisiscommunicationlifecyclemayextendwellbeyondthetime
wheneveryoneelsehaspackedupandgonehome.
Bepreparedtobeginyourevaluationofthecrisis,acknowledgingmisstepsandreinforcingwhatworked
well.Italsomaybeappropriatetobuildsupportwithinyourcommunityforpolicychangesorpromote
thespecificactivitiesandcapabilitiesofyourindustry.
PlanningActivitiesandTips
Writeashortdescriptionofhowpost-crisisevaluationwillbehandledintermsof
communication,andincludeitinyourplan.Howwillthelessonsthatarelearnedbe
documentedandincludedinfuturecrisisresponses?LookatTable7.1foranexample.
Behonestinyourevaluation,anddon’thesitatetomakechangesintheplan!
29
Table7.1
POST-CRISISEVALUATION
Theentirecrisisteamwillmeetassoonasthecrisishassubsidedorbeenreducedtoevaluatehowthe
existingcrisisplanworked.Thecrisisisconsideredreducedwhenrequestsforinformationandsafety
considerationshavedecreasedtonormal(pre-crisis)levels.Theprimarydecisionmakerforthecrisis
teamwilldeterminewhentheevaluationphasebegins.
Theevaluationwillconsistofthreeparts:
1. Initialdebriefing—Theentirecrisisteamparticipates,witheachmemberbringinghisorher
generalcommentsregardingthecrisisandspecificexamplesofwhatworkedwellandwhat
needsimprovementintermsofresponse.Initialdebriefingneedstobeheldassoonasthecrisis
subsidesorreduces,whileexperiencesarestillfresh.
2. Planrevision—Theentirecrisisteammayormaynotparticipate,dependingontheoutcome
ofthedebriefing.Specificcommentswillturnintoplanrevisionsandwillbehandledbythe
appropriatemembersofthecrisisteam.Planrevisionneedstobecompletedwithinonemonth
aftertheinitialdebriefing.
3. Planacceptance—Theentirecrisisteammeetsoncemoretogooverthechangesand
improvementsandsignsoffontherevisedplan.Planacceptanceneedstobefinishedwithin
twomonthsaftertheinitialdebriefing.
Thecurrentcrisisplanwillbedatedandwillbeineffectfortwoyearsfromthedateitwasfinished.At
theendoftwoyears,thecrisisteamwillreworktheplanfromthebeginning.Thecurrentplanwillbe
practicedortestedatleastoncepercalendaryear,preferablyinJanuary;thisincludesverifying
audiencesandcontacts,ensuringgeneralmessagesarestillappropriatetotheindustry,andconfirming
thatcommunicationschannelsarecurrent.Thistestingwillbehandledbytheappropriatemembersof
thecrisisteam,documentedandsharedwithotherteammembers,andaddedtothemostcurrent
versionofthecrisisplan.
Thecurrentcrisisplanwillbestoredontheindustrycomputernetworkinthecommunicationsfolder.
AllcoordinationoffinalupdatesandrevisionswillbetheresponsibilityoftheCommunications
Departmentonbehalfofthecrisisteam. 30
8
BestPractices
Congratulations!Ifyouhavefinishedtheactivitiesinchapters1-7ofthisworkbook,younowhavea
basiccrisiscommunicationsplan.Here’sareviewofthestepsrequiredtocompleteacrisisplan:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
AssembleaTeam
AssesstheCrisis
IdentifyAudiences
CommunicationMaterials
CommunicationChannels
Crisis
Recovery
Allpartoftheplanningphase
It’simportanttorememberthatacrisisplanisaflexibledocumentthatneedstochangeasyoulearn
morethroughactualcrisisexperienceorasyourindustry’sfocuschanges.Thisiswhyit’simportantto
keepyourplanuptodateandtestitperiodically.Someofthepossiblewaysyoucantestyourplanare:
•
•
•
•
Completingdesktoportabletopassignments(adryrunonpaper)
Testingpartsoftheplan(e.g.,actuallyusingcommunicationchannels)
Engaginginfull-scaleexercisesforapotentialcrisis(actoutthewholescenarioasifit’sreal)
Askingtargetedaudiencestoreviewandprovidefeedbackoncommunicationmaterials(show
themsamplesandgettheirreaction)
Acrisiscommunicationsplanisonlyasgoodastheeffortthatwentintomakingit,sotakeyourtime
developingscenariosandmaterialsintheplanningphases.Creatinggeneralmessagesandsupporting
factsheets,aswellasknowingwhoneedstoreceivethemandinwhatpriority,willsaveyoutimeand
energywhenanactualcrisishappens.
