Crisis management

This subtopic sets out key things to think about when a crisis happens. It provides guidance on the first 12 hours including assembly of a crisis team, consideration of external reporting, dealing with staff and communications management. Precedents include a crisis management plan, team sheet and action list. There are also Practice Notes on specific types of crisis, eg data security breach.

When a crisis hits, you will be under pressure—pressure to act, pressure to respond, pressure from those to whom you answer internally and potentially from external stakeholders as well. You may be out of your comfort zone, unsure of your reporting obligations, what to divulge, to whom and when and the order in which to do things. Your first instinct may be to try and react immediately in response to the agendas of others or, conversely, to clam up and adopt a legal position.