---
title: [CM] [BDCB] [E1] [C10] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making
description: [CM] [BDCB] [E1] [C10] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making
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##### Crisis Management in Action: A Practical Implementation Guide for BDCB
# \[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C10\] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making
[![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[Full Banner\] Crisis Management in Action\_ A Practical Implementation Guide for BDCB](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/399bc296-6bd2-4c03-8819-8bfe517a3e07.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/399bc296-6bd2-4c03-8819-8bfe517a3e07)
This chapter explains how the Brunei **Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB)** should move from preparedness into active strategic Crisis Management once an event has occurred or an emerging situation has crossed an agreed escalation threshold.
It focuses on four interrelated areas: **Crisis Activation and Escalation Protocols; an Incident Command System (ICS)-informed coordination structure for BDCB; Crisis Response Procedures for Different Scenarios; and Crisis Communication Execution for internal and external stakeholders**.
The chapter is aligned with **ISO 22361:2022, Security and resilience — Crisis management — Guidelines**.
ISO 22361 addresses the development of strategic Crisis Management capability, crisis leadership, decision-making challenges and complexities, crisis communication, and training, validation, and learning.
### [](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/534413f5-32e8-48ee-8dcf-fb5d150e7918)
[Moh Heng Goh](https://blog.bcm-institute.org/en/ebook-cm/author/moh-heng-goh) Oct 8, 2026
###### Crisis Management Certified Planner-Specialist-Expert
##### [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] Legal Disclaimer Banner](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/062c8304-1699-4f7b-a38d-f128d9815304.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/062c8304-1699-4f7b-a38d-f128d9815304)
### Chapter 10
### [](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/534413f5-32e8-48ee-8dcf-fb5d150e7918)
#### Purpose of This Chapter
[![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C10\] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/a0d99bef-6420-47d2-b185-cafad05f89d8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/a0d99bef-6420-47d2-b185-cafad05f89d8)
This chapter explains how the Brunei **Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB)** should move from preparedness into active strategic Crisis Management once an event has occurred or an emerging situation has crossed an agreed escalation threshold.
It focuses on four interrelated areas: **Crisis Activation and Escalation Protocols; an Incident Command System (ICS)-informed coordination structure for BDCB; Crisis Response Procedures for Different Scenarios; and Crisis Communication Execution for internal and external stakeholders**.
The chapter is aligned with **ISO 22361:2022, Security and resilience — Crisis management — Guidelines**.
ISO 22361 addresses the development of strategic Crisis Management capability, crisis leadership, decision-making challenges and complexities, crisis communication, and training, validation, and learning.
Importantly, ISO 22361 treats Crisis Management as a strategic organisational capability that interacts with, but remains distinct from, related disciplines.
#### **Introduction**
The **during-crisis stage** is the period in which preparedness must be converted into coordinated action. BCM Institute's crisis-stage model distinguishes pre-crisis, during-crisis, and post-crisis stages.
During the crisis, management must respond as the situation moves through warning, crisis point, and recovery conditions.
The acute event may develop rapidly or over time, so the organisation needs a response structure that can adapt as circumstances change.
For BDCB, this requirement has particular significance.
A crisis may affect not only BDCB's people and internal operations but also payment and settlement activities, regulated financial institutions, financial-market participants, public confidence, and potentially financial-system stability.
The Crisis Management Team (CMT), therefore, needs to look beyond the immediate incident and understand its **strategic consequences, interdependencies, and possible escalation pathways**.
The fundamental during-crisis sequence is:
This sequence should not be interpreted as a rigid linear procedure.
New information may require the CMT to reassess the situation, revise decisions, change priorities or communicate again.
BCM Institute's current guidance similarly describes during-crisis procedures as moving through these stages while recognising that several stages may repeat as the situation evolves.
#### **Understanding the During-Crisis Stage**
During-crisis management begins when an emerging or actual event requires strategic attention beyond routine incident-management arrangements.
The transition can be represented as
The critical change occurs when the organisation moves from asking:
**“How do we resolve this incident?”**
to asking:
**“How should BDCB manage the wider consequences of this situation?”**
Operational teams remain responsible for managing the incident within their technical or functional areas.
The CMT provides strategic direction, resolves cross-functional priorities, allocates resources, manages major stakeholders, and addresses consequences that exceed the authority or capability of individual response teams.
