Background

An integration experience that demonstrates ability to comprehend the learning outcomes, to apply and transfer their growing knowledge in the areas of crisis and risk analysis, and to guide organizational executives in process steps to mediate the situation. The document is designed as a partial replication of a real-world crisis communications plan that would instruct the crisis team in recovery steps. 

Instructions

A crisis plan is an action document and presented in sections and instructional bullet lists. It is not developed as a typical academic paper, as it is closer to an operational guide. 

The assignment includes the following sections: 

• Company      overview. Select a public company that is supported with a sophisticated      web site that provides insight into the organization’s history, product,      services, vision, mission and geographic areas in which it operates. Use      in-text citations to credit the source materials that are consulted. 
• Identify      and explain a list of 5 to 7 vulnerabilities that may develop into a full      crisis scenario impacting the selected organization. Rank the potential      issues in order of likelihood of occurrence. Provide limited descriptions      of each vulnerability, and insight into why it poses a notable risk. 
• Select      one potential crisis area to examine in greater detail.  For example:      an active shooter in a high school, a fire in an industrial complex or a      major environmental event (seasonal wildfire). Provide insight into the      event and its complexity. Strive to utilize key terms, concepts and      conclusions from throughout the course experience and materials. 
• List      and discuss the top five stakeholders who would be impacted by the crisis      event. Break out the stakeholders by category (internal audiences or      external publics) and list in order of importance. Briefly explain what      the stakeholders would hope to know about the event and its impact. 
• Identify      the proposed members of the Crisis Management Team (CMT). These      individuals should have the experience and authority to implement their      section of a larger Crisis Communications Plan. The Team may include      departments such as Facilities, Security, Human Resources and Information      Technology.  
• State      the key communicators who will lead the process. Outline some primary      responsibilities. 
• Determine      how employees would receive word of the crisis. State which communications      channels would be deployed (e.g., an internal phone tree, e-mail, texts on      company phones or area meetings). 
• Conduct      research into the community in which the company conducts business. Note      the various traditional media outlets (print, television and radio) that      would need to be notified if a crisis were to occur. Project key messages      that would be positioned and the media relations tools that would be      produced, such as press releases, fact sheets or talking points to guide      the assigned spokesperson. 
• Forecast      what social media platforms might be used to accentuate the messaging      process. 
• Forecast      three primary messages that would notify stakeholders of the development      and provide foundational information about the crisis. 
• Outline      key crisis management procedures. Associate action steps/accountability to      the responsible departments or individual Crisis Management Team      members. 
• Extend      best practice recommendations that could be used for future crisis drills      and other training. 
• Give      appropriate credit to all sources consulted for this activity. Include      in-text citations, where warranted. 
• Present      the plan in third person. 
• Construct      the document as it is advisory in nature. Language should be directive and      easy to comprehend so, ideally, members of the Crisis Management Team      could efficiently implement their “piece of the puzzle” and follow the      Communication Director’s instructions. 
• Use      section headings to ensure the document is user-friendly. 
• Include      any resources that would supplement the plan document or further detail      the recommended processes in the backmatter/appendix section of the      document. Examples include tables of organization, key Crisis Management      Team job descriptions, Crisis Room supplies or other content that provides      insight into how the plan document would sync with other preparatory and      implementation activities. 
• If      existing plans, templates or other guiding materials are consulted during      the development of this plan, clearly identify the content origin in the      Facsimile Plan with in-text citations. 
• Include      a cover page. 
• Include      a references section. 
• Apply      the fundamentals of APA form and style (7th edition). A basic in-text      citation includes this presentation and information (author, year of      publication, page or paragraph) or (Smith, 2024, p. 27). An in-text      citation that includes a paragraph would appear as (ABC Company About Us,      2024, para. 3).  

Length: must be 8 to 12 pages, excluding the title and reference pages). 

References: Include 5 scholarly or industry resources. Include in-text citations and full citations within the references section of the paper.