Cynosura

Crisis Manual

Whilst often known as a ‘Crisis Manual’ or ‘Crisis Management Manual’⁽¹⁾, this is a common term for a folder or file which contains data and checklists created before any crisis occurs.  Its purpose is to make the work of the Crisis Management Team more efficient. 

It should not be a manual in the sense of laying out a set of instructions, because no two crises are ever the same.  It should provide, in one place, all the materials the Crisis Management Team is likely to need to make informed decisions.

Do not fill your crisis manual with detailed instructions on what to do in any possible situation.  Whilst you should develop procedures and train staff accordingly, a written set of instructions is unlikely to be read during a crisis. 

One Crisis Management Manual we reviewed had detailed instructions on a wide range of potential crises.  One such was hostage taking; the manual explained what to do in the event of being taken hostage.  It is extremely unlikely that the hostage would have the time or the inclination to read these instructions before or during a hostage taking situation!

Some organisations include risk assessment within the manual.  We would strongly suggest that risk assessment should be apart from a crisis manual.  The crisis manual should be there for when a crisis happens; anything else is irrelevant at that point.

Preparing the crisis manual

Today it is likely that your crisis manual will be provided online, possibly within a secure area of the intranet as well as on CD-Rom or a memory stick for easy access for all Crisis Management Team members.  However, there should also be a hard copy kept close to where the Crisis Management Team is likely to meet during a crisis.

Don’t worry about the look of the manual.  It isn’t there for aesthetic purposes; it is there for hard practical purposes when the time comes.  Also bear in mind that the more detail you have in it, the harder it will be to find what you need when it matters most.

One person should be responsible for the crisis manual.  That person should ensure that all copies are kept up to date on a weekly if not daily basis.

Further on you will find more details about what might be found in your crisis manual.  Each manual will differ, depending upon the nature and priorities of the organisation in which you are working.

• Call your Crisis Management Team together to decide what should be in the crisis manual
• Prepare checklists and ask each member of the team to check and add areas they think should be covered
• Make sure that your crisis manual does not contravene or supersede organisational policies and procedures
• Undertake crisis scenario training with your Crisis Management Team.  This will help you to test the effectiveness of the crisis manual and decide where additional sections are needed
• Monitor crises in other organisations in your sector.  Carry out scenario planning against these crises and decide if further additions are needed to the manual
• After any crisis evaluate the success and shortcomings of the crisis manual and adjust appropriately.

The best way to develop a crisis manual is through a series of steps rather than one massive effort to create the perfect document.  A good crisis manual continues to evolve along with the inevitable changes in your organisation.

Planning the crisis manual

When planning your crisis manual there are a number of questions you should ask yourself.

• How do we propose to use this crisis manual in a crisis?
• How will we gain access to the manual when we need to refer to it?
• What if members of our Crisis Management Team are in different parts of the world?  Who takes responsibility for deciding what information to release?
• Who are our stakeholders and how will we communicate with them?
• Who will act as spokesperson?  You will need to appoint more than one person to account for absences and differing crises
• What other roles and responsibilities do we need to put in place?
• Do we need any outside advisers on the Crisis Management Team?
• How will we gather information?
• What information might we want to release in terms of organisational briefs?  In what format will we provide that information?
• What are the basic rules we wish to follow in a crisis? (not detailed plans but simple guidelines
• What resources will we need and where?⁽²⁾
• Who should hold copies of the crisis manual?⁽³⁾

Individual sections

Within the crisis manual there should be very clear and individual sections.  Some contain the information required immediately; others will refer to databases or information stored elsewhere.

• Rules of engagement.  This section will outline the broad policy you propose to adopt in the event of a crisis.  It should not be prescriptive, but it should indicate the way in which you expect to follow a crisis routine
• Crisis Management Team.  You should list all the jobholders by title and name (i.e. CEO – Joe Bloggs) along with all their contact details (addresses; home, office, mobile, telephone numbers; emails, home and office; fax numbers; Skype addresses or similar additional technology.  If a very senior person, then the details of their PA/Executive Assistant in case they are travelling.  Also indicate briefly the roles they will undertake during the crisis and who will deputise for them in their absence
• Additional staff.  If it is a big crisis you may need to bring in extra people to handle telephone calls, answer emails, deal with the website, manage social media sites etc.  You should have a core team trained up who will come in to handle the first stages of the crisis – all their contact details should be listed
• Stakeholder lists.  Primary and Secondary Stakeholder⁽⁴⁾ lists should be developed.  For major shareholders/investors, key staff, top suppliers, regulatory authorities, trade associations etc have names and contact details within the crisis manual.  For all stakeholders develop an intranet database to give you fast and easy access to messaging
• Media.  Although media are part of stakeholders, in a crisis they take on an importance of their own.  Within the crisis manual list all the key media outlets, their editors and key journalists along with all contact details.  It is worth putting some information about the stories they are likely to cover and any editorial polices known to you
• Resources.  A list of all the resources you have access to (or will need) in the event of a crisis.  This may include a specially requisitioned room or a set-aside crisis room with all the equipment in place.  Resources might be human, equipment, additional manuals, timetables, databases, online and additional suppliers.  Where you are outsourcing, or using outside suppliers as well as internal contacts, you will need their names and all contact details
• Background briefs.  A copy of all back ground briefs that are pre-prepared and might be made available to the media and other stakeholders.  You need these to ensure that the information you give is in line with that stated in the briefs
• Messages.  You may want to lay out some simple messages that cover certain areas specific to your organisation.  They may not be used directly during the crisis but when you need to think clearly how to framework your holding statement or make announcements which include technical explanations, they can prove very useful.

Other materials

Not directly part of your crisis manual, but information which should be kept in the crisis room or as part of your ‘library’ of crisis information are the following:

• Case studies undertaken by your Crisis Management Team
• Reports on earlier crises
• Reports on all scenario training undertaken prior to the crisis
• Reports & video material on any media training undertaken
• Industry data
• Press clippings of crises that have affected competitors or share some relevance to your organisation
• Regulatory documents
• Organisational policy and procedures manuals
• Staff handbook (may be the same as above or may be different)
• Other company documents which may impinge upon the crisis
• Copies of all current marketing materials
• A list of any current advertising and where the adverts are being placed
• All Press Releases for at least the last year
• All speeches made by senior executives, along with copies/transcripts of any interviews undertaken
• Copies of any legal cases such as employment tribunals recently concluded or current.

All these items should be kept updated regularly.

There is a big difference between knowing the theory and making it happen. For help in implementing your communications practices email us now.

⁽²⁾ The bigger your organisation the more likely it is that you will need a crisis room set aside with all the equipment needed to handle a big crisis

⁽³⁾ Bear in mind that there is a legal element to the manual, so it should be checked by your lawyers and it should be kept secure at all times, therefore you may well limit the number of copies available and number them.  Likewise intranet access to the manual should be restricted

⁽⁴⁾ See Identifying Stakeholders to help you develop your list