Expert in vulnerability, risk and crisis communication
Other denominations
Expert in crisis communications
Description
A crisis is an abrupt change which endangers the corporate reputation and natural balance of an organisation (strikes, product adulteration, chemical spills, natural disasters, discrimination in the workplace, poor management, etc.) and must be addressed in a speedy manner, seeing as in such situations, the words of a company become more important than its actions, the quality of any messages issued being affected in the process. The company has no control over its discourse and is often forced to react rather than take the initiative. This is why the duty of the person in charge of communications in such cases is to halt the crisis, designing communication strategies and anticipating potential crisis scenarios in order to anticipate risks, gain time, operate in an organised manner and warn the parties involved, etc. The reactive focus of this occupation (acting just before a crisis breaks out) has progressed towards a proactive vision (anticipatory prevention and preparation), in a manner such that experts in this area of activity are given the title of vulnerability (identification of the internal weaknesses of an organisation), risk (identification of local threats) and crisis (when it breaks out) communications expert.
Tasks
- Ongoing issue management and research.
- Update audience maps.
- Design a crisis communication plan.
- Create an inventory of all potential crisis scenarios.
- Identify the stakeholder involved in each stage.
- Create a map of stakeholder alliances.
- Create crisis handbooks adapted to every stage.
- Appoint a crisis committee spokesperson for each stage.
- Devise the communication strategies, ideas and key messages to be shared with each stakeholder.
- Keep stakeholder, expert, ally and journalist contact details up to date.
- Draw up press communication templates.
- Design and carry out role plays and simulations.
- Train the spokespersons (in charge of speaking with internal and external audiences and communication media).
- Continuously review stakeholder perception, relation and communication audit results.
- Update stakeholder alliance flowcharts.
- Implement all available systems generated during stage 1.
- Handle communications in situations of crisis.
- Establish the crisis timespan.
- Reflect upon and learn from the crisis.
- Review possible crisis scenarios, manuals and committees.
- Update the strategic crisis plan.
