1. CrisisCrisis ManagementManagement
A presentation byA presentation by
Bruce HugmanBruce Hugman
Consultant toConsultant to thethe Uppsala Monitoring CentreUppsala Monitoring Centre
Pretoria, September 2004Pretoria, September 2004
2. What is a crisis?What is a crisis?
In general?In general?
For an organisation?For an organisation?
For government orFor government or
bureaucracy?bureaucracy?
For a privateFor a private
company?company?
In healthcare?In healthcare?
In drug safetyIn drug safety??
3. TopicsTopics
The nature of crisisThe nature of crisis
Crisis management modelCrisis management model
PlanningPlanning
Risk assessmentRisk assessment
Risk managementRisk management
Crisis communicationsCrisis communications
Risk CommunicationsRisk Communications
4. Key features of a CrisisKey features of a Crisis
Low probabilityLow probability
High impactHigh impact
Uncertain/ambiguous causes and effectsUncertain/ambiguous causes and effects
Differential perceptionDifferential perceptionss
8. Common features of a crisis:Common features of a crisis:
The situation materialises unexpectedlyThe situation materialises unexpectedly
Decisions are required urgentlyDecisions are required urgently
Time is shortTime is short
Specific threats are identifiedSpecific threats are identified
Urgent demands for information are receivedUrgent demands for information are received
There is sense of loss of controlThere is sense of loss of control
Pressures build over timePressures build over time
Routine business become increasingly difficultRoutine business become increasingly difficult
Demands are made to identify someone to blameDemands are made to identify someone to blame
Outsiders take an unaccustomed interestOutsiders take an unaccustomed interest
Reputation suffersReputation suffers
Communications are increasingly difficult to manageCommunications are increasingly difficult to manage
9. Purpose of crisis management:Purpose of crisis management:
PreventionPrevention
SurvivalSurvival
Successful outcomesSuccessful outcomes
11. - Perpetrator was never identified
- Future attempts cannot
therefore be precluded
- Swift reactions reinforced
Company reputation for integrity
- Stakeholders reported high
degree of trust
- Product did not suffer in long
term
TYLENOL
TAMPERIN
G
- Long term costs were
transferred to public
- Delays in implementing clean-
up leading to loss of wildlife.
- Image management failed to
fully recover the Company’s
reputation in wider community
- Financial losses were bearable
- Costs relating to clean-up
were less than pre-emptive
costs
- Image management recovered
the Company’s reputation in
business community
EXXON
VALDEZ
Failure outcomesSuccess outcomesIncident
12.
13. Three criteria of success:Three criteria of success:
Has organisational capacity beenHas organisational capacity been
restored?restored?
Have losses been minimised?Have losses been minimised?
Have lessons been learned?Have lessons been learned?
17. Intrinsic crisis:Intrinsic crisis:
Total situation as seen by neutral observer with allTotal situation as seen by neutral observer with all
the factsthe facts
As seen by all individuals from particular viewpointsAs seen by all individuals from particular viewpoints
Perceived crisis:Perceived crisis:
20. Mature crisis management:Mature crisis management:
Grasp of intrinsic crisisGrasp of intrinsic crisis
Implementation of plans and proceduresImplementation of plans and procedures
22. Review and feedback:Review and feedback:
Assessing success and failureAssessing success and failure
Feeding learning into future planningFeeding learning into future planning
24. Management objective:Management objective:
• Ad hoc emergency reaction?Ad hoc emergency reaction?
OROR
• Building management capacity to handleBuilding management capacity to handle
unforeseen events?unforeseen events?
30. Who for Government?Who for Government?
MinistersMinisters
OfficialsOfficials
Political partiesPolitical parties
SponsorsSponsors
VotersVoters
International alliesInternational allies
The public in generalThe public in general
Tax-payersTax-payers
Consumer and lobbyConsumer and lobby
groupsgroups
LawyersLawyers
The mediaThe media
??
31. Who for medicine and drug safety?Who for medicine and drug safety?
ManufacturersManufacturers
RegulatorsRegulators
PoliticiansPoliticians
EmployeesEmployees
Health professionalsHealth professionals
PharmacistsPharmacists
AcademicsAcademics
The publicThe public
PatientsPatients
Consumer and lobbyConsumer and lobby
groupsgroups
LawyersLawyers
The mediaThe media
??
