A Framework for Crisis Management and Crisis Management Planning

Crisis does come as a surprise and as unexpected time but any organization, commercial or public sector can prepare itself for the inevitable and everyone should.
make every effort to gather the pertinent facts quickly access the situation and respond to key audiences, non open and honest manner
enact the necessary measures to swiftly resolve the situation without jeopardizing the industry and safety of your company, your co-workers and your customers
Appoint executives to a standing crisis, communication team who will be call on in times of crises to make decisions and determine policies. Members should include the CEO, COO, CFO, PR Manager, Marketing Manager and customer service manager ant the very list, appoint one member of the team typically the PR manager as the primary contact between the team and the public also appoint a deputy crises administrator to serve as the backup of the primary administration
educate employees specially top and middle managers about your crises procedures
Establish communication strategist to address crises to situations. Select the appropriate spokes person, create press materials. Communicate your crises response to all key and audience employees, government agencies, vendors, consumers and the media.
Continually monitor the media for sign of escalation if signs are appellant adjustment may be required. Remain objectives and be wiling to make the necessary adjustment. Remember that changing your strategy is okay if your original plan isn’t working as well as you thought it would.
at all times take pains not to create the perception that your organisation doesn’t care or lacks integrity
Be as objective as possible when evaluating data, analysing consumer and media reactions and making judgement about the effectiveness of the crises of your crises communication programme. Is the media coverage positive or negative? What key message points are being made in media stories about crises? If they don’t reflect your key message points perhaps your could communicate them more clearly, credibly or dramatically.
after the crises have passed, put together the a post crises summary report it should include the cause of the crises extend and tone of media coverage suggested improvement in the crises response process, ways to implement those changes and possible alterations to company policy and procedures.
after you have overcome the short term treat work to rebuild the good will from each of your key audience over the long term

Models and Theories Associated With Crisis Management
Crisis Management Model:
Successfully diffusing a crisis requires an understanding of how to handle a crisis – before it occurs. Gonzalez-Herrero and Pratt created a four-phase crisis management model process that includes: issues management, planning-prevention, the crisis, and post-crisis (Gonzalez-Herrero and Pratt, 1995).
Management Crisis Planning:
No corporation looks forward to facing a situation that causes a significant disruption to their business, especially one that stimulates extensive media coverage. Public scrutiny can result in a negative financial, political, legal and government impact. Crisis management planning deals with providing the best response to a crisis. (12Manage, 2007)
Contingency Planning:
Preparing contingency plans in advance, as part of a crisis management plan, is the first step to ensuring an organization is appropriately prepared for a crisis. Crisis management teams can rehearse crisis plan by developing a simulated scenario to use as a drill. The plan should clearly stipulate that the only people to speak publicly about the crisis are the designated persons, such as the company spokesperson or crisis team members. The first hours after a crisis breaks are the most crucial, so working with speed and efficiency is important, and the plan should indicate how quickly each function should be performed. When preparing to offer a statement externally as well as internally, information should be accurate. Providing incorrect or manipulated information has a tendency to backfire and will greatly exacerbate the situation. The contingency plan should contain information and guidance that will help decision makers to consider not only the short-term consequences, but the long-term effects of every decision. (12Manage, 2007)
Business Continuity Planning:
When a crisis will undoubtedly cause a significant disruption to an organization, a business continuity plan can help minimize the disruption. First, one must identify the critical functions and processes that are necessary to keep the organization running. Then each critical function and or/process must have its own contingency plan in the event that one of the functions/processes ceases or fails. Testing these contingency plans by rehearsing the required actions in a simulation will allow for all involved to become more sensitive and aware of the possibility of a crisis. As a result, in the event of an actual crisis, the team members will act more quickly and effectively. (12 Manage, 2007)
Structural-Functional Systems Theory:
Providing information to an organization in a time of crisis is critical to effective crisis management. Structural-functional systems theory addresses the intricacies of information networks and levels of command making up organizational communication. The structural-functional theory identifies information flow in organizations as "networks" made up of members and "links". Information in organizations flow in patterns called networks (Infants, Rancer, & Womack, 1997).
Diffusion of Innovation Theory:
Another theory that can be applied to the sharing of information is Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Developed by Everett Rogers, the theory describes how innovation is disseminated and communicated through certain channels over a period of time. Diffusion of innovation in communication occurs when an individual communicates a new idea to one or several others. At its most elementary form, the process involves: (1) an innovation, (2) an individual or other unit of adoption that has knowledge of or experience with using the innovation, (3) another individual or other unit that does not yet have knowledge of the innovation, and (4) a communication channel connecting the two units. A communication channel is the means by which messages get from one individual to another (Infante et al., 1997).