Makesuretousetheresourcesectioninthisworkbooktohelpyoufleshoutyourbasiccrisisplan.
Thereareblankcopiesofthesampleformsthathavebeenusedinthisbook,plusphonenumbers,
websites,andreferences.Don’tbeafraidtocreateyourownmaterials—youknowwhatyourindustry
requires.
31
9
Resources
Inthissectiontherearesomegeneralresourcesthatmightbehelpfultoyouasyoudevelopacrisis
plan.Youwillalsofindblankcopiesofthetablesusedinthisworkbooksoyoucanenterinformation
uniquetoyourindustry.
GeneralCrisisTraining
•
CrisisandEmergencyRiskCommunicationonlinetrainingprogramoftheCentersforDisease
ControlandPrevention,availableathttp://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/
WorkingwiththeMedia
•
•
MultiplepagesfromthewebsiteofthePlantsforHumanHealthInstituteatVermontState
University,availableathttp://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/extension/programsresources/marketing-communications/crisis-communication/
CrisisCommunicationsManualandGuideforHandlingtheNewsMediabytheInternational
Fresh-CutProduceAssociation(2005),availableonlineathttp://www2.unitedfresh.org/
forms/store/ProductFormPublic/
CaseStudies
BestpracticesfromtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,availableat
http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/bestpractices.asp
FoodborneIllnessResources
•
• Listingoffoodborneillnesses,availableathttp://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases/
ImportantPhoneNumbers
• RegionalPoisonControlCenters:1-800-222-1222
• CDCDivisionofBioterrorismPreparednessandResponse:404-639-0385
• CDCNationalCenterforEnvironmentalHealthandAgencyforToxicSubstancesandDisease
Registry:770-488-7100
• GeneralquestionsforCDC:1-800-CDCINFO(1-800-232-4636),Monday-Friday,8a.m.-8p.m.
32
CRISISTEAMCONTACTINFO
Name
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
Name
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
Name
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
33
PotentialCrisesfor:
TRIGGERS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
34
BASICTRIGGERQUESTIONS
Thesequestionsanswerthewho,what,when,where,how,andwhyofanevent.Theyhelpyougather
theinformationnecessarytosupportyourindustry’sresponse.Usethemtofleshouteachitemonyour
listofgeneraltriggers.
1. WHATORWHOISINVOLVED?(Trigger)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. WHENDIDYOUFIRSTLEARNABOUTTHEISSUE?HOWLONGHASITBEENGOINGON?(Timeline)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. WHOFIRSTLEARNEDOFTHEPROBLEM?(Initialcontact)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. WHEREISTHEEVENTUNFOLDING?STATEWIDE,INANOTHERSTATE,ORNATIONAL?(Location)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. WHYAREYOUBEINGCONTACTED?(Relevancetoyourindustry)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
35
DECISIONTREE*
GeneralGuidelinesforDecidingWhetheraTriggerIsaCrisis
Ifno
Doesthisissueaffect
asubstantialpartof
theindustry?
Isthisanissuethatdoesn’taffectthe
industrybutonewecouldstillreceive
acallabout?
Ifyes
Ifyes
Ifno
Defineanofficialpositionfor
beingproactiveorreactiveby
determiningthenextsteps.
Talkwithotherexperts
andhelpthemcreate
messagesifnecessary.
Ifyesto
anyof
these
Wouldourtaking
proactiveaction
demonstrateleadership
oftheindustry?
Ifyes
Isthisanissuethatwouldbe
betteraddressedbyanother
organization?