32. The first goal of crisisThe first goal of crisis
management is preventionmanagement is prevention
35. Risk assessment is:Risk assessment is:
IdentificationIdentification
define and describedefine and describe
EstimationEstimation
likelihood and consequenceslikelihood and consequences
EvaluationEvaluation
acceptability of riskacceptability of risk
36. AcceptableHigh chance that public
and media criticism will
arise
Recall of a defective batch
of medication may lower
consumer confidence and
take-up rate
UnacceptableMedium chance leading to
severe health problems or
death
Medication in question
could be mistaken for
sweets by young children
EvaluationEstimationIdentification
37. Priority actions to
sensitively
withdraw product
whilst reassuring
honestly and
openly
AcceptableHigh chance that
public and media
criticism will arise
Recall of a defective
batch of medication
may lower consumer
confidence and take-
up rate
Product needs to
be re-designed to
prevent the
possibility
UnacceptableMedium chance
leading to severe
health problems or
death
Medication in question
could be mistaken for
sweets by young
children
PlanningEvaluationEstimationIdentification
38. Risk management is:Risk management is:
PlanningPlanning
ResourcingResourcing
MonitoringMonitoring
ControllingControlling
39. Crisis Planning:Crisis Planning:
Assess risksAssess risks
Produce plansProduce plans
Define roles and responsibilitiesDefine roles and responsibilities
Appoint crisis management teamAppoint crisis management team
Draw up communication planDraw up communication plan
Produce contact and organisation chartProduce contact and organisation chart
Promote crisis-ready culturePromote crisis-ready culture
Publish plans and conduct trainingPublish plans and conduct training
Test, review and practiseTest, review and practise
43. Communication plan:Communication plan:
Core elements are:Core elements are:
Identifying audiences (Who?)Identifying audiences (Who?)
How communication is to take place (How?)How communication is to take place (How?)
What messages are to be communicated (What?)What messages are to be communicated (What?)
The core process is:The core process is:
Active, two-way communicationActive, two-way communication
44. WhoWho matters and how will they bematters and how will they be
contacted?contacted?
MinistersMinisters
OfficialsOfficials
Political partiesPolitical parties
SponsorsSponsors
VotersVoters
International alliesInternational allies
Tax-payersTax-payers
ManufacturersManufacturers
PoliticiansPoliticians
Health professionalsHealth professionals
PharmacistsPharmacists
AcademicsAcademics
PatientsPatients
ShareholdersShareholders
Stock-marketStock-market
RegulatorsRegulators
Senior executivesSenior executives
ExpertsExperts
EmployeesEmployees
The publicThe public
CustomersCustomers
Consumer and lobby groupsConsumer and lobby groups
LawyersLawyers
The mediaThe media
??
45. Dear Consumer Group
You will understand that managing the
nation’s drugs is a complex business.
From time to time there are scares or
crises which cause much concern to
everyone.
We are keen to discuss the handling of
such events, and to plan jointly with you
and others how we might best
communicate with you in such
circumstances. We’d like to establish
one-to-one contact between a member
of your team and ours…
46.
47. Message OptionsMessage Options [What?][What?]
1)1) Full apologyFull apology
2)2) Corrective actionCorrective action
3)3) IngratiationIngratiation
4)4) JustificationJustification
5)5) ExcuseExcuse
6)6) DenialDenial
7)7) Attack the attackerAttack the attacker
48. What does the world want to see?What does the world want to see?
Acceptance of responsibilityAcceptance of responsibility
Willingness to take positive stepsWillingness to take positive steps
49. Message Options:Message Options:
1)1) Full apologyFull apology
2)2) Corrective actionCorrective action
3)3) IngratiationIngratiation
4)4) JustificationJustification
5)5) ExcuseExcuse
6)6) DenialDenial
7)7) Attack the attackerAttack the attacker
51. Initial response:Initial response:
Tell the truth as it is knownTell the truth as it is known
Facts beyond questionFacts beyond question
Actions being takenActions being taken
Acknowledgement ofAcknowledgement of
emotions/psychological needsemotions/psychological needs
52. Lines to take:Lines to take:
Essential responses plannedEssential responses planned
Each new authorised response is loggedEach new authorised response is logged
DatabaseDatabase
BookBook
WallchartWallchart
Message boardMessage board
53. Question Is there a specific risk to
aged patients from the
medicine in question ?
Is the medicine
known by any other
trade names?
