Assignment 1

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Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Crisis communication plan………………………………………………………………………. 3

Crisis description……………………………………………………………………………………….3

Assessment of crisis…………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Stakeholders and other audiences………………………………………………………….. 5

Media and other communication channels……………………………………………… 6

Crisis team roles……………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Communications evaluation……………………………………………………………………. 8

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

References………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

Appendix: Portfolio of content………………………………………………….…………….. 10

Appendix 1: Holding Statement………………………………………………………. 10

Appendix 2: Press Release………………………………………………………………………..11

Appendix 3: The Q&A briefing…………………………………………………………. 12

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INTRODUCTION

Communication is as important as anything, in any context, lack of communication might

end in various issues. In this plan and portfolio, crisis communication and its impact on a
scenario will be evaluated. The background of the situation is in a university called the
University of Deal, where an unexpected fire occurred. The art science building of the
university which was under construction caught on fire, which created a chaotic and serious
situation for students, residents, police, and firefighters. This plan and portfolio discuss the
crisis communication or management that has to be performed in a tough situation and
initiations to be conducted. Olsson (2014) observed that, while a crisis occurs, the most
effective method to be carried out is to communicate and co-ordinate by reducing the risk
of the situation and to gain more informative ideas from relevant sources. A realistic plan
has to be made to pull the university out of the fire and a huge event was to be conducted
inside the campus; updates of that event also have to be published within this context.

CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN

 Crisis Description

Effective crisis management means a practice of minimising disruptions and damage,

negative incidents, and getting the firm back on right track as very quickly as possible (Veil et
al., 2011). In this section, the crisis of the University of deal fire will be focused on device a
crisis management plan. The University’s communication director received a phone call on
Thursday at 8 pm. The university’s novel and unfinished £100 million state-of-the-art
science building, situated in the heart of the campus in Deal city Centre, is on fire. Further,
forty firefighters are being transmitted to the present scene to resolve the fire, which is at
high possibility of spreading to near buildings. Smoke fumes are drifting across several
regions to the nearby community. 

Many students and local news media have arrived on site have begun circulating the photos
and footage on social media sites. The fire team’s specialists are performing with the police
to identify the main source of the fire, which has devastated the top third of the University
building. 

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The fire service team has established that there are no fatalities. Nevertheless, the three
major contractors are in the intensive care unit having faced life-threatening burns. Further,
an exclusion zone has been placed around the fire site to keep the public safe and the
residents and students have complained about the dense smoke and affecting breathing.
The main cause of the fire is not still known and has not been confirmed by either the fire
services or police, and also it will be a matter for further inquiry

 Assessment of Crisis 

As per the above-explained scenario, the depth of the crisis has to be evaluated, using a
numerical value. From the situation, it is evident that the risk involved is medium and is
controllable. The fire service has confirmed that, so far there are no fatalities however, the
burn is life threatening still, the situation is controllable as per the analysis. The police have
created an exclusion zone to avoid public, press, and students from the location. The cause
of the fire is still undercover. However, rumours spreading through social media and the
cause explained in social media might act as a risk factor. Santiago medicals have invested
£25 million, which makes the university explain the current situation. Liu and Fraustino
(2014) observed that communicating with the respondents will reduce the intensity of the
context, thus explainable.

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Likelihoo 1 1 2 3 4 5

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Consequences

While assessing the impacts of consequences that are likely to happen, the severity will be
medium and thus the risk to be faced is of fake rumours, burns of the contractors, opening
day event, and impact of fire on stakeholders. Whilst, the opening day can be held at the
university by assigning more staff on that day and rescheduling the time of commencement.
Whereas, if the burns are severe and threaten the life of the contractors, the whole scenario

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might go wrong. A negative impact will be framed and the share value of the stakeholders
and the organisation might show a visible negative inclination followed by this incident.