Ifno
Ifno
Doweneedtoenlistoutside
PRhelporlegalcounseldue
tothesize/typeoftheissue
orlackofapredefined
position?
Doesthisissueclosely
relatetotheoverall
goalsoftheindustry?
Isproactiveaction
necessaryforthe
positivereputationof
theindustry?
Noactionneeded.
Ifyes
Doestheindustryhaveaclear
positionontheissue?
Wouldourtaking
proactiveactionhavea
positiveimpactonthe
industry?
Ifno
Ifnoto
allof
these
Ifyes
Releaseaproactive
statementtokey
audiences(media,
legislators,etc.).
**
Obtaincounsel
**
todirectfurther
actionsandreview
positionontheissue.
Preparetomake
reactivestatementsif
necessary.
*ThistableisadaptedfromtheCrisisCommunicationPlanNonprofitToolkitproducedbytheColoradoNonprofitAssociation.
36
CrisisAssessmentWorksheet
Thecrisisassessmentworksheet,withitsaccompanyingresponsematrix,isatoolthathelpsdeterminethe
communicationsresponsetoapotentialtrigger.Eachtriggerisgivenadifferentnumericalscoreaccordingtoits
levelandintensity.Thistoolsimplifiesdecision-makingaboutresourcesandmaterialsneededforanactualcrisis.
SpecificInstructionsforCompletingtheWorksheet
1. Pickoneofthetriggersthatrequiredaproactiveresponsefromthedecisiontreeanddescribeitinthe
spaceprovidedatthetopofthecrisisassessmentworksheet.
2. ReviewthecrisiscriteriaincolumnCandmarktheboxesincolumnAthatapplytoyourtrigger.
3. ForeachboxcheckedincolumnA,adduptheintensitypointslistedincolumnBtocomeupwiththe
finalnumericalintensityscoreforthisevent.
4. Recordthetotalintensitypointsinthespaceprovidedatthebottomoftheworksheet.
5. GototheaccompanyingcrisisresponsematrixtorankeachpotentialcrisisortriggerA,B,C,orD.
SpecificInstructionsforCompletingtheResponseMatrix
1. Describeyourtriggeratthetopoftheresponsematrixpage(thismatchesthedescriptionyouwroteat
thetopofthecrisisassessmentworksheet).
2. Readthecrisiscriteriacolumnontheresponsematrixtableandconfirmwhethercertainitemnumbers
fromthecrisisassessmentworksheethavebeenchecked.Thishelpsyoudeterminetherankingofthe
triggerasA,B,C,orD.
3. Recordthisletterrankingatthebottomoftheresponsematrixpageandatthebottomofthecrisis
assessmentworksheet.
4. Therecommendedoutcomescolumnontheresponsematrixtableoutlineswhatactionstepsyouneed
tofollow.Forexample,aCtriggerwillhaveaCoutcomeresponse.
NOTES
Theinformationgatheredinthecrisisassessmentworksheetandresponsematrixisageneralguidelinethatwill
helpyoudeterminethelevelofyourparticularcrisisandtherecommendedoutcomesforyoursituation.For
example,ifyourunthreetriggersthroughtheworksheetandmatrix,youwillhavethreecrisis-levelrankings—
oneforeachtrigger.Theserankingshelpyouprioritizeyourresponses.
Thistoolismeanttotakeonlyafewminutestocomplete.Donotspendalotoftimeconsideringwhetherornot
tocheckaboxincolumnAoftheworksheet.
Yourultimategoalistobeabletoanticipatethelongevityoftheinitialphaseofthecrisisandtheneedforlongtermmaintenanceandfollow-upfromacommunicationsperspective.Theresourcesandmaterialsneededfor
publicinformationandmediarelations,thestaffingrequiredforthecrisis,andthehoursofoperationnecessary
duringthecrisisareallaffectedbytheintensityandlongevityofthecrisis.
37
CRISISASSESSMENTWORKSHEET*
BriefDescriptionofTrigger:
Item#
ColumnA
Checkif
Applicable
ColumnB
CriteriaIntensity
(0-8)
ColumnC
CrisisCriteria
Theinitialcrisisisclearlyrecognizedasapublichealthemergencythatrequires
immediatecommunicationwiththepublictopreventfurtherwidespreadillnessor
death.
