Crisis Communication Plan

This document provides a sample crisis communication guide for Reef Check, an organization that trains citizen scientist divers to monitor the health of coral reefs and kelp forests.

Note: This is an exercise document created for the purpose of showing an example crisis communication plan for National University. Image from @reefcheckfoundation

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Introduction

Crises are dangerous moments or turning points in the history of an organization that have elements of surprise, threat, and a short response time; crises can simultaneously present threats and opportunities to the organization’s high-priority goals (Ulmer et al., 2018). It is important for organizations to prepare a plan before crises occur so that all members of a crisis management team (CMT) know their duties and roles within the organization's response, and so that members can communicate to stakeholders early and often as the situation develops. 

Reef Check does not currently have a crisis communication plan in place, so this document will serve as a guide for the organization in the event of a crisis. This document will provide an overview of the organization's background and history, followed by a stakeholder analysis, a risk and issue assessment, a media analysis, and finally a crisis communication plan, including details of the crisis management team in the event of a crisis.

It is important to note that “crises do not build character but expose the established character and values of organizations through their communication” (Ulmer). This is why the recommended crisis communication plan for Reef Check will follow the mission and values that the nonprofit organization prioritizes.

Reef Check Background & History

Reef Check is an international nonprofit organization, founded in 1996, that’s dedicated to the conservation of tropical coral reefs and temperate kelp forests. Reef Check is composed of a small team of 14 employees and supported by a large base of SCUBA dive volunteers and advisors. The organization has offices in California (Santa Cruz and Los Angeles), as well as volunteer teams in more than 40 countries and territories.

Vision:

Thriving reefs, cared for by communities sustained for generations to come.

Mission:

To lead citizen scientists who promote stewardship of sustainable kelp and reef communities around the globe.

The three main Reef Check programs include:

  • Coral Reef Program: Established in 1996; Reef Check trains dive volunteers (certified for open water or rescue diving) through a EcoDiver Course to survey coral reef health.
  • Kelp Forest Program: Established in 2006; Reef Check trains dive volunteers (certified for rescue diving) through a Kelp Forest Monitoring Specialty Certification Course to survey kelp forest health along the U.S. West Coast. Included in the Kelp Forest Program is the Kelp Restoration Program and the Climate Change Project. 
  • Educational Program: Established in 2021; Under-resourced youths who have a passion for conservation and the ocean are taught by trained SCUBA instructors, marine biologists and Reef Check volunteer dive leaders to learn skills and gain experiences necessary to create a pathway to college and careers.

With the Coral Reef program, EcoDivers conduct over 600 surveys annually (organized through different chapters worldwide) to monitor the health of coral reefs. As of February 2023, Reef Check has trained more than 7,600 EcoDivers, conducted more than 15,000 coral reef surveys, and surveyed more than 5,400 coral reef sites. With the Kelp Forest Program, Reef Check has trained more than 200 citizen scientists to survey kelp forests, it surveys 38 kelp forests annually in marine-protected areas, and it studies climate change in 78 sites along the California coast. 

Stakeholder Analysis

It’s important for organizations to have a strong understanding of their stakeholders because team members need to know how to engage with the stakeholders before, during and after a crisis. Ideally, before a crisis occurs, an organization should build strong bonds with stakeholders so that they can understand how important they are to the project (including primary and secondary stakeholders), how to communicate with the various stakeholders, as well as how the organization can recover from a crisis (Ulmer et al., 2018).

Primary stakeholders are groups that are most important to the organization’s success, that the organization interacts with regularly. Secondary stakeholders are groups that don’t have an active role in day-to-day operations or activities, but are still important for the organization’s overall success (Ulmer et al., 2018). The following table defines the internal and external stakeholders for Reef Check, divided by primary or secondary groups.

Reef Check Stakeholders

Internal Stakeholders

External Stakeholders

Primary Stakeholders

Employees

Reef Check Chapters

Ocean Protection Council

Nature Conservancy

Moss Landing Marine Lab

CA Department of Fish and Wildlife 

CA Ocean Protection Council

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Giant Giant Kelp Restoration

Secondary Stakeholders

Volunteers

Board of directors

Advisory board

Founder Gregor Hodgson

Media

Legal counsel

Competitors

Coast Guard

PADI

Local government/police departments

Family members of employees/volunteers

Risk & Issues Assessment

There are two types of crises that can affect an organization: intentionally caused crises and unintentional crises caused by uncontrollable factors. Intentional crises could include: terrorism, sabotage, workplace violence, poor employee relationships, poor risk management, hostile takeovers and unethical leadership. Unintentional crises could include: natural disasters, disease outbreaks, unforeseeable technical interactions, product failure, or downturns in the economy (Ulmer et al., 2018).

