Outbreak and Crisis Communication' Training for Trainers Workshop

1

• Outbreak and Crisis Communication. Training for
  Trainers Workshop
• Washington D.C. 18-20 July 2006
• Internal communication
• Cristiana Salvi
• Information Outreach
• WHO Regional Office for Europe

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Who is your internal client?
You
Your technical people
Your Minister
National Committee
Your Prime Minister
3
What do you do internally?

• have ready the crisis communication plan with
  crisis communication staff roles and activate it
  shortly after crisis notification
• identify spokespersons, brief them and distribute
  interviews from the media to the appropriate
  person(s)
• meet with leadership shortly after crisis
  notification to provide an evaluation of the
  crisis from a media perspective
• inform leadership regularly of the specific steps
  that are being taken, internally and by other
  organizations, to interact with the media
• identify those in the organization who should be
  informed about the communication plan when a
  crisis occurs.

4
Who is your internal partner?

• Not only your internal counterparts, but ALL
  partners in a crisis are part of the internal
  communication process.

5
Identify the key partners, and

• other health agencies
• other sectors (i.e. animal health, education)
• PAHO/WHO
• other UNs
• NGOs
• ()

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set up a communication system

• develop procedures for coordination with key
  partners
• agree on ownership of information release (who
  releases what/when/how)
• coordinate the release of information before
  going public
• coordinate speaking with one voice
• identify the leading spokespeople across the
  various partners

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Clearance procedures

• Early reporting is critical to build and maintain
  trust. This implies that procedures are in place
  for rapid and effective clearance
• Ensure clearance of information for public
  dissemination and coordinate it with other
  partners
• Facilitate the rapid release of information
  (ideally, within hours) for enhanced credibility
• Develop streamlined procedures to check
  information and clear/approve documents

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An AI national committee?

• The establishment of a national committee on AI
  centralizes operations and consolidate action.
• Nevertheless it risks paralyzing rapid initiative
  and identification of responsibilities.
• The human health sector should take the
  leadership in coordinating the outbreak and
  involve the other sectors within the national
  committee.
• You should be empowered more or as much as other
  partnerscommunication officers.

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Working with the UN

• Working with UN agencies, i.e. human health
  (PAHO/WHO), animal health (FAO/OIE), education
  (UNICEF)
• contributes to synergy
• increases economic and human resources
• Initiate task force on specific issues involving
  all concerned ministries and institutions, plus
  the UN agencies working in the field
• media training and workshops
• social mobilization
• production of informative materials

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Which tools?

• Activate the (joint) crisis room and fix
  operational hours for crisis communication
  activities
• Develop and disseminate talking points using
  internal mailing lists and password-protected
  sites
• Send draft media statements to partners for
  coordination and, if needed, approval
• Mobilize resources in case of need

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The talking points

• This is the main tool for internal (meaning all
  partners) coordination ensuring
• timely dissemination of information
• consistency
• speaking with one voice
• They are developed in a way to ensure that
  communication does not damage credibility should
  new information be developed that stands in
  contrast to existing statements or that the
  outbreak evolves and changes existing lines.

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• Talking points/(topic)
• Written by
• Cleared by
• DATE 2006
• Updates in bold
• __________________________________________________
  _____________
• This is an internal WHO document
• and is guidance for your interviews only
• __________________________________________________
  _____________
• Headline
• Summary
• Current key messages
• Long term messages
• H5N1 is still essentially an animal disease, and
  cases in humans remain relatively rare but also
  continue to occur,
• Infections in people often have serious
  consequence with a high case fatality in humans
  (56), even higher in age group 10-39y (66)
• Since 2003, the epidemiology of H5N1 infection in
  humans has shown that cases are occurring in
  more areas, in parallel largely with poultry
  infections

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Chronology Lab testing Emerging issues to
watch Feedback (what are the public concerns
being raised?) Conclusions and Concerns WHO
Action WHO HQ contacts Dick Thompson ext.
1-2684 WHO Regional contacts WHO National
contacts Recent Articles
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• Outbreak and Crisis Communication. Training for
  Trainers Workshop
• Washington D.C. 18-20 July 2006
• Thank you
• Cristiana Salvi
• Information Outreach
• WHO Regional Office for Europe
• csa_at_ecr.euro.who.int Ph. 0039 06 4877543