Deathsareexpectedwithinashortwindowoftime(catastrophicsituation).Solution
and/ortreatmentareuncertain.
Themediaandpublicperceivethecrisisasthefirst,worst,biggest,etc.
Deathsareexpectedwellabovenormallevels.
Thecrisisisoccurringinametropolitanarea(w/moremediaoutlets)versusasparsely
populatedarea(w/fewermediaoutlets).
Thecrisisissudden,isnationalinscope,orhasthepotentialtohaveanationalhealth
impact.
Thegovernmentisperceivedasacauseoforasbeingresponsibleforthecrisis.
Thecrisispredominantlyaffectschildrenorpreviouslyhealthyadults.
Thecrisisispossiblyman-madeand/ordeliberate.
Controllingthecrisismayrequireasuspensionofcivilrightsforasignificantportionof
thepopulation.
Personsinvolvedinthecrisismusttakeactivestepstoprotecttheirpersonalhealth
andsafety.
Responsibilityformitigatingthecrisisfallswithinthescopeofyourindustry.
Thecrisishassomeexoticaspect.
Awell-knownproduct,service,orindustryisinvolved.
Sensitiveinternationaltradeorpoliticalrelationsareinvolved.
Awell-knowncelebrityisinvolved.
Anongoingcriminalinvestigationisinvolved.
Thecrisisorpublichealthissueisnotwellunderstoodbythegeneralpopulation,or
thegeneralpopulationismisinformedaboutthecrisis.
Thecrisisisacute.Thecrisisoccurred,andyourindustryisfacedwithexplainingthe
crisisandtheaftermath.
Thelong-termhealtheffectsforhumansinvolvedinthecrisisareuncertain.
Thecrisisisevolving.Itsprogressionisuncertainandmaybecomemoreorless
serious.
Thecrisissitedoesnothaveawell-equippedandwell-resourcedpublicinformation
responsecapability.
Thecrisisoccurredinternationally,withlittlechanceofaffectingtheU.S.population.
Treatmentorcontrolofexposureisgenerallyunderstoodandwithintheperson’s
control.
1
8
2
4
3
4
5
4
4
3
6
3
7
8
9
10
3
3
3
3
11
3
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
19
2
20
21
1
1
22
1
23
24
0
0
TotalIntensityPoints: _______
CrisisLevel:
(A)—HighlyIntense
(B)—Intense
(C)—ModeratelyIntense
(D)—MinimallyIntense
*ThisworksheetisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisand
EmergencyRiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
38
CRISISRESPONSEMATRIX*
BriefDescriptionofTrigger:
EventEvaluationFactors
CrisisLevel
CrisisDescription
CrisisCriteria
RecommendedOutcome
Operate24hoursaday,7daysa
weekformediaandpublic
response,withanunderstanding
thatreliefandreplacementstaffwill
beneeded.Accordingtoyourplan,
formorjoinajointinformation
center(JIC).
Operate20hoursaday,7daysa
weekduringtheinitialphase.Setup
routinetimesformediabriefings,
allowthepublictoe-mailorleave
phonemessagesduringnon-work
times,andmoveintomaintenance
phasewhenpossible.Beprepared
toface“initialphase”demands,
dependingondevelopmentsduring
themaintenancephase.Mayneed
toformaJIC.
Operate10-12hoursaday,5-6days
aweek,andassignasingleteam
memberforafter-hourspurposes
duringtheinitialphase.Operateon
weekendifcrisisoccurson
weekend;otherwise,useon-call
staffonlyonweekends,notduring
fulloperation.Attempttomovethe
mediaandpublictomaintenance
phaseswithprescribedtimesand
outletsforupdates.Noneedto
formaJIC.
Operatenormallyintheinitial
phasewhilepreparingtomoveto
24hoursaday,7daysaweekif
needed.Notifyreliefand
replacementstaffthattheymaybe
calledfordutydependingonhow
thecrisisdevelops.Donotburnout
staffwithlonghoursbeforethe
publicandmediademandescalates.