Thus:
**Operational Teams Manage the Incident → Crisis Management Team Manages Strategic Consequences**
#### **ISO 22361 Alignment During a Crisis**
ISO 22361 places particular emphasis on **crisis leadership, decision-making, and crisis communication** during active Crisis Management. [ISO](https://www.iso.org/standard/50267.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
For BDCB, these elements can be translated into the following operating requirements:
| ISO 22361 Area | During-Crisis Application for BDCB |
| --- | --- |
| Crisis Leadership | Establish strategic direction, priorities, and organisational confidence |
| Decision-Making | Make timely and defensible decisions despite uncertainty |
| Situational Awareness | Maintain a common understanding of facts, assumptions, and unknowns |
| Strategic Coordination | Align operational, technical, financial, regulatory, and communication activities |
| Crisis Communication | Provide timely, accurate, and coordinated information |
| Stakeholder Management | Understand affected parties, expectations, and consequences |
| Adaptability | Revise strategy as circumstances change |
| Information Management | Maintain reliable SitReps, logs, and decision records |
| Recovery Orientation | Consider stabilisation and recovery from the beginning |
| Learning | Capture significant observations for subsequent review |
The central principle is that the CMT should provide **strategic leadership**, rather than duplicate the operational work of specialist teams.
#### **Crisis Activation and Escalation Protocols**
##### **Purpose of Activation**
Activation formally establishes the governance structure needed to manage a strategic crisis.
It should confirm:
- that a potential or actual crisis exists;
- who has authority to activate the CMT;
- who will act as Crisis Leader;
- which CMT members are required;
- which specialist teams are already responding;
- how the CMT will communicate;
- where the CMT will operate;
- how information will be consolidated; and
- how decisions and actions will be recorded.
BCM Institute's during-crisis guidance identifies activation activities such as confirming classification, identifying the Crisis Leader, notifying members and alternates, establishing the meeting platform, opening logs, and beginning the first CMT meeting.
#### **Crisis Escalation**
Not every incident requires CMT activation.
A technology outage, facilities problem, cyber alert, or operational disruption may initially be managed through established operational arrangements.
Escalation should occur when the event begins to create—or could reasonably create—strategic consequences.
**Incident → Operational Assessment → Strategic Consequences Identified → Escalation Threshold Reached → Senior Management Notification → CMT Activation**
Potential escalation criteria for BDCB could include:
- actual or potential loss of life or serious injury;
- major disruption to a critical BDCB responsibility;
- significant RTGS, ACH, or CSD disruption;
- uncertainty concerning transaction or data integrity;
- multiple financial institutions are affected;
- significant liquidity or settlement implications;
- potential financial contagion;
- inability to meet important statutory responsibilities;
- significant cyber compromise;
- prolonged loss of critical technology;
- major public or stakeholder concern;
- rapidly spreading misinformation;
- significant reputational consequences;
- major government or regulatory interest;
- requirement for strategic decisions beyond normal authority;
- multiple specialist response teams requiring coordination; or
- actual or potential financial system implications.
The trigger should therefore be based on **strategic consequence**, not simply incident size.
#### **Graduated Crisis Status**
BDCB may adopt a graduated framework to prevent unnecessary binary choices between “normal” and “crisis”.
| **Status** | **Condition** | **Management Response** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Normal** | Routine operating conditions | Normal monitoring |
| **Alert** | Emerging concern | Enhanced monitoring |
| **Standby** | Credible potential for escalation | Notify CMT members and prepare |
| **Activated** | Strategic consequences occurring or imminent | Activate CMT |
| **Sustained Crisis** | Prolonged or complex strategic response | Establish rotations and extended governance |
| **Stabilisation** | Immediate strategic threat reducing | Transition toward recovery |
| **Stand-Down** | Crisis governance is no longer required | Transfer remaining actions to normal/recovery governance |
This structure enables BDCB to increase readiness before formal activation.
#### **Activation Authority**
BDCB's approved Crisis Management Policy should clearly identify the activation authority.
Depending on internal governance, authority could reside with designated senior executives, the Crisis Leader, or another authorised role. The precise BDCB titles should be confirmed internally rather than assumed in this implementation guide.
A useful principle is:
**Information Received → Situation Assessed → Activation Criteria Considered → Authorised Decision → CMT Activated → Activation Recorded**
The time, decision-maker, reason for activation, and initial crisis classification should be recorded.
#### **Initial CMT Activation**
Once activated, the CMT should establish control quickly.
