[CM] [SIT] [E1] [C7] Composing the CM Team

 

Introduction

For an institution such as Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), the Crisis Management Team (CMT) must be structured to respond rapidly to diverse crises—ranging from campus disruptions and cyber incidents to reputational and student safety issues.

In alignment with ISO 22361, a crisis management team is defined as a functionally responsible group tasked with leading crisis response and recovery.

ISO 22361 further emphasises that effective crisis management depends on clear governance, defined roles, leadership, and cross-functional coordination.

Therefore, SIT’s CMT must reflect both strategic leadership and operational capability across academic, administrative, and campus functions.

 Purpose of the Crisis Management Team Structure

The proposed structure ensures that SIT can:

• Provide strategic leadership and decision-making under crisis conditions
• Maintain continuity of teaching, research, and student services
• Protect students, staff, stakeholders, and institutional reputation
• Align with Singapore’s Whole-of-Government crisis coordination approach and ISO standards

 

Proposed Crisis Management Team Structure for SIT

1. Strategic Crisis Leadership (Gold Level)

1.1 Crisis Director (Crisis Management Team Leader)

Recommended Role: President / Provost / Senior Executive

Responsibilities:

• Overall command and decision-making authority
• Activation and deactivation of crisis response
• Strategic alignment with national agencies (e.g., MOE, GovTech, SCDF)
• Stakeholder assurance and governance oversight

👉 ISO guidance highlights that top management leadership is critical in crisis orchestration

 

1.2 Deputy Crisis Director

Recommended Role: Deputy President / COO

Responsibilities:

• Supports Crisis Director
• Ensures continuity of command
• Oversees cross-functional execution

 

2. Core Crisis Management Team (Silver Level – Tactical Command)

This group translates strategy into coordinated actions.

2.1 Operations Lead

Role: Head of Campus Operations / Facilities

• Campus safety, evacuation, and access control
• Infrastructure and facility recovery

2.2 Academic Continuity Lead

Role: Registrar / Academic Affairs Head

• Continuity of teaching (e-learning fallback, rescheduling)
• Academic policy adjustments during a crisis

2.3 Student Services Lead

Role: Dean of Students

• Student welfare, accommodation, and counselling
• Emergency communication with students and parents

2.4 Information Technology & Cybersecurity Lead

Role: CIO / IT Director

• Cyber incident response (e.g., ransomware, system outage)
• Digital learning platform continuity

2.5 Communications Lead (Crisis Communications)

Role: Corporate Communications Head

• Media management and public messaging
• Social media monitoring and rumour control
• Internal communications to staff and students

Crisis communication is a core ISO 22361 requirement and must be centrally coordinated

2.6 Human Resource Lead

Role: HR Director

• Staff accountability and welfare
• Workforce continuity and deployment

2.7 Legal & Compliance Advisor

Role: General Counsel

• Regulatory compliance (MOE, PDPC, etc.)
• Legal risk mitigation and advisory

2.8 Finance & Resource Management Lead

Role: CFO / Finance Director

• Emergency funding and financial impact tracking
• Resource allocation during a crisis

 

3. Specialist & Advisory Functions (Bronze Level – Operational Support)

These roles provide subject-matter expertise depending on the type of crisis.

3.1 Health & Safety Advisor

• Pandemic response, occupational health, biohazards

3.2 Security & Emergency Services Liaison

• Coordination with SCDF, Police, and campus security

3.3 Psychological Support Coordinator

• Mental health support for students and staff

3.4 Risk Management / Business Continuity Lead

• Integration with BCM and operational resilience frameworks

3.5 Technology & Data Protection Specialist

• Data breach response and privacy compliance

ISO-aligned teams typically include HR, legal, communications, operations, and technical specialists to ensure a comprehensive response

 

4. Crisis Management Support Office (Command Centre)

4.1 Crisis Secretariat / Situation Unit

• Incident logging and documentation
• Situation reports (SITREPs)
• Decision tracking

4.2 Information & Intelligence Unit

• Real-time monitoring (social media, campus sensors, news)
• Risk assessment and escalation

4.3 Logistics & Administration Unit

• Resource coordination
• Facilities and support arrangements

Crisis Management Team Structure (SIT)

Level	Component	Role / Function
Strategic (Gold)	Crisis Director	President / Provost – Overall leadership and decision-making authority
	Deputy Crisis Director	Deputy President / COO – Supports leadership and ensures continuity of command
Tactical (Silver)	Core Crisis Management Team
	Operations	Campus operations, facilities, safety, and evacuation
	Academic Continuity	Teaching continuity, e-learning, and academic adjustments
	Student Services	Student welfare, communication with students and parents
	IT & Cybersecurity	IT systems, cybersecurity, and digital platform continuity
	Communications	Media relations, internal and external communications
	Human Resources (HR)	Staff welfare, workforce continuity
	Legal & Compliance	Regulatory compliance, legal advisory
	Finance	Financial management, emergency funding
Operational (Bronze)	Specialist Advisors
	Health & Safety	Occupational health, pandemic and safety management
	Security Liaison	Coordination with police, SCDF, and security agencies
	Psychological Support	Mental health and counselling support
	BCM / Risk	Business continuity and risk management integration
	Data Protection	Data privacy and breach management
Support Layer	Crisis Support Office
	Situation Unit	Incident tracking, reporting, SITREPs
	Intelligence Unit	Monitoring, threat analysis, and information gathering
	Logistics Unit	Resource coordination, administrative support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Key Design Principles for SIT’s Crisis Team

6.1 Cross-Functional Representation

The team must include all critical business functions—academic, administrative, and technical—to ensure continuity of SIT’s services.

6.2 Scalability and Flexibility

Different crisis scenarios (e.g., cyberattack vs campus lockdown) require modular activation of specialists.

6.3 Clear Authority and Escalation

ISO 22361 stresses a defined governance and decision-making hierarchy to avoid confusion during crises

6.4 Integration with Business Continuity Management (BCM)

The CMT must work closely with SIT’s BCM teams to ensure:

• Recovery of critical services
• Alignment with ISO 22301 requirements

6.5 Alignment with Singapore Context

SIT must ensure coordination with:

• Ministry of Education (MOE)
• GovTech (for cyber incidents)
• SCDF / Police (for emergencies)

 

 The Crisis Management Team for Singapore Institute of Technology should be multi-tiered, cross-functional, and leadership-driven, combining strategic oversight with operational execution.

By structuring the team into Leadership (Gold), Tactical (Silver), and Operational (Bronze) levels, SIT can ensure rapid, coordinated, and effective crisis response.

This approach aligns with ISO 22361, which emphasises governance, leadership, and clearly defined roles as the foundation of effective crisis management capability.

Ultimately, a well-designed CMT enables SIT to protect its people, sustain its educational mission, and maintain public trust—even in the most complex and disruptive crisis scenarios.

 

 

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].