Practiceyourcrisiscommunication
operations(duringnormalwork
hours)toensurethatthesystem
works.ConsideroperatingaJICif
informationreleaseisshared.
A
Highlyintenseintheinitialphase.
Theneedtodisseminateinformation
rapidlytothepublicandmediaiscritical.
Lifeandlimbareatriskifthepublicisnot
notifiedabouttheriskandpublichealth
recommendations.
Item#1mustbecheckedonthe
assessmentworksheet.From
amongitems#2,3,and4,at
leasttwomustbechecked.
B
Intense.
Theneedtodirectlyprovidepublichealth
recommendationstothepublicandmedia
tosavelifeorlimbisnotimmediate.The
publicandmedia,however,believetheir
healthandsafetyareorcouldsoonbeat
risk.Thereisahighandgrowingdemand
formoreinformation.
Item#1isnotcheckedonthe
assessmentworksheet,and
items#3and4arechecked.
C
Moderatelyintense.
Mediafrenzydevelops.Interestis
generatedbecauseofthecrisisnovelty
versusalegitimateandwidespreador
immediatepublichealthconcern.Interest
coulddiesuddenlyifa“real”crisis
occurred.
Item#3ischeckedonthe
assessmentworksheet,and
items#1,2,and4arenot
checked.Threeormoreofthe
criteriaintensity2itemsare
checked,andoneormoreofthe
criteriaintensity3itemsare
checked.
D
Minimallyintense.
Buildsslowlyandmaycontinueforweeks,
dependingontheoutcomeoffurther
investigation.Requiresmonitoringand
reassessments.
Items#1,2,and3arenot
checkedontheassessment
worksheet.Morecriteria
intensity1orcriteriaintensity2
itemsarecheckedthancriteria
intensity3items.
Results:_______
*ThismatrixisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisandEmergency
RiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
39
MessagePlanningWorksheet*
Crisis:_____________________________________________________________
AudienceandLevel
KeyMessage
SupportingFacts
CommunicationChannel
*ThisworksheetisadaptedfrommaterialscreatedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionforitsCrisisand
EmergencyRiskCommunicationtrainingprogram.
40
MEDIACONTACTINFO
Media
Contact
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
Media
Contact
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
Media
Contact
Title
E-mail:work
E-mail:home
Phone:work
Phone:home
Phone:cell
Responsibility
41
MONITORINGTHECRISIS
Crisis: IntensityLevel:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
OR
Crisis: IntensityLevel:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
42
POST-CRISISEVALUATION
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
43
POSSIBLECOMMUNICATIONCHANNELS*
(listedinnoparticularorder)
Benefits
TypeofChannel
Traditionalmedia(television,radio,
newspapers)
• Reachesmanypeople
quickly
• Familiarcommunications
vehiclesformostpeople
Websites
Alow-costwaytodistribute
messagesfairlyeasily.The
homepagecanbeusedtopost
updatedinformationorlinks,
andevent-specificpagescan
bedevelopedinadvanceand
activatedwhenneeded.
Socialnetworking(Twitter,
Facebook,etc.)
Alsoknownassocialmedia,
theseelectronic
communicationmediaprovide
up-to-the-minuteinformation
quicklyatarelativelylowcost.
• Allowsinformationtobe
updatedeasily
• Generallyreachesalarge
numberofpeoplequickly
atalowcost.
• Allowsmonitoringof
questionsandconcerns.
• Allowstwo-wayinteraction
withaudience.
• Letsyoutargetandcontrol
themessage.
Blogs
Thesepopularonline
communicationtoolsserveas
atypeofnewsletter.
• Allowsinformationtobe
updatedeasily.
• Allowstwo-wayinteraction
withaudience.
Newsletters
Apublicationthatinformsthe
audienceaboutactivities,
findings,healthprecautions,
andotherinformation.
• Explainsyourworkand
findingstotheaudience.
• Allowsyoutodelivera
writtendocumentthatthe
audiencecankeepand
refertolater.