A practical initial checklist includes:
1. Confirm the crisis and activation authority.
2. Record activation time.
3. Confirm the Crisis Leader.
4. Notify CMT members and alternates.
5. Activate necessary specialist advisers.
6. Establish secure communications.
7. Confirm the physical or virtual Crisis Management location.
8. Open the Crisis Log, Action Log, and Decision Log.
9. Obtain the initial Situation Report.
10. Identify immediate life-safety concerns.
11. Confirm operational response activities already underway.
12. Identify urgent strategic decisions.
13. Establish initial strategic priorities.
14. Determine stakeholder communication requirements.
15. Set the next CMT meeting or update time.
#### **Establishing Situational Awareness**
The first strategic requirement is to understand what is happening.
The CMT should determine:
**What Happened → What Is Happening Now → Who or What Is Affected → What Is Being Done → What Remains Unknown → What Could Happen Next → What Decisions Are Required**
The distinction between **facts, assumptions, and unknowns** is particularly important. BCM Institute's during-crisis procedure guidance recommends separating these categories to reduce the risk that unverified information drives strategic decisions.
#### **Situation Report**
The Situation Report, or **SitRep**, should provide a concise and time-stamped common operating picture.
A BDCB SitRep could contain:
| SitRep Field | Content |
| --- | --- |
| Date and Time | Time of information cut-off |
| Crisis Status | Alert, Activated, Sustained, Stabilising |
| Situation | Concise description |
| Confirmed Facts | Verified information |
| Assumptions | Working assumptions |
| Unknowns | Material information gaps |
| People | Safety and workforce impact |
| BDCB Operations | Critical activities affected |
| Technology | Systems and infrastructure status |
| Payment Systems | RTGS, ACH, and CSD implications |
| Financial Institutions | Participant or sector impact |
| Financial Stability | Liquidity, confidence, or systemic concerns |
| Stakeholders | Key affected parties |
| Communications | Internal, external, and media position |
| Actions | Completed and outstanding |
| Decisions | Decisions made and required |
| Recovery | Current outlook |
| Next Update | Agreed on reporting time |
The SitRep should support decision-making rather than become an excessively detailed operational report.
#### **Incident Command System for BDCB**
##### **Applying an ICS-Informed Structure**
For this guide, **Incident Command System (ICS)** should be treated as a useful command-and-coordination concept rather than as a claim that BDCB currently operates a formally adopted ICS.
The purpose is to establish clear:
- leadership;
- authority;
- functional responsibilities;
- information flows;
- resource coordination;
- reporting relationships; and
- operational control.
The structure should be adapted to BDCB's governance, not imposed mechanically.
#### **Strategic and Operational Command**
A central distinction should be maintained:
**Crisis Management Team — Strategic Direction and Consequence Management ↓ Operational and Specialist Teams — Tactical and Technical Response**
The CMT should not become a technical recovery team.
For example, during a cyberattack:
- the cyber team investigates and contains the attack;
- technology teams recover systems;
- BCM teams coordinate continuity arrangements;
- security may manage physical concerns;
- communications manages approved messaging; and
- the CMT considers strategic consequences and directs the overall organisational response.
#### **Proposed BDCB Crisis Command Structure**
A practical structure could comprise five functional layers:
**Strategic Command — Crisis Management Team**
Responsible for:
- strategic priorities;
- major decisions;
- resource priorities;
- stakeholder strategy;
- financial-system consequences;
- government and senior stakeholder coordination;
- strategic communications;
- recovery direction.
##### **Operations Coordination**
Responsible for coordinating operational response activities across affected BDCB functions.
##### **Planning and Situational Awareness**
Responsible for:
- SitReps;
- information consolidation;
- impact analysis;
- forward-looking assessment;
- scenario development;
- decision support;
- action tracking.
##### **Logistics and Resources**
Responsible for:
- people;
- facilities;
- technology;
- equipment;
- transport;
- communications capability;
- external support;
- prolonged-response resources.
##### **Finance, Legal, and Administration**
Responsible for:
- financial authorities;
- emergency expenditure;
- legal advice;
- documentation;
- procurement;
- insurance where relevant;
- records;
- administrative support.
This provides a scalable coordination structure without requiring the CMT to perform every response task itself.
#### **BDCB Crisis Coordination Model**
The relationship can be represented as:
The exact teams activated should depend on the crisis.
#### **Role of the Crisis Leader**
The Crisis Leader should maintain strategic focus.
Responsibilities should include:
- chairing the CMT;
- establishing strategic priorities;
- confirming objectives;
- maintaining decision discipline;
- challenging assumptions;
- managing uncertainty;
- resolving conflicting priorities;
- authorising major strategic decisions within delegated authority;
- ensuring stakeholder considerations are addressed;
- confirming communication strategy;
- maintaining focus on stabilisation and recovery; and
- determining when escalation or stand-down should occur.
