This five-day training will cover all critical aspects of crisis management, including risk assessment, crisis communication, decision-making under pressure, post-crisis recovery, and leadership in turbulent times. Through interactive workshops, real-life case studies, and crisis simulations, participants will develop practical skills that can be immediately applied to their roles. The course blends theory and hands-on practice to ensure that every participant leaves equipped to handle the unpredictable nature of crises with poise and professionalism.

In a world where crises can strike at any moment—from viral social media posts to catastrophic natural events—organizations need leaders who can think clearly, act decisively, and communicate effectively. This course is designed for those who want to be those leaders, turning chaos into order and ensuring the long-term resilience of their organization.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the nature of crises: Differentiate between types of crises (e.g., operational, reputational, legal) and their impacts on organizations.
• Develop crisis management plans: Build comprehensive crisis management frameworks, including risk assessment, early warning systems, and contingency planning.
• Enhance communication strategies: Learn best practices for internal and external crisis communication, including media handling, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management.
• Implement effective crisis leadership: Gain the ability to lead teams confidently through uncertainty, managing stress and maintaining morale.
• Conduct post-crisis analysis: Understand how to perform after-action reviews, identify lessons learned, and incorporate these findings into improved crisis preparedness plans.
• Apply decision-making under pressure: Master decision-making techniques in high-stress, time-sensitive situations to minimize disruption and losses

At the end of this course, participants will have:

• Built a comprehensive crisis management plan.
• Developed strong crisis communication and leadership skills.
• Practiced decision-making under pressure through simulations and role-plays.
• Gained actionable insights from real-world crisis case studies.
• Learned how to continuously improve crisis preparedness for future challenges.
• Participants will leave the course with detailed templates, tools, and resources to apply directly in their organizations.

This course is designed for professionals who may be responsible for managing or responding to crises within their organizations. The following groups will particularly benefit from this training:

• Senior Executives and Board Members: To understand strategic crisis management and ensure corporate resilience.
• Crisis Management Teams: Including heads of departments such as risk management, legal, public relations, and security.
• Emergency Response Coordinators and Planners: Responsible for crafting and executing emergency and crisis management plans.
• Public Relations and Communication Officers: To learn how to handle media, public relations, and reputation management during crises.
• HR and Personnel Managers: Dealing with employee safety, morale, and communication during crisis scenarios.
• Government Officials and Policy Makers: Especially those involved in public safety, disaster preparedness, and emergency response planning.
• Business Continuity and Risk Managers: To ensure ongoing operations and organizational recovery during and after a crisis.

This course is designed to be interactive and engaging, with a mix of the following methods:

• Lectures and Presentations: Introducing key concepts, strategies, and best practices.
• Workshops and Group Discussions: Collaborating on case studies and crisis management scenarios.
• Practical Exercises: Simulations, role-playing, and hands-on crisis management planning.
• Case Studies: Real-life examples to explore both successful and failed crisis management efforts.
• Live Simulations: Crisis scenario-based exercises that challenge participants to apply what they’ve learned in real-time.

Day 1: Foundations of Crisis Management

1. Introduction to Crisis Management

• • Definition and types of crises (internal vs. external, sudden vs. smoldering)
  • Importance of crisis management in modern organizations
  • Case studies: Famous crises and how they were (or weren’t) managed well

2. Crisis Lifecycle

• • The stages of a crisis: pre-crisis, crisis, post-crisis
  • Identifying signals of a potential crisis
  • Crisis escalation and tipping points

3. Crisis Management Frameworks

• • Best practices and established crisis management frameworks (e.g., ISO 22301, BCM standards)
  • Developing a tailored crisis management model for your organization

Day 2: Crisis Planning and Risk Assessment

1. Risk Assessment and Crisis Prevention

• • Techniques for identifying and assessing risks
  • Mapping out organizational vulnerabilities
  • Scenario planning and likelihood vs. impact analysis

2. Building a Crisis Management Plan

• • Components of an effective crisis management plan
  • Roles and responsibilities in a crisis management team
  • Developing crisis response protocols, triggers, and procedures

3. Creating a Crisis Response Team (CRT)

• • Team structure and selecting the right people for your crisis response
  • Training and preparing the CRT for different types of crises
  • Internal coordination and chain of command

Day 3: Crisis Communication and Stakeholder Management

1. Effective Crisis Communication

• • Importance of timely and transparent communication during a crisis
  • Best practices for communicating with employees, stakeholders, and the public
  • The role of social media and traditional media in crisis communication

2. Media Handling and Public Relations

• • Handling media inquiries and interviews under pressure
  • Press release drafting and crisis press conference management
  • Preventing misinformation and handling social media backlash

3. Stakeholder Engagement

• • Identifying and managing key internal and external stakeholders
  • Communicating with regulators, customers, investors, and partners
  • Managing corporate reputation during a crisis

Day 4: Crisis Leadership and Decision-Making

1. Leadership in Crisis

• • Characteristics of effective crisis leaders
  • Maintaining clarity, authority, and calmness under pressure
  • Decision-making frameworks for high-stress, fast-paced situations

2. Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Crisis Management

• • Managing team morale and stress during a crisis
  • Understanding and addressing the human impact of crises
  • Leading with empathy while maintaining control and direction

3. Crisis Response in Real Time

• • Time-sensitive decision-making strategies
  • Delegation and trust-building within crisis teams
  • Balancing operational demands with ethical considerations

Day 5: Post-Crisis Recovery and Analysis

1. Crisis Resolution and Business Continuity

• • Transitioning from crisis management to recovery
  • Ensuring business continuity and operational resilience
  • Rebuilding trust and repairing relationships with stakeholders

2. Post-Crisis Evaluation and After-Action Review

• • Conducting a thorough post-crisis analysis and lessons-learned session
  • Identifying systemic issues and making improvements for future crises
  • Updating the crisis management plan and ensuring it evolves

3. Resilience Building and Future Crisis Preparedness

• • Building a culture of preparedness and resilience
  • Continuous training, testing, and auditing of crisis response plans
  • Incorporating new risks (e.g., cybersecurity, climate change) into crisis planning

CDGA attendance certificate will be issued to all attendees completing minimum of 80% of the total course duration.