Crisis management plan: crisis unit, decision log and simulation exercise

Situations calling for a crisis management plan

• An executive management team discovers, during an incident, the absence of decision-making rules in a crisis situation.
• A public institution has no established crisis unit and no roles assigned in advance.
• A local authority wishes to test its crisis organisation before any real event.
• Existing procedures have never been subjected to a simulation exercise.
• The decisions taken during a previous incident left no written record.

Process

1. Purchase and onboarding. The client first acquires the CV-11 intake form; public bodies proceed through public procurement. ASKonsult then opens the secure exchange space.
2. Synchronous scoping. The first session, a 90-minute videoconference, sets the qualification criteria and the scenarios selected. It also defines the composition of the unit.
3. Asynchronous collection. The organisation completes the intake form and submits its procedures and directories. Written questions then flow in both directions.
4. Analysis and correction. The in-house engineering team develops the mandate and roles of the unit, the decision log and the action cards. A second 90-minute session validates them; a third, lasting half a day remotely or on site, conducts the simulation exercise.
5. Synchronous delivery. The fourth session, a 90-minute videoconference, provides the debriefing of the exercise and the adjustments. ASKonsult then hands over the validated set-up.

Deliverable

The deliverable constitutes the organisation’s crisis set-up. It first comprises the mandate and composition of the unit. The decision log then makes it possible to record the trade-offs made. Action cards, in addition, set out the course of action for each scenario selected. The crisis directory also gathers the useful contacts. Finally, the exercise report traces the simulation and its lessons. This crisis management plan reaches the organisation at the last session, at the end of a 5 to 8-week process.

Prerequisites

The package requires the completion of the CV-11 intake form. The organisation also submits its existing procedures, as well as its directories. In addition, the members of the unit make themselves available for the simulation exercise. Their presence indeed determines the scope of the test and of the debriefing.

Frequently asked questions

How is the package quote established?

A qualification exchange precedes subscription. It specifies in particular the number of scenarios to be addressed, from two to four. The special conditions then set the scope, timetable, number of sessions, expected documents and deliverable. ASKonsult then creates the order from the quote. For public bodies, the order takes the form provided for by their regulations: purchase order, public contract or agreement.

How does the simulation exercise unfold?

The exercise occupies the third session, lasting half a day, remotely or on site. It puts to the test the unit, the decision log and the action cards validated at the second session. The fourth session then provides its debriefing. The adjustments arising from the exercise are then incorporated into the final set-up. The exercise report, for its part, forms part of the deliverable.

What share of the work remains asynchronous?

The package includes four synchronous sessions: three 90-minute videoconferences and the half-day exercise. Between these sessions, the work takes place asynchronously. The organisation thus completes the intake form and submits its procedures through the secure space. Written questions flow in both directions. In addition, the firm’s in-house engineering team prepares the documents submitted for validation.

Does the package cover an ongoing crisis?

No. The package concerns preparation, not the management of a declared crisis. An ongoing crisis falls under crisis support on a daily package basis (C-23). Likewise, spokesperson duties and media relations remain outside the package. By contrast, the crisis management plan handed over organises internal decision-making when an event occurs.

Do the procedures and directories submitted remain confidential?

ASKonsult treats as confidential the information and documents submitted by the client, including procedures and directories. They circulate solely through the secure exchange space. Their use is also limited to the purposes of the package. This obligation survives the end of the relationship. Reciprocally, the client undertakes the same discretion towards non-public tools and deliverables.

What follows the preparation?

After an incident, the Lessons-learned review after a crisis package (K-12) reconstructs the sequence of decisions. It then derives a preparation plan from it. In addition, the tool dedicated to organising a crisis unit (P-21) completes the unit’s toolkit. Finally, the Executive subscription (A-03) offers executive management teams a priority qualification channel. This channel nevertheless remains limited to one qualification session.

Out of scope

The package does not cover the management of an ongoing crisis, which falls under crisis support (C-23). It also excludes spokesperson duties and media relations. In addition, travel expenses outside Marrakech remain outside the package. The crisis management plan thus remains a preparedness set-up, over which the organisation retains control.