Crisis management consultation: assessment of the event and first decisions

Situations relevant to the crisis management consultation

• A serious incident interrupts operations at a site and management must make its first decisions.
• A company receives notice of an administrative inspection and does not yet know the exact scope of the procedure.
• An institution is the subject of a public accusation that exposes its executives.
• A business disruption affects partners and clients before any official communication.
• Several people already know the facts, whereas no decision unit yet exists.

Process

1. Initial contact and collection of known facts. The executive first sets out the facts, the documents or messages received and the persons already informed. Priority mobilisation by videoconference allows synchronous collection; the assessment note, for its part, relies on the documents transmitted.
2. Assessment of the event according to crisis management criteria. The analysis then assesses the nature of the event, its severity and the parties exposed. This assessment conditions all subsequent decisions.
3. Organisation of decision-making. This step sets the composition of the unit, the allocation of roles and the keeping of a decision log. Management thus has a decision-making framework from the first hours.
4. Identification of protective measures, time limits and commitments to avoid. The firm identifies the measures useful for preserving evidence and the time limits to meet. It also flags the commitments to avoid before any communication.
5. Debrief and roadmap for the first 72 hours. The debrief sets out the actions for the first three days in order. It takes place during the session for the videoconference or in writing for the assessment note.

Deliverable

The crisis management consultation results in an assessment record of the event. This record sets out the nature of the crisis, its severity and the parties exposed. It is accompanied by a roadmap for the first 72 hours, which orders the measures and time limits. Finally, the decision log, already opened, enables the unit to record its subsequent decisions. The videoconference takes place within 24 working hours; the assessment note reaches the client within two working days.

Prerequisites

The consultation requires a description of the facts known at the date of the request. The documents or messages received supplement this description, whether a letter, a notification or an accusation. The list of persons already informed is also among the expected items.

Frequently asked questions

How is the choice made between the videoconference and the assessment note?

The 60-minute videoconference corresponds to priority mobilisation, within 24 working hours. It is therefore suitable when the event requires immediate decisions. The assessment note, delivered within two working days, is suitable by contrast when the situation allows time for a written analysis. In both cases, the content covers the assessment, the organisation of decision-making and the roadmap.

Why assess the crisis before communicating?

The first hours of a crisis determine what follows. Assessing the event, organising decision-making, preserving evidence and meeting time limits therefore precede any communication. A premature public statement may indeed create commitments that are difficult to honour. The crisis management consultation identifies precisely the commitments to avoid during this phase.

How does withdrawal apply to priority mobilisation?

The videoconference takes place within 24 working hours, and thus less than seven days after booking. It therefore entails immediate performance, without a right of withdrawal. With regard to a consumer client, ASKonsult obtains the client’s express consent beforehand, after providing information on these consequences. The seven-day right of withdrawal provided for by Law No. 31-08 can then no longer be exercised.

Does the consultation cover crisis management over time?

No. The consultation covers the assessment and the first decisions. Support for the crisis unit over time falls under a separate service, crisis situation support. Likewise, acting as spokesperson and media relations remain outside the consultation. The executive, for their part, remains the sole decision-maker regarding the measures adopted.

Does the information transmitted remain confidential?

ASKonsult treats as confidential the information and documents transmitted by the client. They are exchanged through the secure area, and their use is limited to the purposes of the consultation. This obligation survives the end of the relationship. The client, in return, is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the facts it communicates.

What follow-up can extend the consultation?

When the crisis persists, crisis situation support (C-23) takes over alongside the unit. After the crisis, the Lessons-learned review after a crisis package (K-12) makes it possible to draw lessons from it. The Crisis management plan package (K-11), in turn, concerns anticipation. The Executive subscription (A-03), for its part, offers a priority assessment channel. Finally, the Crisis Management interactive training course (IA-03) completes this arrangement.

Which consultations address related situations?

A customs inspection falls rather under the customs audit and reassessment consultation (C-07). Business difficulties point, for their part, to the business difficulties consultation (C-18). The crisis management consultation nevertheless remains the entry point when the event requires immediate organisation of decision-making. The choice depends on the nature of the event, as revealed by the assessment.

Out of scope

The crisis management consultation does not include support for the crisis unit over time, which falls under crisis situation support. It also excludes acting as spokesperson and media relations. Finally, no representation before an authority or a court is included in the service. Representation falls to an authorised professional, to whom ASKonsult refers the client.