Crisis management

Government plans for new volunteer Army

21/03/2008 Gordon Brown wants tens of thousands of Britons to join a new volunteer force to help the Government respond and help tackle boost resources in handling threats to our communities from flooding right through to terrorism. 

The Prime Minister also said ministers will also publish an annual risk register of the top threats facing Britain, from the Al Qaeda terror threat to flooding and cyber crime. The new force, called a new Civil Protection Network, will be based on the local Neighbourhood Watch schemes and will link into Local Authority Planning The Prime Minister said he wanted to see “improved resilience against emergencies" from floods to terrorist attacks. This would take “not the old Cold War idea of civil defence but a new form of civil protection". 

Since November 2001, the US administration has been diverting crude oil supply from the market to the strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), which now stands at a record 700m barrels – in addition to the vast reserves held by the other 25 member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) club of industrialised oil consumers. The government has offered to tap those reserves as an emergency response to the massive supply disruptions caused by Katrina. But the SPR will not be much help. Releasing SPR crude will not offset a looming shortage of natural gas and, given refining constraints, will increase product supply by only a small amount. Its effect on prices will be marginal at best.

While the web has reduced from days to minutes the time in which a corporate reputation can be attacked on a global scale, companies trying to protect their brands must also face the fact that the public remains cynical about the motives of organisations in both state and private sectors.

Managing a Digital Crisis

One thing is certain: A new scandal or crisis always seems to be around the next corner. Yet today, very few brands and celebrities know how to fully leverage the Internet when faced with a public relations crisis.

Recent PR nightmares for JetBlue, Turner Broadcasting, Dell Computers and KFC-Taco Bell demonstrate that as the "social Web" evolves, the focus for brands needs to be less on digital marketing and more on digital brand management.

Category Business Continuity Management BCM - EVENT - Crisis Management Seminar - Advice

Crisis Management Seminar

We are continuing this very popular and successful Event series with regular half day sessions that discuss vital Crisis Management topics covering Managing your People, working with stake-holders and Crisis Communications.

We also feature a significant Case Study on a leading British organisation, illustrating their approach to Crisis Management, including lessons learned from various crises. We also discuss the latest developments in business continuity, risk management and include recently updated information on market developments .

Reputational risk - BCM & Crisis Management

Your good name takes years to build, but how do you keep it? 

It could be a terrorist attack or natural disaster, a regulatory investigation or the exposure of a fraud, an IT security breach or embarrassing litigation. Companies are all too aware they are operating in risky times but tackling the underlying cause of a sticky situation may be only half the battle. 

Nature has a way of reminding us that the unexpected will always happen. Earthquakes, forest fires, avalanches, tsunamis, disease and flooding are some of the events that have disastrous outcomes and continue to surprise the world when they occur. How we cope with the effects of such events is determined by the willingness and capabilities of governments, NGOs and individuals.

Whilst unable to predict precisely when and what will occur experience has taught society that preparation and planning at all levels leads to a greater level of resilience for communities. This resilience however is dependent upon the capabilities of the authorities, voluntary organisations and businesses to respond at the time.

2005 will be remembered for the power of nature and its ability to destroy what man has made. The Indian Ocean tsunami, hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the earthquake in Kashmir have provided demonstrations of how fragile communities are when faced by such disasters.

The enormity of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina on the communities of the US Gulf coast has yet to be comprehensively assessed. Already, though, the consequences for businesses around the world are beginning to become clear.

Insurance claims are expected to run to many billions of dollars, and the closure of oil refineries is causing a surge in fuel prices. Coming soon after last month’s severe floods in Switzerland and Austria, and with the Indian Ocean tsunamis fresh in the memory, Katrina has reminded us of the impact natural disasters can have on business – especially those that are unprepared.

While much corporate attention has, over the past several years, been lavished on security - with everything from guards, access control cards and electronic intrusion detection systems now the norm - managing a crisis in the workplace is sometimes neglected.

Executive Summary

In September 2000, British farmers and truck drivers launched a dramatic campaign of direct action to protest a fuel duty. Their campaign followed a similar one by farmers, truckers, and fishermen in France, which had resulted in concessions from the French government.

The UK protesters blockaded fuel refineries and distribution depots, and, within days, created a fuel crisis that paralyzed CI sectors and brought the country to a virtual halt. The impact of the protest was much deeper than anticipated because it struck at a particularly vulnerable point of the UK economy -- the oil distribution network, which had been organized along just-in-time delivery principles. This, combined with anticipated shortages by fuel consumers and consequent panic buying, magnified the impact of the protests on practically all CI sectors in the UK.