The essential elements of a successful crisis plan

A crisis plan serves as a crucial guide for preparing for, managing, and evaluating a crisis. In this blog post, we will delve into the structure of a crisis plan, discussing the key elements of an effective plan. This will provide you with a clear understanding of what to consider when developing or revising a crisis plan.

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Introduction

It is essential that the context surrounding the crisis plan is outlined in the introduction. This context can be divided into two parts:

• The scope. Does this plan solely address crisis management, or should it be placed within a broader spectrum? What is the relationship between the crisis plan and any other existing plans? How does your organization define a crisis? Which laws, frameworks, and standards regarding crisis management are applicable to your organization?
• The objective. Is it a policy plan, an action plan, or a combination of both elements?

Preparation

In this section of the crisis plan, you describe how your organization prepares for crisis situations:

• The crisis plan. Describe who is responsible for implementing and maintaining the currency of the crisis plan. This could be a department, a specific role, or a function.
• Education, training, and exercises (ETE). How often do your crisis team(s) undergo training and/or exercises? Are ETE activities organized for specific crisis roles?
• Tools. Which tools does your organization utilize within the various procedures? For example, crisis management software, alerting tools, or a learning management system.

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Crisis Organization

It is important that the structure of the crisis organization is clearly described. You can visualize this by including an organizational chart of the crisis organization, as it may deviate from the 'normal' course of operations. This chapter should also address the various crisis teams and their respective roles.  

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Response

The 'Response' chapter describes how the crisis organization takes action. At a minimum, describe:

• Alerting and escalation. Who has the authority to decide to escalate? How is it determined whether escalation is necessary? And how are individuals alerted?
• Crisis meetings. What does the meeting cycle entail? How does the decision-making process unfold? How are crisis meetings documented? How do information flows occur between the crisis team and other parts of the crisis organization?
• Crisis communication. What are the objectives of crisis communication? What is the modus operandi of the crisis communication team?

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Post-Crisis Phase

The "Post-Crisis Phase" chapter in a crisis plan describes the period following a crisis. Below are some components that may be included in this chapter:

• Psychosocial aftercare. It is crucial to address the psychosocial consequences of a crisis. The crisis plan can provide support and care for those affected and for employees.
• Evaluation. It is important to evaluate the crisis and assess the effectiveness of the crisis plan. This can be accomplished through an evaluation form and/or an evaluation meeting.
• Updating the Crisis Plan. It is crucial to evaluate the crisis plan and implement any necessary improvements.

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A Strong Start

Would you like to get a quick start on developing a crisis plan? We have developed a Free Crisis Plan Template to assist you. Click here to download it.

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