1. Crisis Management in Organizations
Session 1 Agenda
Overview syllabus, course structure, & requirements
Course resources
Team formation
Types of crises
Risk audit

2. What is a crisis?
How would you know your organization is in a crisis?

3. Scope Severity Duration How would you sequence the following : Low
High
crisis
risk
disaster
catastrophe
problem
emergency
…and give example of each

4. * Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
The SWOT diagram often used in strategic planning can be used to identify crisis vulnerabilities
SWOT* (or TOWS) Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Use strengths to take advantage of opportunities
Overcome weaknesses by taking advantage of opportunities
Opportunities
Use strengths to avoid or minimize threats
Risk assessment
Identify vulnerabilities
Protect weaknesses
Threats
* Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

6. Risk can be defined in many different ways

9. Risk Assessment
To what kinds of crises (industry & organizational) is your organization most vulnerable?
What is the likelihood of their occurrence?
What would the degree of impact be?

11. Hazard Severity 1 2 3 4 5
Hazard Likelihood 1 2 3 4 5 6

14. Risk Categorization Hazard Likelihood Hazard Severity
You can also categorize types of risks in terms of their impact and probability
Low Impact
High Impact
Low Probability
High Probability
Amber Zone
Red Zone
I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I I I I
Hazard Likelihood
Green Zone
Gray Zone
Hazard Severity

15. Example of a hazard or impact matrix for airline disasters
Note reversed direction of dimensions)

16. Your team’s task:
Briefly discuss range of work settings/industries in your team and select one for risk assessment
Brainstorm a variety of crises for the industry
Discuss the definitions for likelihood and impact, then rate your identified risks
Locate on Risk Grid

17. Following are samples of planning & ways of representing approaches
Risk analysis: Washington State Ferry System
Strategic Landscape map: National Institute for Resources and the Environment
Building vulnerability assessment
Microsoft’s Grand strategy for risk analysis
Federal Security Risk management Matrix

18. Risk analysis for Washington State Ferry System
Prioritized risk reduction and safety system for staff and passengers
The Washington State Ferry System is the largest passenger ferry system in the US. For a detailed copy of the plan go to:

19. Sample risk analysis for the Washington State Ferry System

20. A vulnerability assessment of potential explosive analysis
A vulnerability assessment of potential explosive analysis. Left figure shows window glazing hazard in existing building; right shows hazard in upgraded facility

21. Microsoft’s Grand Strategy for Risk Analysis

23. Systems mapping of crisis spinoffs

25. Draw a systems map of the spinoffs from your identified crisis

26. Discussion
How feasible would it be to conduct a risk assessment with your organization? What would work and against such an audit?
Where would you get information to help establish estimates for likelihood and severity?
How helpful would this information be?
If you had a systems map of a crisis, would it help you argue more effectively for a crisis plan?

27. END