Like many nonprofit organizations, any number of these crises could befall Reef Check: from financial crises to workplace crises to natural disasters. However, this section will focus on arguably the biggest crisis risk specific to Reef Check: SCUBA dive training. Diving is a high-risk activity, and there are many ways to become injured while diving. Additionally, “the incidence of diving-related accidents has increased steadily with the increase in divers. Despite the many improvements in technology and safe-diving techniques, the rate of recreational scuba diving fatalities remains steady at about two fatalities per 100,000 dives” (Penrice & Cooper, 2020).

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) identifies more than 1,000 diving-related injuries each year, with over 10% of those being fatal. Most dive-related fatalities can be grouped into four major categories, including “preexisting medical conditions of divers, procedural errors, changes in an environment, and problems with equipment.” (Penrice & Cooper, 2020) Emergencies could range from a diver with decompression sickness symptoms, a cardiac incident, or a missing diver. According to the DAN, on site staffers “answer more than 2,500 emergency calls each year. In many cases, the outcome may have been better if an effective emergency action plan (EAP) had been [in] place” (How to Create an Effective Emergency Action Plan (EAP), 2020).

Reef Check takes great precautions with its SCUBA diving volunteers, including requiring almost all divers be rescue certified. However, there is always a chance of a crisis occurring during a dive or training. If that occurs, it is important to provide prompt, clear communication to stakeholders (anyone who could be impacted by the crisis, including the media).

Media Analysis

Because Reef Check is an international organization, with chapters located all around the world, it will be important to have an international media perspective to reach stakeholders. However, because the organization has offices in California and programs established along the West Coast, local media options could be beneficial in reaching stakeholders in those areas.

Reef Check strives to build stronger media relationships, which will be crucial to develop before a crisis in order to better communicate information and to control the narrative of the crisis. Here are some local news organizations (TV, radio, print, online news, etc.) in the areas where Reef Check operates either U.S. projects or offices, as well as dive-related media.

Monterey Bay & Bay Area, CA – Office

Mendocino County, CA – Kelp Restoration Project

Los Angeles, CA – Office

Dive-Related Media

Social Media

There are also several opportunities for Reef Check to communicate with stakeholders through social media, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Crisis Communication Plan Overview & Summary (CCP)

An effective crisis communication plan involves preparing for a crisis before it happens by understanding risks, having an effective communication plan in place before the crisis so team members know their responsibilities for a prompt and cohesive response, and following up a crisis with an evaluation and analysis on how the organization can improve moving forward so the crisis does not reoccur. 

Before a Crisis

  • Determine goals for the organization before the crisis.
  • Develop true, equal partnerships with important stakeholders, including primary and secondary relationships.
  • Determine risks for the organization.

An organization’s risk management process model includes several steps, and at each stage there should be an opportunity before a crisis for a formal audit and modification. All employees should participate in creating this risk management process.

  • Strategic objectives: Clarifying the organization’s strategic objectives or goals is important for considering risks specific to those main objectives.
  • Risk assessment:
    • Risk analysis: Risk identification (listing), description (prioritize risks in table format) and estimation (threat vs probability evaluation).
    • Risk evaluation: Rates each risk for prioritization.
  • Risk reporting: Internal and external communication about risks.
  • Risk treatment: Risk control, mitigation and avoidance, plus risk financing and more.
  • Risk monitoring: Regular review for risk identification and assessment.

During a Crisis

  • Acknowledge stakeholders (including media) as partners, and listen to stakeholders.
  • Communicate early about the crisis, acknowledge uncertainty, and assure stakeholders that you will communicate about current and future risks.
  • Avoid giving absolute answers or over-reassure stakeholders about the crisis impact.
  • If you’re at fault, accept responsibility and apologize.
  • Educate the public on how they can protect themselves during a crisis, if appropriate.
  • Acknowledged that positive factors could come from the crisis.

Crisis Communication Plan

A copy of this crisis communication plan should be at each office and offsite location, both electronically and in paper format. It is the responsibility of the crisis communication team leader to ensure that a copy of the communication plan is available to each employee, volunteer and key emergency response members in the event of a crisis, as well as that the plan is kept up to date and that all team members have read and understand its contents (Media and Community Crisis Communication Planning Template, 2010).

If a crisis occurs during a dive event, team members should follow the established emergency action plan and communicate with the crisis management team lead about the events. The following plan will focus on the communication aspect of the crisis.