Limitations
• Youforfeitcontrolofthe
messagetosomedegree.
Mediaoutletsmayedityour
messagetofittheirspaceor
timelimitations.
• Thereisnoguaranteethat
mediaoutletswillconsideryour
messagetobenewsworthy.
• Generallydoesn’tallowtwowayinteractionsunlessan
optiontoaskquestionsbyemailisprovided.Inthatcase,
dedicatedstaffmayberequired
tohandlethevolumeofe-mail.
• Peoplemustsignuptoreceive
yourmessages.
• Youmustbeusingsocialmedia
toreachaudiencesbeforea
crisisarisesinordertobe
effective(peoplewhoare
unawareoforuncomfortable
withsocialmediawon’ttake
thetimetolearnaboutitina
crisis).
• Twitterislimitedtoverybrief
messages.
• Youmustbeusingsocialmedia
toreachaudiencesbeforea
crisisarisesinordertobe
effective(peoplewhoare
unawareoforuncomfortable
withsocialmediawon’ttake
thetimetolearnaboutitina
crisis).
• Canbackfireiftheaudience
doesnotunderstandoris
angeredbywhatyouhave
written.
• Doesnotgivetheaudiencean
opportunitytoaskquestions.
• Time-consumingtoprepare.
• Oftenexpensive.
*ThislistofcommunicationchannelsisadaptedfromtheCrisisCommunicationPlanningWorkbookoftheCenterfor
BiopreparednessEducation.
44
TypeofChannel
Benefits
Flyerorfactsheet
Abriefreportsummarizing
currentorproposedactivities.
Flyersareappropriate
whenevernewinformationis
available.
• Providesbackgroundfor
informationpresentedor
discussedduringacrisisor
meeting.
Publicmeetings
Alargemeetingwhereexperts
presentinformationand
answerquestions,andthe
audiencecanrespondwith
questionsandcomments.
Smallaudiencemeetings
Industrystaffshares
informationwithinterested
audiencesandstateandlocal
officials.Especiallyusefulfor
keepingintouchwith
audiences,answering
questions,andclearingup
misconceptionsor
misunderstandings.
• Allowstheaudienceto
expressconcernsandthe
industrytopresent
information.
Briefings
Sessionswithkeystateand
localofficials,media
representatives,and
communityleadersconducted
byindustrystaff.Usedto
notifyofdevelopmentsrelated
tothecrisisresponseorto
introduceyourindustryand
explainyourroleandwork
process.Notusuallyopento
thepublic.
Pushtechnology(suchasreverse
911)
Usedbymanyschoolsystems
—recordedmessagesare
“pushed”torecipients.
• Allowstwo-wayinteraction
withaudiences.
• Allowsstateandlocal
officials,themedia,and
communityleadersto
questionyourindustry
directlyaboutanactivity
beforethepublicreleaseof
information.
• Preparesofficialsand
communityleadersto
answerquestionsfrom
theirconstituentswhenthe
informationbecomes
public.
• Allowsforexchangeof
informationandconcerns.
• Reachesmanypeople
quickly.
45
Limitations
• Requirescarefulwritingand
presentation—
mustmakeanytechnical
informationeasyto
understand.
• Requirescoordinationwith
othermessagedelivery.
• Canintensifyconflictsrather
thanresolvecontroversies.If
publicmeetingshavefailedin
thepast,useanalternative
methodtotransmitinformation
andobtainfeedback.
• Mayrequiresignificantstaff
timetoreachonlyafew
audiencemembers.
• Maybeperceivedbylarge
audiencesasanefforttolimit
attendanceorasatacticto
preventlargeaudience
influence.
• Irateaudiencesmayaccuse
yourindustry’sstaffofgiving
differentinformationto
differentgroups.
• Maybecometheonlymeansof
communicatingwithsite
communities.Briefingsneedto
becomplementedbyactivities
toinformthegeneralpublic,
suchassmallaudienceorpublic
meetings.
• Negativefeelingsorbad
publicitycanresultifsome
peoplebelievetheyshouldbe
invitedtothebriefingandare
not.Don’texcludesuchpeople
orplayfavorites.
