[OR] [BOK] [12] [P3] [S2] Develop Communication Strategy

Element

Description

Purpose

• To establish a structured communication strategy that ensures stakeholders are informed, engaged, and aligned throughout the operational resilience (OR) lifecycle, particularly during disruptions and recovery.
• This strategy reinforces confidence, minimises misinformation, and strengthens organisational resilience culture.

• Define clear communication protocols for normal operations, heightened risk periods, and crises.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and consistent dissemination of information to internal and external stakeholders.
• Build stakeholder confidence and trust by demonstrating transparency and accountability.
• Align communication with regulatory and supervisory expectations (e.g.,  financial services regulators).
• Support awareness, training, and reinforcement of resilience responsibilities across the organisation.

Inputs

• Organisational resilience policies and governance framework.
• Regulatory communication requirements.
• Stakeholder analysis and mapping (internal, external, regulators, customers, suppliers, media).
• Crisis communication and incident management plans.
• Lessons learned from previous disruptions, exercises, and audits.

Activities

• Develop a stakeholder communication map identifying information needs, channels, and frequency.
• Define roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths for communication teams.
• Establish messaging templates for various disruption scenarios (e.g., service outage, cyber incident, supply chain failure).
• Integrate communication planning with incident management and business continuity processes.
• Conduct awareness sessions, training, and simulations to validate communication effectiveness.
• Leverage multiple communication channels (e.g., email, intranet, social media, and regulator portals) to ensure redundancy and accessibility.

Outputs

• Documented Communication Strategy and Plan aligned with OR framework.
• Stakeholder communication map and directory.
• Pre-approved message templates for different disruption scenarios.
• Integration of communication protocols within OR, BCM, and crisis management playbooks.
• Trained communication teams and validated communication procedures through exercises.

Linkages

• P1-S3: Identify Critical Stakeholders and Dependencies – provides input on who needs to be communicated with.
• P2-S4: Develop and Implement Response and Recovery Plans – ensures communication is integrated with operational response.
• P3-S1: Improve and Communicate Lessons Learned – uses feedback from past disruptions to refine communication strategies.
• Crisis Management and Crisis Communication Frameworks – provides tactical execution during crises.
• Regulatory Engagement – aligns with supervisory expectations for resilience communication.

To establish a structured communication strategy that ensures stakeholders are informed, engaged, and aligned throughout the operational resilience (OR) lifecycle, particularly during disruptions and recovery. This strategy reinforces confidence, minimizes misinformation, and strengthens organizational resilience culture.

- Define clear communication protocols for normal operations, heightened risk periods, and crisis situations.

- Ensure timely, accurate, and consistent dissemination of information to internal and external stakeholders.

- Build stakeholder confidence and trust by demonstrating transparency and accountability.

- Align communication with regulatory and supervisory expectations (e.g., financial services regulators).

- Support awareness, training, and reinforcement of resilience responsibilities across the organization.

- Organizational resilience policies and governance framework.

- Regulatory communication requirements.

- Stakeholder analysis and mapping (internal, external, regulators, customers, suppliers, media).

- Crisis communication and incident management plans.

- Lessons learned from previous disruptions, exercises, and audits.

- Develop a stakeholder communication map identifying information needs, channels, and frequency.

- Define roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths for communication teams.

- Establish messaging templates for various disruption scenarios (e.g., service outage, cyber incident, supply chain failure).

- Integrate communication planning with incident management and business continuity processes.

- Conduct awareness sessions, training, and simulations to validate communication effectiveness.

- Leverage multiple communication channels (e.g., email, intranet, social media, regulator portals) to ensure redundancy and accessibility.

- Documented Communication Strategy and Plan aligned with OR framework.

- Stakeholder communication map and directory.

- Pre-approved message templates for different disruption scenarios.

- Integration of communication protocols within OR, BCM, and crisis management playbooks.

- Trained communication teams and validated communication procedures through exercises.

- P1-S3: Identify Critical Stakeholders and Dependencies – provides input on who needs to be communicated with.

- P2-S4: Develop and Implement Response and Recovery Plans – ensures communication is integrated with operational response.

- P3-S1: Improve and Communicate Lessons Learned – uses feedback from past disruptions to refine communication strategies.

- Crisis Management and Crisis Communication Frameworks – provides tactical execution during crises.

- Regulatory Engagement – aligns with supervisory expectations for resilience communication.