Effective crisis leadership does not mean personally making every operational decision.
#### **Crisis Decision-Making**
ISO 22361 specifically recognises the challenges and complexities facing a crisis team in action.
Crisis decisions may have to be made with:
- incomplete information;
- conflicting reports;
- severe time pressure;
- uncertain consequences;
- multiple stakeholder expectations;
- changing conditions; and
- limited response options.
The objective is therefore not to wait for perfect information.
It is to make **reasonable, timely, and defensible decisions using the best information available**.
#### **Structured Crisis Decision Process**
A practical BDCB process is:
For material decisions, the CMT should consider consequences for:
- life and safety;
- BDCB operations;
- monetary and financial stability;
- payment and settlement;
- financial institutions;
- technology and information;
- legal and regulatory obligations;
- reputation;
- government and national interests;
- stakeholders;
- recovery; and
- future options.
#### **Crisis Decision Log**
Material decisions should be recorded.
| Field | Requirement |
| --- | --- |
| Decision Number | Unique identifier |
| Date/Time | When the decision was made |
| Issue | Problem requiring a decision |
| Information | Key facts and uncertainties |
| Options | Reasonable alternatives |
| Decision | Selected course of action |
| Rationale | Why was it selected |
| Authority | Decision-maker |
| Actions | Implementation requirements |
| Owner | Accountable person |
| Review | When should the decision be reconsidered |
| Outcome | Result when known |
A good decision log supports accountability, governance, subsequent review, and organisational learning. BCM Institute similarly recommends documenting material strategic decisions and their rationale.
#### **Crisis Response Procedures for Different Scenarios**
BDCB should maintain a common core Crisis Management procedure supplemented by **scenario-specific playbooks**.
The common process remains:
**Activate → Assess → Stabilise → Decide → Communicate → Monitor → Recover**
The scenario playbook then adds specialist considerations.
#### **Scenario 1 — Major Cyberattack**
A major cyberattack could affect systems, data, communications, financial infrastructure or confidence.
The strategic progression could be:
Immediate priorities should include:
- protect life and safety where relevant;
- contain compromise;
- determine affected systems;
- assess data and transaction integrity;
- protect unaffected environments;
- preserve evidence;
- determine payment-system implications;
- identify financial-institution impacts;
- activate continuity and recovery arrangements;
- coordinate cyber, technology, legal and communications teams;
- manage external reporting requirements; and
- monitor misinformation.
The CMT should concentrate on **consequences and strategic choices**, while cyber specialists manage technical containment.
#### **Scenario 2 — Major RTGS Disruption**
A prolonged RTGS disruption could develop as:
Strategic questions include:
- Is RTGS unavailable or degraded?
- Is transaction integrity assured?
- What settlement obligations remain outstanding?
- Which participants are affected?
- What dependencies are affected?
- What is the recovery estimate?
- Are alternative arrangements available?
- Are liquidity consequences developing?
- What should financial institutions be told?
- What requires senior management approval?
- Is external coordination necessary?
- Could misinformation increase the impact?
The CMT must distinguish between **restoring the technology** and **managing the financial-sector consequences**.
#### **Scenario 3 — Financial Institution Under Severe Stress**
The crisis may originate outside BDCB:
The CMT should coordinate with relevant supervisory and financial-stability functions and consider:
- verified condition of the institution;
- liquidity implications;
- depositor or customer behaviour;
- interconnected institutions;
- contagion potential;
- payment implications;
- market reaction;
- stakeholder coordination;
- legal authority;
- communication strategy; and
- potential systemic consequences.
The objective is not simply to manage the institution-specific issue but to understand the **system-wide trajectory**.
#### **Scenario 4 — Major Misinformation Event**
A crisis may develop even where BDCB's operations remain available.
For example:
Possible response priorities include:
- verify the false information;
- assess reach and velocity;
- determine whether public behaviour is changing;
- identify affected institutions;
- establish authoritative facts;
- coordinate stakeholder messaging;
- issue correction where justified;
- monitor response;
- engage relevant platforms or authorities where appropriate; and
- continuously reassess confidence impact.
This illustrates why Crisis Management cannot be treated merely as BCM at higher severity.
#### **Scenario 5 — Physical Security or Life-Safety Crisis**
Examples include fire, bomb threat, hostile attack, or workplace violence.
The immediate priority is:
**Crisis Detected → Assess Life-Safety Implications → Protect People → Coordinate Emergency Response → Maintain Welfare and Accountability → Assess Strategic Consequences**
Operational command should remain with appropriate emergency, security, or law-enforcement professionals for tactical life-safety matters.
