Crisis Communication is an ISOC Focused Immersion Seminar. This extended training format focuses intensively on a single set of competencies for five days. It is designed to develop practical and enduring expertise in one particular specialty.

Expect a full run-down from experienced crisis management specialists on the fundamentals of crisis communications, including case studies of effective and ineffective crisis management.

Over the course of five days, you will cover the full spectrum of crisis communication platforms and skills. Every day follows a hands-on format, revolving around a variety of fun and fast-paced exercises.

• Prepare a crisis communication strategy and practical plan
• Conduct crisis risk assessment including issues mapping
• Design crisis communication systems, teams and protocols based on best practice templates
• Create crisis resources such as manuals and online platforms
• Manage your organization’s communication during and after an event that threatens its reputation
• Create crisis messages, positioning and response tactics response rapidly and decisively
• Engage confidently with journalists and in online social media at the height of a negative news crisis
• Represent your organization effectively even in the most challenging of crisis interviews

This is an advanced-level course designed for learners in senior roles, aspiring to mastery and innovation. Learning is pitched at a level to help you to synthesize best practice and direct strategic implementation.

This course is recommended for all those involved in planning, preparing and responding to a crisis affecting an organization, whether as executive managers, spokespeople or communication professionals.

Module One:

Crisis communication management

• Crisis communication strategy
• Crisis radar: risk assessment and issues mapping
• Crisis systems, teams and protocols
• Crisis communication resources and planning

Issues and reputation management

• Seizing the golden hour
• Crisis positioning
• Online crisis communication
• Crisis media engagement

Reputation management in social media

• Monitoring and engagement
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Media engagement online
• Blogging

Crisis management in social media

• Principles of online crisis communication and PR
• Digital channels and platforms for crisis communications
• Online crisis communication strategy and planning
• Online crisis communication response and engagement

Module Two:

Public Relations and Media

• Understanding media needs
• Preparing news releases and publicity messages
• Using radio, television, and electronic technologies
• Planning press conferences and other special media events

Public Relations and Legal/Ethical Issues

• First Amendment rights and PR
• Contracts and legal responsibilities
• Libel and slander
• Ethical decision making

Risk Control methodology

·         Risk assessment approach that use to implement at the organizations

·         Risk identification, Risk estimation & Risk evaluation, identifying their criteria and conforming by practical demonstration

·         How to reduce risk by different risk mitigation strategies

·         Comparison of some well-known Risk assessment frameworks, methodologies that are prevailing in the industry

Module Three:

Introduction to Crisis Management

• Incident Management
• Crisis Leadership and Team Building
• Senior Management Crisis Training
• Introduction to the Media and Crisis Communications
• Media Interview Training

What should be in place before the Crisis?

• Understanding Crisis Management:
  • How to manage a crisis?
  • Virtually every crisis contains the seeds of success as well as the roots of failure
  • The Rationale of the Crisis Manager
• Consider the range of risks: Natural/Environmental; Hazards; Technological - loss of utilities/product/process/plant; Human Error; Sabotage and Terrorism
• Crisis Managers - Roles & Responsibilities - manage the issue before it becomes a Crisis
• Who else inside and outside the organization should be involved?
• Evaluating your risks and vulnerabilities; consider the worse-case scenarios
• Understanding 'denial-curve' and 'group-think' syndromes
• Who decides who sits in the 'hot-seat'?
• Case Studies, why some companies fail and others survive?

Module Four:

Pre-planning, who and what else should be considered?

·         Who owns the mitigation process?

·         Self-evaluating questionnaires

·         Developing and Implementing Emergency Plans

·         Twelve point check list covering the whole planning process

·         Mutual Aid arrangements

·         Company-wide strategic contingency plans

·         Service or departmental plans

·         Building evacuation plans

·         Crisis Management and Communications. Emergency Centre/s

·         Developing and implementing a Business Continuity Management (BCM) strategy

·         Business Impact Analysis. Case Study and Workshop

Crisis Management

• Crisis Management Centers - design and operation
• Information Management 
• Exercise Excellence - design, delivery, review
• Preparing for Pandemic Influenza in the Workplace
• Supporting People after Traumatic Incidents

Public Relations and Crisis Management

• Developing PR crisis plans
• Crisis PR communications
• Anticipating PR crisis situations

Module Five:

Dealing with a crisis - the 'communications' perspective

·         Command and Control Issues

·         Operational (at the scene)

·         Tactical (at the forward control point/incident command)

·         Strategic (boardroom level/emergency operations centre)

·         On Scene Crisis Management, essential elements for success

·         Reputation Management - Managing the Media. 'How to' sessions include:

·         Organizing a Press Conference

·         Conducting Radio and Television Interviews

·         Case Study Exercise: Crisis Communications Strategy. Develop a crisis communications strategy and action plan based upon a given scenario

Essential post incident actions

·         Validating plans and procedures

·         Discuss the four types of exercise

·         How to get the most out of an exercise

·         Post Incident evaluations

·         De-briefing skills - managing the de-briefs - hot and cold

·         Critique report writing, executive summaries and recommendations

·         How to keep all 'stakeholders' informed

·         Prioritizing the Recommendations

·         Examples of critique questionnaires

·         Closing the loop. How to continue the process 

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

·         (30%) Based on Case Studies

·         (30%) Techniques 

·         (30%) Role Play

·         (10%) Concepts

·         Pre-test and Post-test

·         Variety of Learning Methods

·         Lectures

·         Case Studies and Self Questionaires

·         Group Work

·         Discussion

·         Presentation

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Daily Course Timings:

    08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea

    08:20 - 10:00       First Session

    10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks

    10:20 - 12:20       Second Session

    12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break

    13:30 - 15:00       Last Session