Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
as a recall. If your company does not know how to carry out the logistics of a product
recall (or other action that must be taken), the response will be extemporaneous and
uncertain, rather than a preplanned, deliberate response that results in a well-controlled
situation. Examples of prerequisite programs include Change Management Plans/
Procedures, Succession Plans/Procedures, and Evacuation Plans/Procedures.
Developing the Incident Management Plan document is the fi rst step in the process.
This can be done by one or more people who are key members of the Incident
Management Team. It should include an outside consultant if an experienced crisis
manager is not available as a member of the current staff. Format and content of the
plan can vary from company to company, but some fundamental elements should be
in every plan:
Purpose
D e fi nition of a Crisis
Guiding Principles
D e fi nition of Threat or Action Levels
Team Members ' Roles and Responsibilities
Media Communication Policy
Incident Response Procedure
Communication Procedures
Appendixes to include a contact list of your team members (including home contact
information) and documents critical to managing the crisis
The Purpose and Defi nition sections are designed to communicate the intent of the
plan and should provide a focus to the team, so that no one is guessing about whether
an incident has reached a crisis level.
The Guiding Principles assist the Incident Management Team in developing the
plan as well as providing guidance during a crisis. Examples of statements include
respond quickly
,
comply with all laws and regulations
, and
measure your response
and act appropriately
.
Defi nition of Threat or Action Levels should provide guidance for Incident
Management Team members to determine the seriousness of the incident and identify
the appropriate response. Team members' roles should be clearly articulated and well
suited to the expertise of team members. For example, sales representatives should be
the customer contacts and liaisons, and the quality assurance representatives should
perform the traceback in the event of a recall.
The Media Communication Policy is one of the most important statements in the
document. Controlling the message can be a signifi cant challenge, so it is important
the company have one voice and one clear message communicated to
all
constituencies.
The Incident Response Procedure should include guidance on topics such as deter-
mining when to convene the team, collecting information and measuring media atten-
tion, taking action steps, critiquing responses, and identifying additional action steps
that may be needed.
Communication Procedures should ensure that all constituencies receive the
attention and information they need. Although a crisis brings the need for external
