[CM] [P6A] Developing Pre-Crisis Procedures

Chapter 6[A]

 Developing Pre-Crisis Procedures

Introduction

Preparation is the cornerstone of effective crisis management.

Long before a crisis occurs, organisations must establish the procedures, resources, and governance needed to detect emerging threats, maintain readiness, and enable a rapid, coordinated response.

This blog is the first in a three-part series on crisis procedures and focuses on the pre-crisis phase—the period during which organisations monitor risks, identify early warning indicators, validate Crisis Management Team (CMT) readiness, prepare critical resources, and ensure stakeholder and communication arrangements remain current.

By embedding these activities into day-to-day operations, organisations can reduce the likelihood of escalation and significantly improve their ability to respond when a crisis occurs.

Purpose of Pre-Crisis Procedures

Pre-crisis procedures establish the actions required before an event occurs.

Their purpose is to:

• Reduce the likelihood of escalation
• Identify early warning signs
• Maintain response readiness
• Prepare resources
• Confirm stakeholder arrangements
• Ensure plans and tools remain current
• Enable rapid activation

Pre-crisis procedures may be generic or scenario-specific.

Generic procedures apply across most crises, while scenario-specific procedures address particular threats such as cyberattacks, severe weather, supply chain failures, or public health incidents.

Threat Monitoring

The organisation should define how it monitors potential threats.

Monitoring may include:

• Security alerts
• Cyber-threat intelligence
• Weather and environmental warnings
• Supplier-performance indicators
• Regulatory announcements
• Media reports
• Social-media trends
• Customer complaints
• Employee reporting
• Industry intelligence
• Geopolitical developments

The procedure should identify:

• Information source
• Monitoring frequency
• Responsible role
• Escalation threshold
• Reporting process

Monitoring should be linked to early warning and escalation.

Early Warning Indicators

Early warning indicators provide evidence that a crisis may be developing.

Examples include:

Cyber Crisis

• Unusual privileged-account activity
• Rapid encryption of files
• Repeated failed access attempts
• Unexpected data transfers
• Attacker communication

Severe Weather

• Deteriorating forecasts
• Transport restrictions
• Facility-access problems
• Employee absenteeism
• Supply delays

Reputation Crisis

• Sudden increase in complaints
• Journalist enquiries
• Viral social-media posts
• Public allegations
• Activist attention

Supply-Chain Crisis

• Supplier service deterioration
• Missed deliveries
• Financial distress
• Regulatory action against the supplier
• Loss of transport capacity

Each indicator should have a defined threshold and owner.

Maintaining CMT Readiness

Pre-crisis procedures should ensure that CMT members remain prepared.

Readiness activities may include:

• Role briefings
• Plan familiarisation
• Contact validation
• Communication-platform testing
• Exercise participation
• Alternate-role preparation
• Decision-authority review
• Leadership succession testing

The organisation should define how frequently these activities occur.

Resource Readiness

The organisation should maintain the resources required for crisis response.

These may include:

• Crisis Management Centre
• Alternate facility
• Independent communication tools
• Printed plans
• Offline contact directories
• Emergency funds
• Specialist advisers
• Additional staffing
• Transport
• Accommodation
• Welfare support
• Backup equipment

The procedure should include periodic verification.

A resource listed in the plan but unavailable during a crisis has no practical value.

Stakeholder Readiness

Stakeholder readiness may include:

• Maintaining regulator contacts
• Confirming emergency service interfaces
• Validating supplier escalation contacts
• Preparing Board reporting arrangements
• Establishing customer communication channels
• Maintaining media contact arrangements
• Confirming insurer-notification procedures

These arrangements should not be developed for the first time during a crisis.

Communication Preparation

Pre-crisis communication procedures should include:

• Holding statements
• Employee notification templates
• Customer messages
• Regulatory notification templates
• Contact-centre scripts
• Spokesperson arrangements
• Approval process
• Media-monitoring capability
• Backup communication channels

Templates should be adaptable rather than overly scenario-specific.

Pre-Crisis Procedure Table

A practical procedure table may include:

Conclusion

Pre-crisis procedures are not merely administrative checklists; they are the operational foundation upon which successful crisis response is built.

Organisations that continuously monitor threats, maintain preparedness, and regularly validate their plans, people, and resources are far better positioned to make timely decisions under pressure.

This blog establishes the preparedness phase of the crisis procedure lifecycle.

The next blog in this series, Developing During-Crisis Procedures, examines how organisations activate the Crisis Management Team, establish command and control, coordinate communications, and manage response activities once a crisis has been declared.

Together with the subsequent Post-Crisis Procedures blog, these articles provide a comprehensive methodology for managing the entire crisis lifecycle—from readiness and response to recovery and continuous improvement.

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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