The CMT should manage organisational consequences such as:
- leadership continuity;
- workforce welfare;
- facility availability;
- business continuity;
- stakeholder communication;
- reputational consequences; and
- longer-term recovery.
#### **Scenario 6 — Severe Weather or Natural Hazard**
A severe natural event may affect premises, people, utilities, telecommunications, suppliers, and financial institutions simultaneously.
The response can be considered as:
**Natural Hazard → People/Premises Affected → Operational Disruption → Financial-Sector Dependencies Affected → Continuity Measures → Strategic Coordination → Recovery**
The CMT should consider:
- life safety;
- employee accountability;
- access restrictions;
- utility availability;
- remote working;
- payment infrastructure;
- financial-institution impacts;
- critical suppliers;
- national response arrangements; and
- prolonged recovery requirements.
#### **Stabilisation**
After activation and assessment, BDCB should seek to prevent the situation from worsening.
Stabilisation can involve:
**Protect People + Contain the Incident + Protect Critical Assets + Maintain Critical Activities + Control Strategic Consequences + Communicate Effectively**
BCM Institute's during-crisis guidance identifies stabilisation actions such as protecting life, containing incidents, isolating affected systems, securing facilities, activating workarounds, engaging emergency services, preserving evidence, and preventing misinformation.
The CMT should distinguish between stabilisation actions that specialist teams can undertake directly and those requiring strategic authorisation.
#### **Establishing Strategic Priorities**
The CMT should agree on strategic priorities early and review them regularly.
A practical hierarchy for BDCB is:
1. Protect life, safety, and well-being.
2. Stabilise the crisis.
3. Prevent further harm.
4. Protect BDCB's statutory responsibilities.
5. Protect critical payment and settlement activities.
6. Support monetary and financial stability.
7. Maintain critical BDCB activities.
8. Protect information and transaction integrity.
9. Meet legal and regulatory responsibilities.
10. Communicate accurately and authoritatively.
11. Protect stakeholder and public confidence.
12. Support sustainable recovery.
The ordering may change according to the crisis.
#### **Crisis Communication Execution**
##### **Communication as a Strategic Capability**
Crisis communication is not merely a supporting public relations activity.
ISO 22361 specifically includes crisis communication as an element of strategic Crisis Management capability.
Communication should therefore be integrated into decision-making from the beginning.
The process is:
**Situation Assessment → Stakeholder Analysis → Communication Objective → Message Development → Approval → Communication → Monitor Reaction → Update**
#### **Principles of Crisis Communication**
BDCB's crisis communications should seek to be:
- timely;
- accurate;
- authoritative;
- consistent;
- proportionate;
- coordinated;
- understandable;
- appropriately transparent;
- sensitive to confidentiality; and
- responsive to changing circumstances.
The principle should be:
**Communicate what is known, distinguish it from what remains uncertain, explain what is being done, and state when further information will be provided.**
Speed is important, but speed should not undermine accuracy.
#### **Internal Crisis Communication**
Employees need reliable information during a crisis.
Internal communications may address:
- what has happened;
- what employees should do;
- life-safety instructions;
- workplace access;
- alternative work arrangements;
- systems availability;
- security instructions;
- confidentiality requirements;
- media-enquiry procedures;
- welfare arrangements; and
- timing of further updates.
Internal communication is particularly important because employees can become unintended sources of inconsistent external information when authoritative information is absent.
#### **External Crisis Communication**
External stakeholders may include:
- financial institutions;
- payment-system participants;
- government authorities;
- emergency services;
- technology and telecommunications providers;
- other critical suppliers;
- international counterparts;
- businesses;
- consumers;
- media; and
- the public.
Not every stakeholder needs the same information.
Therefore:
**Stakeholder → Information Need → Communication Objective → Approved Message → Appropriate Channel → Feedback and Monitoring**
#### **Crisis Communication Approval**
Normal communication approval processes may be too slow during a fast-moving crisis.
BDCB should therefore predefine:
- who can approve crisis messages;
- who can act as spokesperson;
- which messages require senior approval;
- which operational notices may be issued under delegated authority;
- how legal and confidentiality considerations are addressed;
- how government or external coordination is handled; and
- how urgent corrections are authorised.
This should be agreed **before** a crisis.
#### **3Holding Statements**
When facts are incomplete, BDCB may need an approved initial statement rather than remaining silent while speculation grows.
