The term 'current situational picture' is frequently encountered in crisis management. But what exactly does it mean?
The purpose of a current situational picture is to ensure that all stakeholders within the crisis organization share a common understanding of the situation. In other words, all involved parties must possess the same foundational information as a basis for effective crisis management.
The current situational picture can be regarded as a management summary containing information about the scope of the crisis, anticipated developments, and implemented measures.
The current situational picture primarily consists of text, but can also be supplemented with photographs or a geographical map depicting the situation, if necessary.
The best approach is to make the current situation available digitally at a central location, for example using crisis management software such as the National Crisis Management System (LCMS) or CrisisSuite.
By regularly sharing a current situational picture, the crisis organization can respond swiftly and appropriately to developments during a crisis.