• Doesn’tallowtwo-way
interaction,somessages
addresshowquestionswillbe
answered.
• Requiresadvance
negotiation/agreementwith
providerofthetechnology.
TypeofChannel
Phonebank
Usuallyemploysatoll-free
numberpeoplecancalltoget
moreinformation.
Presentations
Canbegiventoclubs,civicor
faith-basedorganizations,
schoolclasses,orsimilarlocal
audiences.
Openhouses
Informalmeetingswhere
audiencescantalktoindustry
staffoneonone.Most
appropriatewhenkey
milestonesormajordecisions
havebeenreached.
Exhibits
Visualdisplaysofmaps,charts,
diagrams,orphotographs.Can
maketechnicalinformation
accessibleand
understandable.
Audiencemailings
Sendsinformationtokey
contactsandconcernedor
involvedaudiences.Can
announceupcomingmeetings
andprovideadvance
informationorserveasa
follow-upforpeoplewhodid
notattendpreviousmeetings.
Benefits
• Allowsmonitoringof
questionsandconcerns.
Informationcanbeusedto
developother
communications.
• Allowstwo-wayinteraction
withaudiences.
• Providesawayfor
audiencestohave
questionsanswered
quickly.
• Offerstheaudiencea
chancetoaskquestionsso
theindustrycangaugelevel
ofcommunityconcern.
• Reachesmanypeople
simultaneously,reducing
individualinquiries.
• Allowsforone-on-one
conversation.
• Helpsbuildtrustand
establishrapportbetween
audiencesandindustry
staff.
• Canberesource-intensive,
especiallyifmanypeopleare
neededtohandlethecall
volume.
• Trainingisneedforthose
answeringphonessothey
understandtheirrolesand
constraints.
• Candistortanaudience’sview
ofthesituationifpoorly
presented.
• Canaddressindividualconcerns
ofaudiencemembersonly
duringaQ&Aperiodfollowing
therehearsedpresentation—
peoplecangetimpatient.
• Thepresentermayfacedifficult
orargumentativequestions
fromtheaudience.
• Canrequiresignificantstaff
timeforplanningand
conducting—lowturnouts
won’tjustifytheeffort.
• Stimulatespublicinterest
andunderstanding.
• Createsvisualimpactand
leavesalastingimpression.
• Areaone-waycommunication
toolanddon’tprovidean
opportunityforfeedback.
• Deliversinformationquickly
inwritingandmayrequire
lessplanningtimethan
conductingameeting.
• Particularlyusefulwhen
youhavestraightforward,
uncomplicated,and
noncontroversialupdates
foraudiences.Ifupdates
requirediscussionorare
complex,themailingneeds
toaugmentameeting.
• Allownointeractionor
opportunityforaudiencesto
askquestions.
• Expensive.
• Mustkeepaudienceaddresses
current.
46
Limitations
References
Thefollowingreferenceswereconsultedinthecreationanddevelopmentofthisworkbook.Theywere
especiallyhelpfulwithoverallinspirationandspecifictables.
• CrisisCommunicationPlanNonprofitToolkitoftheColoradoNonprofitAssociation,available
onlineathttp://jrf.org/files/Non-Profit%20Crisis%20Communication%20Plan.pdf
• CrisisandEmergencyRiskCommunicationtrainingprogramoftheCentersforDiseaseControl
andPrevention,bothprintandonlinetrainingresourcesavailableat
http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/
• CrisisCommunicationPlanningWorkbookoftheCenterforBiopreparednessEducation,ajoint
endeavorbetweenCreightonUniversityMedicalCenterandUniversityofNebraskaMedical
Center,availableonlineathttp://www.preped.org/Resources/CrisisCommunicationWorkbook.pdf
47
Published by
Vermont Cooperative Extension Service
5,750 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $4,500 or $.78 per copy.
Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Vermont State University and Vermont A&T
State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national
origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual
orientation. Vermont State University, Vermont A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local
governments cooperating.
4/13—BW
13-CALS-3572
AG-770