A holding statement should normally:
- acknowledge the situation;
- provide verified facts;
- avoid speculation;
- state actions underway where appropriate;
- provide necessary instructions;
- indicate when additional information will be available; and
- direct stakeholders to authoritative information channels.
A holding statement should never invent certainty where uncertainty remains.
#### **Managing Misinformation**
During a crisis, misinformation can become a second crisis.
The progression may be:
**Operational Event → Information Gap → Speculation → Misinformation → Amplification → Public Concern → Behavioural Change → Increased Strategic Consequences**
BDCB should therefore monitor the information environment alongside the operational environment.
The communications function should identify:
- false narratives;
- information gaps;
- stakeholder concerns;
- high-velocity claims;
- impersonation;
- manipulated content;
- fake announcements; and
- material misunderstandings.
The CMT should determine whether to monitor, clarify, correct or proactively communicate.
#### **Media Management**
Media engagement should be coordinated through authorised arrangements.
The organisation should maintain:
- designated spokespersons;
- media enquiry channels;
- approved key messages;
- interview preparation;
- question-and-answer material;
- monitoring capability;
- briefing arrangements; and
- records of significant statements.
The objective is not simply reputation protection. For a central bank, accurate communication may contribute directly to **confidence and financial stability**.
#### **Information Management During Crisis**
Good strategic decisions depend on disciplined information management.
The CMT should maintain at least:
**Situation Report + Crisis Log + Action Log + Decision Log + Communication Log**
These records serve different purposes.
| Record | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| Situation Report | Current common operating picture |
| Crisis Log | Chronology of significant developments |
| Action Log | Actions, owners, and deadlines |
| Decision Log | Strategic decisions and rationale |
| Communication Log | Important messages and stakeholder communications |
Information should be time-stamped and, where appropriate, identify its source and verification status.
#### **Managing the Crisis Rhythm**
A prolonged crisis requires a sustainable operating rhythm.
A CMT cannot remain continuously effective without structured cycles.
A useful rhythm is:
**Receive Information → Update SitRep → CMT Meeting → Decisions → Actions → Communication → Monitoring → Next SitRep**
BDCB should determine:
- meeting frequency;
- SitRep frequency;
- briefing times;
- stakeholder update frequency;
- shift arrangements;
- handovers;
- rest periods; and
- escalation points.
The rhythm should change as the crisis develops.
#### **Managing a Prolonged Crisis**
A sustained crisis creates additional risks:
- fatigue;
- reduced decision quality;
- loss of situational awareness;
- incomplete handovers;
- inconsistent communication;
- duplicated effort;
- undocumented decisions; and
- leadership dependency.
BDCB should therefore prepare for:
**Primary CMT → Structured Handover → Alternate CMT/Leadership → Sustained Crisis Operations**
Alternates should be genuinely prepared to assume responsibilities rather than merely listed in a plan.
#### **Integrating Crisis Management with BCM and Specialist Response**
ISO 22361 acknowledges relationships and interdependencies with related disciplines while remaining distinct from them.
During a BDCB crisis:
**Incident Management + Emergency Response + Cyber Response + IT Disaster Recovery + Business Continuity + Security + Crisis Communication → Coordinated Response Under Strategic Crisis Management**
The CMT provides strategic integration.
It should not replace specialist expertise.
#### **BCM During a Crisis**
Where critical business functions are disrupted, BCM arrangements may be activated alongside Crisis Management.
For example:
**Technology Failure → Critical BDCB Activity Disrupted → BCM Activated → Strategic Consequences Emerge → CMT Activated → BCM and CM Operate Concurrently**
BCM concentrates on continuity and recovery.
CM concentrates on leadership, strategic consequences, stakeholder issues, uncertainty and organisational direction.
#### **Transition Toward Recovery**
Recovery thinking should begin before the crisis has fully ended.
The CMT should continually ask:
- Is the situation stabilising?
- Are immediate threats controlled?
- Are critical services sustainable?
- What residual risks remain?
- What recovery activities are required?
- Which governance structure should own the recovery?
- What stakeholders need continued updates?
- When can crisis governance be reduced?
The transition is:
**Crisis Response → Stabilisation → Controlled Recovery → Transfer of Responsibilities → CMT Stand-Down → Post-Crisis Review**
The end of the acute crisis should therefore be a managed governance decision rather than an informal assumption.
#### **CMT Stand-Down Criteria**
Potential criteria include:
- immediate strategic threat controlled;
- life-safety issues resolved;
- critical activities stable;
- recovery governance established;
- stakeholder consequences manageable;
- communication requirements reduced;
- no material unresolved strategic decision requiring CMT authority; and
- remaining actions can be managed through normal or recovery structures.
