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.
Pre-crisis procedures establish the actions required before an event occurs.
Their purpose is to:
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.
The organisation should define how it monitors potential threats.
Monitoring may include:
The procedure should identify:
Monitoring should be linked to early warning and escalation.
Early warning indicators provide evidence that a crisis may be developing.
Examples include:
Each indicator should have a defined threshold and owner.
Pre-crisis procedures should ensure that CMT members remain prepared.
Readiness activities may include:
The organisation should define how frequently these activities occur.
The organisation should maintain the resources required for crisis response.
These may include:
The procedure should include periodic verification.
A resource listed in the plan but unavailable during a crisis has no practical value.
Stakeholder readiness may include:
These arrangements should not be developed for the first time during a crisis.
Pre-crisis communication procedures should include:
Templates should be adaptable rather than overly scenario-specific.
A practical procedure table may include:
|
Ref |
Trigger or Requirement |
Pre-Crisis Action |
Responsible Role |
Resource |
Status |
|
PRE-01 |
Threat level increases |
Increase monitoring |
Risk Owner |
Monitoring platform |
|
|
PRE-02 |
CMT readiness review due |
Validate contacts and alternates |
Crisis Coordinator |
Contact directory |
|
|
PRE-03 |
New regulatory requirement |
Update notification checklist |
Compliance Lead |
Regulatory register |
|
|
PRE-04 |
Exercise scheduled |
Test activation and communication |
Enterprise Resilience |
Exercise package |
|
|
PRE-05 |
Supplier dependency changes |
Update escalation contacts |
Procurement Lead |
Supplier register |
|
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.
Goh, M. H. (2016). A Manager’s Guide to Implementing Your Crisis Management Plan. Business Continuity Management Specialist Series (1st ed., p. 192). Singapore: GMH Pte Ltd.
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].
|
Please feel free to send us a note if you have any questions. |
||