A practical guide to managing communications during a crisis
Keep this plan updated and accessible. Share it with your team and review it regularly.
This plan is designed to be a practical guide when communications challenges arise. Here's how to make the most of it:
Effective crisis management begins with thorough preparation. Complete this checklist to ensure your organisation is ready.
Last training/practice date:
Next training/practice date:
Identify and document your crisis team members. Ensure all contact details are current and that team members are aware of their roles.
Typically your CEO or senior leader who will make final decisions and lead the response
| Name: | |
| Mobile: | |
| Email: | |
| Backup person: |
Your communications professional who will draft statements and manage media relations
| Name: | |
| Mobile: | |
| Email: | |
| Backup person: |
| Role | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| HR Lead | ||
| Legal Adviser | ||
| Operations Lead | ||
| Safeguarding Lead |
Consider potential crisis situations specific to your organisation and document your planned response. This preparation enables faster, more effective action when needed.
Understanding when to activate this plan is crucial. Use these criteria to help determine if a situation requires crisis-level response:
Review these examples and consider which are most relevant to your organisation:
Add your own:
Follow these steps when a crisis occurs. Work through systematically and document actions taken.
Different audiences require different information at different times. Follow this priority order for crisis communications:
| Priority | Audience | Communication Method |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Staff and volunteers | |
| 2 | Directly affected individuals | |
| 3 | Board and trustees | |
| 4 | Key funders and partners | |
| 5 | Service users and members | |
| 6 | Media and public |
These templates provide starting points for crisis communications. All statements must be reviewed by your legal adviser before release.
Use when immediate response is required but full information is not yet available
Your pre-drafted holding statement:
Use when complete information is available and response plan is confirmed
Your pre-drafted full statement template:
Keep responses concise, empathetic, and consistent with official statements. Include links to full information where appropriate.
Your pre-drafted social media response:
Document the core messages that represent your organisation. These form the foundation of all crisis communications and should be consistently referenced.
Concise description of your organisation's purpose and impact:
Core principles that guide your organisation's work:
Key achievements and evidence of organisational effectiveness:
Follow this protocol when receiving media enquiries during a crisis:
Only authorised spokespeople should provide media statements during a crisis:
| Name: | |
| Mobile: | |
| Backup: |
Once the immediate crisis has been resolved, conduct a comprehensive review to strengthen future preparedness.
Use these questions to guide your post-crisis evaluation:
What worked well?
What could we have done better?
Did everyone know their role?
What changes should we make to this plan?
Do we need any additional training or resources?
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Crisis Preparedness Complete
Completing this plan demonstrates your organisation's commitment to responsible crisis management. Maintain regular reviews, conduct team training, and keep all information current to ensure continued preparedness.