Stand-down should be formally authorised and recorded.
#### **Example — Integrated BDCB RTGS Crisis Response**
Consider a serious RTGS outage.
##### **Stage 1 — Detect**
Payment operations identify major RTGS unavailability.
##### **Stage 2 — Operational Response**
Technology and payment specialists investigate and begin recovery.
##### **Stage 3 — Assess**
The outage is expected to continue; multiple institutions are affected, and settlement obligations are accumulating.
##### **Stage 4 — Escalate**
Potential liquidity, operational and confidence consequences require senior attention.
##### **Stage 5 — Activate**
The CMT is activated.
##### **Stage 6 — Establish Strategic Priorities**
The CMT prioritises:
- transaction integrity;
- settlement consequences;
- affected institutions;
- recovery options;
- liquidity implications;
- stakeholder communication; and
- financial-stability monitoring.
##### **Stage 7 — Decide**
Strategic options are evaluated and authorised.
##### **Stage 8 — Communicate**
Affected participants receive coordinated information, and management determines whether wider communication is required.
##### **Stage 9 — Monitor**
Technical recovery and financial-sector consequences are monitored simultaneously.
##### **Stage 10 — Recover**
RTGS is restored, integrity is confirmed, settlement is normalised, and residual consequences are transferred into recovery governance.
The end-to-end flow is:
**RTGS Failure → Operational Response → Strategic Impact Assessment → CMT Activation → Strategic Decisions → Stakeholder Communication → Technology Recovery + Financial-Sector Stabilisation → Controlled Recovery**
This illustrates why restoring technology alone is not sufficient for Crisis Management.
#### **During-Crisis Performance Questions**
Throughout the response, the Crisis Leader should repeatedly ask:
| Question | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| What has changed? | Maintain situational awareness |
| What do we know? | Establish facts |
| What are we assuming? | Expose uncertainty |
| What do we not know? | Identify information gaps |
| What could happen next? | Maintain forward view |
| Who is affected? | Understand consequences |
| What are our priorities? | Maintain strategic focus |
| What decisions are required? | Drive action |
| Who has authority? | Maintain governance |
| What must we communicate? | Maintain stakeholder confidence |
| Are our actions working? | Evaluate effectiveness |
| What must change? | Adapt strategy |
| Can we sustain this response? | Manage prolonged crisis |
| Can we begin recovery? | Prepare transition |
These questions help prevent the CMT from becoming consumed by operational detail.
#### **During-Crisis Control Cycle**
The CMT should operate through a continuous control cycle:
**Assess → Prioritise → Decide → Direct → Communicate → Monitor → Reassess**
The cycle continues until the strategic crisis has been stabilised sufficiently for recovery governance to take over.
This reflects the reality that Crisis Management is dynamic rather than a checklist executed once.
#### **Governance Evidence During the Crisis**
A well-managed crisis should leave an appropriate evidence trail.
Records may include:
- activation decision;
- CMT attendance;
- SitReps;
- strategic priorities;
- decision logs;
- action logs;
- stakeholder communications;
- approved public statements;
- advice received;
- recovery decisions;
- handover records; and
- stand-down decision.
These records support accountability and the post-crisis learning process.
#### **Key Implementation Principle**
The central principle for BDCB during a crisis is:
**Operational teams should control the incident; the Crisis Management Team should control the strategic response.**
The two levels must remain connected.
This creates a continuous feedback loop between the people closest to the incident and the leaders responsible for managing its wider consequences.
The objective of the CMT is therefore not to know every technical detail. It is to maintain sufficient understanding to answer four strategic questions:
### [![\[Summary\] \[CM\] \[WH\] \[E1\] \[C10\] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/dcf706fd-4523-4072-b56c-cd01992f0b64.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/dcf706fd-4523-4072-b56c-cd01992f0b64)
During a crisis, BDCB must move rapidly from preparedness into **strategic leadership, coordinated response, and disciplined decision-making**. Crisis activation should be driven by actual or potential strategic consequences rather than by the size of the initiating incident alone.
Once activated, the CMT should establish situational awareness, determine strategic priorities, coordinate specialist response teams, make timely and defensible decisions, manage stakeholders, and maintain authoritative communication.
BCM Institute's during-crisis guidance similarly emphasises activation, assessment, stabilisation, decision-making, communication, monitoring, and recovery as an adaptable response sequence.
An ICS-informed coordination model can provide BDCB with clear command, functional responsibility, information flow, and resource coordination while preserving the essential distinction between strategic Crisis Management and operational response.
