FREE 10+ Crisis Communication Plan Samples in MS Word | Pages | Google Docs | PDF

startup.choosewashingtonstate.com

Details

File Format

• PDF

Size: 255 KB

Download

What is a Crisis Communication Plan?

The crisis communication plan is an instrument that helps any organization, and community in managing a crisis. The book “Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding” explains that crisis communication is the lifeblood of crisis management. When crisis management is ineffective, so is the crisis management effort. 

How to Write a Crisis Communication Plan

Crisis communication is an intervention designed to diminish the negative effects of a crisis for stakeholders and the organization in crisis. In general, management should have recognized the essence of strategic crisis communication and the essence of crisis management. Below are some helpful tips in writing an effective communication plan: 

1. Search for red flags

Red flags are typically used to denote a warning sign for many years. As a crisis manager, you need to locate and respond to red flags. One way to do that is by observing. It’s not just looking at the people around your area but it involves understanding where to search for crisis and collect the necessary information. 

Based on some research studies, environmental scanning is a tool that is well-known in managing issues that focus on external risks. Some reliable resources are the news media, trade journals, relevant medical or scientific journals and websites, blogs, newsletters, etc.

2. Collect the information

The next step for you to accomplish is gather the important information. Among the most frequently used collection tools is data scraping or extracting data from digital channels and platforms. So, collect necessary information from stakeholders by using interviews, surveys, focus groups, or key contacts. You need to have an organized approach in yielding valuable information.

3. Analyze the data

You need to determine whether the collected data really does suggest whether or not a red flag exists. Understand if and how a warning sign might potentially impact the organization or community. To be able to analyze the data correctly, use content analysis as it involves the systematic coding and categorization of written materials such as news stories, publication articles, or transcripts of focus groups. You need to develop coding categories and use them accordingly. 

4. Determine preventative action

Determine what actions to take on the serious threats or issues. Monitor them and see if they do not pose an immediate risk. So, your crisis team should continuously gather and analyze data about the warning signs and search for changes that indicate whether the danger is turning more or less likely to transform into a crisis.

FAQs

There are constant reports of different kinds of dangers and threats happening in our society today that can be seen from newspapers, radio, TV and on the internet. Because of these problems, many organizations have a chief of safety who is responsible for managing risks and crises. If you’re currently working as a crisis manager for a specific company or business, you need to have the right skills in developing a crisis communications plan. To help you in this matter, you can freely use our guides with the tips we provided in this article. Simply click the plan samples in this article and start downloading now!