    1. Verify the crisis situation: Who, what, where, when, why
    2. Contact the team leader: Contact the team leader even if the situation seems like it won’t attract community or media attention, as crisis situations can escalate quickly.
    3. Contact communications team: The team leader will coordinate contacting all members of the crisis communications team.
    4. Assess the communications level crisis: Levels 1-4. (Appendix, chart 1)
    5. Establish a communications operation center: Location near the site.
      1. Set up separate media sites, family/employee sites, and a site for VIP visitors.
      2. Determine site hours and site staffing.
  • Develop messages for the specific crisis:
    1. Craft a script to communicate key information points.  
    2. Develop a list of questions stakeholders could ask about the crisis. 
    3. Modify pre-scripted messages for the situation.
    4. Identify the best methods for delivering key messages.
      1. Social media: Twitter posts for prompt community updates.
      2. Website and/or call line: Resources for stakeholders to get information.
      3. Press conferences: To shape the narrative and answer questions.
  1. Approve messages before sharing: The team lead needs to approve all internal or external messages prior to sharing on media channels.
  2. Communicate often: The communications specialist will coordinate delivering messages to stakeholders, including reaching out to local news organizations.
  3. Review crisis coverage: Review media sites, monitor chat boards, and conduct internet searches for keywords. Identify story trends and key stakeholder issues.
  4. Lessons learned: Communicate to stakeholders how the organization will make changes and improve from the crisis.

After the Crisis

Complete a review of the crisis and the crisis response. Note how the crisis communications could improve for the next crisis.

The Crisis Management Team for Reef Check:  

Note: Reef Check is a small nonprofit of 14 employees, so some crisis management team roles were allocated to board members who have more experience in those skill sets.

  • Team leader: NAME, POSITION 
    • Backup team leader: NAME, POSITION

The team leader is appointed by the board of directors; they have the authority to make binding decisions on behalf of the organization.

  • Finance director: NAME, POSITION
    • Backup finance director: NAME, POSITION

This person is responsible for handling the financial affairs related to the crisis and maintains detailed records of cost.

  • Legal representative: NAME, POSITION
    • Backup legal representative: NAME, POSITION

This person reviews the legal implications of the CMT’s action during the crisis.

  • Security directors:

The security directors handle crisis contingency planning, crisis response and information management. Responsibilities are divided up by professional expertise. 

  • Kelp Forest Program Crises: NAME, POSITION
  • Reef Program Crises: NAME, POSITION
  • Educational Program Crises: NAME, POSITION
  • Risk managers: NAME, POSITION and NAME, POSITION

Risk managers assess potential impact of crisis, secure financial protection and insurance, and help with information management. They also assist the security director as secondary intelligence and information officer. They prepare insurance claims and modify policies.

  • Communications specialist: NAME, POSITION
    • Backup communications specialist: NAME, POSITION

The communications specialist assesses the crisis and provides information without compromising details, prepares best- and worst-case press releases for various scenarios, and controls the release of information during a crisis.

  • Human resources representative: NAME, POSITION
    • Backup human resources representative: NAME, POSITION

The HR representative informs the crisis management team about issues affecting employees.

  • Security specialist: NAME, POSITION
    • Backup security specialist: NAME, POSITION

This outside consultant can educate the organization on contingency planning issues.

  • Board of directors

These individuals are responsible for formally approving the crisis response plan; the board also appoints the emergency response leader.

The following employees will assist the CMT as needed by the team leader, depending on availability and location: NAME, POSITION; NAME, POSITION; NAME, POSITION; NAME, POSITION

 

Conclusion

Crises are difficult for any organization, but smaller nonprofit organizations face even more challenges, as there are often limited team members to fulfill the crisis response team. Additionally, by the nature of Reef Check having chapters all over the world, there is an increased probability of communicating from a distance about a crisis. 

The purpose of this crisis communication plan is to help Reef Check prepare for potential crises the nonprofit organization may face in the future. This document focuses on the possible crises that could occur while diving, and it is recommended that Reef Check completes a thorough risk evaluation with all employees and develop crisis communication templates for the major categories of possible risks. Each team member should have a copy of this crisis communication plan and should know their responsibilities during a crisis. 

Reef Check could face many crises, and although this crisis communication plan focused on the risks associated with SCUBA diving, the steps can be followed for other crises that occur. This document should be reviewed and updated frequently so that all team members have current information on how to approach a crisis when it occurs.

 

Sources:

Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2018). Effective crisis communication : moving from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications, Inc. 

Podolak, A. (2002). Crisis management series: Creating crisis management teams. Risk Management, 49(9), 54–57.

Staff | Reef Check Foundation | Sustainable Reef Communities. (n.d.). Reef Check. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.reefcheck.org/about-reef-check/staff/

Reef Check Board of Directors | Reef Check Foundation. (n.d.). Reef Check. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.reefcheck.org/about-reef-check/board-of-directors/

Penrice, D., & Cooper, J. S. (2020). Diving Casualties. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459389/

A Risk Management Standard. (2002). AIRMIC, ALARM, IRM.

How to Create an Effective Emergency Action Plan (EAP). (July 2020). Divers Alert Network. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/divers-blog/how-to-create-an-effective-emergency-action-plan-eap/

Media and Community Crisis Communication Planning Template. (2010). https://nma.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Crisis-Communications-Template.pdf