Scenario-specific playbooks should supplement—not replace—the common Crisis Management framework, enabling cyber, technology, payment-system, financial-sector, misinformation, security, and natural-hazard crises to be addressed according to their particular consequences.
Most importantly, effective during-crisis management requires the CMT to maintain a **forward-looking strategic perspective**. It must continually assess not only what has happened, but what could happen next; not only what has failed, but who may be affected; and not only how the incident will be resolved, but how BDCB can protect its mandate, stakeholders, confidence, and financial system stability. This emphasis on crisis leadership, decision-making, and communication is consistent with the strategic Crisis Management capability described by ISO 22361.
#### **Chapter 10 implementation pathway:**
**Detect → Escalate → Activate → Establish Command → Assess → Stabilise → Decide → Communicate → Coordinate → Monitor → Adapt → Recover → Stand Down**
****
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/3aefb2d2-3110-47c1-ad4f-d3e6e5381066)
[![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[3/4 Banner\] Crisis Management in Action\_ A Practical Implementation Guide for BDCB](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/b3d8c34f-d579-45e8-aba7-c04de5f90bb2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/b3d8c34f-d579-45e8-aba7-c04de5f90bb2)
| **eBook 1: Understanding Your Organisation** | | | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **C1** | **C2** | **C3** | **C4** | **C5** | **C5A** | **C6** |
| [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C1\] Overview of Case Study](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/c6dfd532-71c7-42be-a2d2-57ee143d6a90.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/c6dfd532-71c7-42be-a2d2-57ee143d6a90) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C2\] Understanding Your Organisation](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/8901e543-d6be-4099-b44c-38a231ad93c9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/8901e543-d6be-4099-b44c-38a231ad93c9) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C3\] Establishing CM Goals](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/0c84af12-bdfb-4390-aaa3-982304dd50e5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/0c84af12-bdfb-4390-aaa3-982304dd50e5) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C4\] CM Vs BCM](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/2f5b3e5c-a85c-4d21-be23-0d1bb9002cdb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/2f5b3e5c-a85c-4d21-be23-0d1bb9002cdb) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C5\] Identifying the Types of Crisis Scenarios](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/20721361-3ba5-4e4f-8b95-393ae1f11cec.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/20721361-3ba5-4e4f-8b95-393ae1f11cec) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C5A\] Technological Crisis Scenarios](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/3889a50b-7ef7-4fc9-abba-b240819bbca9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/3889a50b-7ef7-4fc9-abba-b240819bbca9) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C6\] Assessing Risks and Threats](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/29a8e079-9de4-4c23-8bae-327e1b68a4a0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/29a8e079-9de4-4c23-8bae-327e1b68a4a0) |
| **C7** | **C8** | **C9** | **C10** | **C11** | **C12** | **C13** |
| [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C7\] Composing the CM Team](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/b582100d-8c8c-45a2-9e80-664d3960913f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/b582100d-8c8c-45a2-9e80-664d3960913f) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C8\] Implementing the CM Planning Methodology](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/7a2fd2b6-08ab-450c-93f1-85aaa8bfddd3.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/7a2fd2b6-08ab-450c-93f1-85aaa8bfddd3) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C9\] Pre-Crisis - Risk Identification and Crisis Preparedness](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/6ebafa39-8b98-4f27-946f-5c04561346f3.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/6ebafa39-8b98-4f27-946f-5c04561346f3) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C10\] During Crisis - Crisis Response and Decision-Making](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/a0d99bef-6420-47d2-b185-cafad05f89d8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/a0d99bef-6420-47d2-b185-cafad05f89d8) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C11\] Post Crisis - Crisis Recovery](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/6f4529d8-d55d-4b83-b788-694b197407d4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/6f4529d8-d55d-4b83-b788-694b197407d4) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] E1\] \[C12\] Summary and Strategic Outlook](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/24bcf380-f7b1-48d0-b5cb-b2bd308adafb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/24bcf380-f7b1-48d0-b5cb-b2bd308adafb) | [![\[CM\] \[BDCB\] \[E1\] \[C13\] \[Back Cover\] CM eBook 1](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/03a018f8-e311-43d0-b4af-41449a9756bf.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/03a018f8-e311-43d0-b4af-41449a9756bf) |
| | | | | | | |
#### More Information About Crisis Management Blended/ Hybrid Learning Courses
To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the CM-300 Crisis Management Implementer \[CM-3\] and the CM-5000 Crisis Management Expert Implementer \[CM-5\].
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