[CM] [PM] [ISO] [P4] Crisis Management Strategy with ISO22361 Elements

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The primary objective of this phase is to develop a comprehensive CM strategy that outlines the organization's overall approach to responding to crises, including decision-making, communication, and resource allocation. This strategy is designed based on insights from risk assessments and business impact analysis (BIA).

ISO 22361 emphasizes the development of an organisation-wide CM strategy to coordinate response efforts and ensure effective crisis management. The standard emphasises creating a plan integrated with organizational resilience and considering the broader operational environment.

Focus: The crisis management strategy creates a unified response framework, ensuring the organisation can react swiftly and efficiently to crises. This includes defining roles and responsibilities and preparing transparent decision-making and communication protocols.

Focus: ISO 22361 ensures that the strategy addresses resilience and is proactive. It emphasises that the plan should be aligned with organisational goals and external factors (e.g., legal, regulatory, and stakeholder expectations). It promotes an adaptive approach that evolves with the changing risk landscape.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The methodology requires organizations to define a Crisis Response Philosophy that reflects the organization’s risk tolerance and response approach. This philosophy outlines whether the organization takes a conservative or aggressive stance on risk and crisis management.

ISO 22361 stresses the importance of aligning the crisis response philosophy with organisational resilience. The standard emphasises incorporating the organisation’s risk appetite, governance structure, and stakeholder expectations into the strategy to ensure the response philosophy is sustainable and aligned with broader objectives.

The risk tolerance defined here shapes the response actions and the level of risk the organization is willing to accept during a crisis.

ISO 22361 goes beyond risk tolerance, asking organizations to build a risk-informed response strategy that considers external and internal risks and how they will impact crisis response and long-term resilience and recovery.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The methodology calls for a Strategic Decision-Making Framework that clearly outlines how decisions will be made during a crisis. This includes defining escalation procedures, approval processes, and delegation of authority to ensure that decisions are made swiftly and appropriately.

ISO 22361 requires a decision-making framework that supports effective crisis management and aligns with organizational governance. This framework should allow for rapid, informed decisions considering stakeholder needs, legal obligations, and operational priorities.

The framework ensures clear lines of authority and that decision-makers have the necessary resources and information to make timely and effective decisions during crises.

The standard emphasises creating a resilient and scalable decision-making framework. It encourages organisations to establish processes that facilitate rapid adaptation to changing circumstances and incorporate feedback loops to improve decision quality in real-time.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The methodology focuses on defining the Crisis Management Team (CMT) and specifying roles and responsibilities for each member. This includes ensuring team members understand their duties and have the necessary skills to execute their roles during a crisis.

ISO 22361 emphasizes the importance of creating a multi-disciplinary crisis management team with well-defined roles and responsibilities that align with the organisation’s strategic goals and resilience framework.

The methodology encourages assigning specific roles such as incident management, communications, logistics, and resource allocation to ensure smooth operations during a crisis.

The standard adds a layer, requiring organizations to ensure that CMT roles and responsibilities are well-communicated and that cross-functional collaboration is built into the team’s operations to enhance organisational resilience.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The methodology highlights the importance of establishing clear processes for resource allocation during a crisis, including ensuring that critical resources, such as staff, equipment, and finances, are available and accessible.

ISO 22361 stresses that resource allocation should be strategic and risk-informed. Resources must be allocated based on priority and impact assessments, ensuring that critical business functions are sustained and resilience is maintained.

Organisations are encouraged to develop a resource allocation matrix that defines the resources required for each crisis scenario and assigns them accordingly.

The standard encourages adaptive resource management, emphasizing that organisations should be prepared to shift resources dynamically in response to evolving crises. ISO 22361 also stresses the importance of external resource collaboration (e.g., with suppliers and partners).

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

This phase requires organisations to develop a communication strategy that ensures effective internal and external communication during a crisis. This includes setting protocols for media communication, internal notifications, and stakeholder updates.

ISO 22361 emphasises a comprehensive communication strategy that aligns with organisational resilience. It highlights the importance of proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders throughout the crisis, including regulators, customers, employees, and partners.

Key components of the communication plan include identifying key spokespersons, preparing pre-approved messaging, and defining communication channels for different audiences (e.g., media, staff, customers).

The standard emphasizes transparent, timely, and accurate communication, ensuring that messaging is consistent across all levels of the organisation. It also stresses the need for coordinated communication with external stakeholders to protect the organization’s reputation and manage stakeholder expectations.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

The CM strategy should be flexible enough to adapt to different crisis scenarios, and organisations should be encouraged to develop plans for a range of potential crises.

ISO 22361 emphasises flexibility and adaptability, ensuring that CM strategies are scalable and can be adjusted as crises evolve. The standard stresses that crisis strategies should be dynamic, allowing real-time adjustments based on the ongoing situation.

The methodology suggests maintaining contingency plans and ensuring decision-makers can adjust strategies as new information becomes available.

ISO 22361 emphasizes ongoing monitoring and feedback loops, allowing organizations to adjust their strategies based on lessons learned and the evolving crisis environment.

Crisis Management Planning Methodology: Phase 4 - Crisis Management Strategy

ISO 22361:2022 Standard

This phase integrates the crisis management strategy with the organisation’s business continuity plans to ensure that critical functions continue during and after the crisis.

ISO 22361 goes further, ensuring that crisis management strategies are part of a broader resilience framework. This includes integrating the crisis strategy with business continuity, organisational resilience, and governance structures to create a cohesive and unified response.

The methodology ensures that the crisis strategy supports the resumption of critical operations and the organisation’s ability to recover from a crisis.

ISO 22361 stresses the need for a holistic approach to resilience, ensuring that crisis management strategies are not isolated but part of the organisation’s resilience culture and long-term operational sustainability.