Source / Date Regional Health Authority
secretary
by phone 1/2/02
Feature editor Daily
News by phone
2/2/02
Line to take Patients over 65 and of
frail health are considered
to be high risk
Action to trace other
trade marks is
urgently proceeding
Source / Date Professor Chang
letter dated 2/2/02
Crisis team leader
document dated
1/2/02
54. Media demandsMedia demands [How?][How?]
Accuracy and simplicityAccuracy and simplicity
Statistics which are explainedStatistics which are explained
Context of informationContext of information
Comments from highest authorityComments from highest authority
Some controversial elementsSome controversial elements
Both sides of the issueBoth sides of the issue
Speed, speed and speedSpeed, speed and speed
55. The ideal spokesperson:The ideal spokesperson:
Polite and patientPolite and patient
Well-informed and authoritativeWell-informed and authoritative
Accurate and reliableAccurate and reliable
ArticulateArticulate
AvailableAvailable
TrustworthyTrustworthy
Evidently committed to the processEvidently committed to the process
56. Continuing public information andContinuing public information and
educationeducation
‘‘No drug is 100% safe’No drug is 100% safe’
Many drugs have potential side-effects andMany drugs have potential side-effects and
adverse effectsadverse effects
Complexity of benefit-harm / effectiveness-Complexity of benefit-harm / effectiveness-
riskrisk
Rational use of drugsRational use of drugs
57. Elements increasing media interest:Elements increasing media interest:
Dramatic emotional impact e.g. thalidomide and childrenDramatic emotional impact e.g. thalidomide and children
Large numbers affectedLarge numbers affected
Unexpected links e.g. MMR vaccine and autismUnexpected links e.g. MMR vaccine and autism
Polarised opinionsPolarised opinions
Conflict e.g. health professionals vs. pharmaceuticalConflict e.g. health professionals vs. pharmaceutical
companies, or between professionalscompanies, or between professionals
Geography e.g. proximity to own country, hospital etcGeography e.g. proximity to own country, hospital etc
Emotive pigeonholes e.g. ‘miracle drug’, ‘poison’Emotive pigeonholes e.g. ‘miracle drug’, ‘poison’
Links to celebritiesLinks to celebrities
65. Communication of riskCommunication of risk
Very poor public grasp of risk and riskVery poor public grasp of risk and risk
statisticsstatistics
Confusion betweenConfusion between
relative/absolute/reference/ attributablerelative/absolute/reference/ attributable
riskrisk
Variable perception/tolerance of differentVariable perception/tolerance of different
kinds of riskkinds of risk
Fantasy of a ‘safe drug’Fantasy of a ‘safe drug’
66. Perception of riskPerception of risk
Factors increasing intolerance:Factors increasing intolerance:
InvoluntaryInvoluntary - e.g. exposure to pollution rather than- e.g. exposure to pollution rather than
voluntary, such as smoking or playing dangerous sportsvoluntary, such as smoking or playing dangerous sports
Unfairly distributedUnfairly distributed - some benefit whilst other suffer- some benefit whilst other suffer
InescapableInescapable - cannot be avoided by one’s personal- cannot be avoided by one’s personal
actionsactions
UnfamiliarUnfamiliar - arising from a novel source- arising from a novel source
Man-madeMan-made - from other than natural sources- from other than natural sources
continued…continued…
67. Perception of riskPerception of risk
Factors increasing intolerance:Factors increasing intolerance:
Hidden/irreversibleHidden/irreversible - e.g. effects damaging but- e.g. effects damaging but
concealed for yearsconcealed for years
Affects posterityAffects posterity - threatens children, births or future- threatens children, births or future
generationsgenerations
Particularly dreadfulParticularly dreadful - e.g. distressing symptoms or- e.g. distressing symptoms or
social rejectionsocial rejection
Victims identifiableVictims identifiable - e.g. a particular blood type or- e.g. a particular blood type or
social groupsocial group
Scientifically obscureScientifically obscure - new or rare- new or rare
ContradictedContradicted - argued by responsible sources- argued by responsible sources
68. Problematic issues in drug safety:Problematic issues in drug safety:
Adverse effectsAdverse effects
Risk as a concept in medicineRisk as a concept in medicine
Benefit-harmBenefit-harm
Effectiveness-riskEffectiveness-risk
Public health versus profitPublic health versus profit
Access to medicinesAccess to medicines
continued...continued...
69. Problematic issues in drug safety:Problematic issues in drug safety:
Individual patient variation and susceptibilityIndividual patient variation and susceptibility
PolypharmacyPolypharmacy
Relationship of allopathic and traditionalRelationship of allopathic and traditional
medicinesmedicines
ResistanceResistance
Diagnostic errorsDiagnostic errors
Prescribing errorsPrescribing errors
Compliance issuesCompliance issues
70. Risk Factors for GovernmentRisk Factors for Government
OfficialsOfficials
Political expediencyPolitical expediency
Culture of secrecyCulture of secrecy
AccountabilityAccountability
Bureaucracy and inertiaBureaucracy and inertia
HierarchyHierarchy
Process versus performanceProcess versus performance
ComplexityComplexity
WorkloadWorkload
CorruptionCorruption
71. SummarySummary
Topics covered:Topics covered:
The nature of crisisThe nature of crisis
Crisis management modelCrisis management model
PlanningPlanning
Risk assessmentRisk assessment
Risk managementRisk management
Crisis communicationsCrisis communications
Learning from experienceLearning from experience