1. Technical Session 3: The Risk Communication Strategy Bryna Brennan Senior Advisor, Risk and Outbreak Communication Pan American Health Organization/WHO Trinidad and Tobago 24-25 October 2011

2. Contents Components of the Risk Communication Strategy National Risk Communication Team Internal and Interinstitutional Coordination Training of Spokespersons and Communicators Risk Communication Guide

3. Crisis? This is not the time to start planning… What do we do? Who’s going to speak to the media? Is it true that…??

4. Plans are nothing; planning is everything. Dwight D. Eisenhower

5. Risk Communication Strategy It’s Planning: Preparation + Prevention = Good Response It’s thinking about what might happen if…. It’s based on probable scenarios. It’s based on the realities and risks of individual communities. It’s Planning

6. Why? Informing is not communicating Explaining a risk is not risk communication Evolution Concrete actions lead to successful responses

7. Risk Communication Strategy Ask yourself Who could be affected? Who should do what? Who will coordinate? What is the role of the public? The role of different authorities?

8. Definition: Risk Communication Strategy “Risk communication” is the umbrella term used to define the planning, preparation, response, and evaluation of a crisis or emergency. Risk communication is an interactive process encompassing the sharing of information and opinions among the stakeholders, who in turn prepare the options and details for the response. This includes research and evaluation, and as well as ongoing feedback with the different stakeholders and audiences.

9. Activate crisis plan, etc. Opportunity for Control CRISIS Preparation Start Control Recovery Evaluation Evaluate work Document lessons learned Identify actions for improvement Components Put together risk comm team Internal coordination Strategic alliances Risk communication plan Staff training Prepare messages Media Plan Communication surveillance Staffing plan PAHO Model 2010

10. Components of the Risk Communication Strategy Prepare, organize, and coordinate Prepare, organize, and coordinate Carry out training Crisis Plan: validation and simulations Crisis Plan: validation and simulations Identify: What to do, why, how, when, and with whom? Evaluation

11. Organize/research capacities and the steps to follow What do we have? What we are missing? Review institutional and national plans for public health emergencies, and review the communications component; Study possible solutions as well as national and international laws (e.g., IHR); Identify communication capacities both inside and outside the organization; Identify existing mechanisms to monitor public opinion (communication surveillance); Establish criteria for the delivery of information; Integrate and strengthen the risk communication component of existing national plans for public health emergencies. Prepare, organize and coordinate Prepare, organize and coordinate PREPARATION

12. National Risk Communication Team Form a cross-cutting risk communication team Discuss and reach consensus on objectives and implementation (interinstitutional coordination); and Identify the roles and responsibilities of the team during an emergency. Who does what, how, and when? This includes the spokespersons. Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION

13. Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION National Communication Team Min. of Foreign Affairs Health Private Enterpris e Labor Customs & Immigration Education Civil Society Agriculture National Emergency System Military Police Office of the President

14. Inter-institutional and Internal Coordination Identify subject matter experts; Jointly prepare basic information on different topics; Arrive at the same time and in a coordinated way (adapt to the needs of the public and the media). Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION

15. Internal Coordination Institutional plans and components approved by officials at the highest level; Action plans for rapid activation validated; Definition of hierarchy (channels of command), validate internal information and communication flows; Identification of channels (blogs, Twitter, social media) Research on Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION

16. Internal Coordination Prepare public health emergency messages, informational materials; Identify communication channels for at-risk target audiences; Update media lists (media plan); Identify internal mechanisms for interagency, multisectoral, and interinstitutional coordination; Identify key external partners. Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION

17. Identify target audiences and determine message content: Emergencies involve different segments of the population and require many – but not contradictory– messages For messages: Risk perception (address the questions and concerns of the population); Use communications tools (message map); Emphasize what individuals can do; Messages should be written in clear and simple language. Planning organization coordination Planning organization coordination PREPARATION

18. Identify formats and available channels Two-way formats/channels: Advisory committees; Panels; Workshops; Public discussion forums; Public meetings; Chat rooms, interactive Web pages, and Web blogs; Text messages and social media; Direct consultations. Plan, organize, and coordinate Plan, organize, and coordinate PREPARATION

19. Identify available formats and channels Ways to reach the public: Press releases Interviews Live call-in programs Regularly scheduled interviews (broadcasts, etc.) Websites Public service announcements E-mail messages Short wave radio Paid advertising Pamphlets, circulars, fact sheets Presentations at community meetings during routine community activities Direct mailings Exhibitions DVDs Information centers Text messaging, cell phone and voice mail messaging Newspapers, newsletters Traditional and folkloric media Blogs Loud speakers Planning organization coordination Planning organization coordination PREPARATION

20. Preparation Means Training Training of the risk communication team Media training Training of the media Training PREPARATION

21. Training of spokespersons : Competent and with professional experience. Project empathy, honesty, openness, and commitment. Public image of the emergency response. They help establish the credibility of public authorities. PREPARATION Training

22. PAHO’s Risk Communication Guide Bryna Brennan brennanb@paho.org