 Stakeholders and other Audiences

Crisis management is significant for identifying a threat to a firm and its shareholder to
respond quickly to the crisis (Johansen, 2012). In the present University crisis
communication plan, it was significant to emphasis the crisis that may affect all the
stakeholders and other audiences that the communication director wants to communicate
in the time of the crisis. For prioritising the stakeholders, the present report adopted the
Stakeholder matrix tool. The Stakeholder analysis will aid to analyse the power and
influence of the University’s stakeholders and also rank them based on their significance.
The power grid segmentation has been simultaneously identified as key players, keep
satisfied, and keep informed and minimal efforts, these demonstrate the prioritisation
offered to each stakeholder (Edgar, 2012). The internal stakeholder groups of University are
suppliers, shareholders, and employees. However, the external stakeholders of the
University have been acknowledged interest groups, customer’s local communities, and
competitors.

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Figure 1: Stakeholder mapping

The above figure represents the stakeholder mapping of the University, where the interest
level of stakeholders are segmented into four different segments such as keep satisfied
where University stakeholders such as suppliers, competitors, and customers occupy the
segment. The Keep informed quadrant shows that in a University there exist several groups
of stakeholders, who are having a different interest in the organisational activities, however
still having a great effect on the firm (Lokesh et al., 2018). The local communities,
academics, and media are the keep informed by the University. The Keep satisfied quadrant
illustrates the stakeholders with very low interests in the organisations operations although
higher power (Sedereviciute and Valentini, 2011). While analysing the case of the selected
University, the actors are mainly included customers, suppliers, and competitors.  Media
and other communication channels

  Media and other Communication Channels 

From the findings of Coombs (2014), all practical coordination and cooperation depend
upon communication. The whole organisation, communication keeps going. Different means
of communicating are given, such as writing, verbal communication, non-verbal
communication, visual communication. Various means of communication which is possible
with stakeholders are face-to-face conversations, videoconferencing, audio conferencing,
emails, written letters and memos, chats and messaging, blogs, formal written documents,
spreadsheets, press release, holding statement and question-answer session (Zaremba,
2014). In this situation/scenario, the main communication channels used by the
organisation to communicate the crisis management is of holding statements, press release
and a question-answer session. There exist both formal and informal communication
channels among organisational communication. The hierarchical channel of contact
transmits information such as the organisation's objectives, practices, and procedures.
Messages in a channel of this kind adopt a control chain. This ensures that information is
transferred from a boss to his subordinates and that information is transferred into the next
workers' rank (Ulmer and Pyle, 2016).

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  Crisis Team Roles

The main team roles in the University of Deal Fire are listed in the below table,

Crisis team roles Responsibility

Communication coordinator During the pre-crisis situation, the
communication coordinators are
responsible for the development and
implementation of the crisis
communication plan.
However, during the crisis, the
communication coordinators are
responsible for developing and delivering
press briefings. Further, acting based on
the crisis communion plan, providing
statements, interviews, and spokesperson
to media.
Human resource’s coordinator In the pre-crisis situation, the human
resource coordinator is responsible for the
clearing of requirements of crisis
management with employees/union
representatives.
However, during the human resource
managers care workforce and their families.
Further, they also analyses the decisions
concerning the legal consequences.

The crisis management teammates should be accountable to the Managing director or

President, Chief Executive officer (Hayes et al., 2021). The president should not directly
involve in crisis management. However, the fundamental responsibility of the president is to
continue the relevant management of the operators and also to continue reporting the
situations to the external stakeholder operators.

  Communications Evaluation

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As of now, online platforms like social media offer a range of new possibilities for informing
and identifying shared values, expressing and sharing views and requests, organising and
coordinating actions by individuals and stakeholder organisations. It should also be assumed
that the Internet would be a valuable medium for the involvement of companies. Santiago
medicals have effectively communicated with their stakeholders and efficient decisions have
been taken to control the risks assessed. Thus, it can be addressed that, the communication
channels have been used at their best to convey the messages to the public.

CONCLUSION

Through this report, it was evidenced that a crisis is a significant threat to organisations
operations that can have many negative effects if not properly handled. The present essays
discuss the crisis communication plan and its effect on the selected scenario, the University
of Deal Fire crisis. Through this report, the researcher needs to advise how the firms would
monitor and evaluate the influence and effectiveness of their communications with
stakeholders and the news media.

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REFERENCES

Coombs, W.T. (2014) Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. London:
Sage Publications.

Edgar, L.D., Edgar, D.W., McGuire, A., Rutherford, T.A., Doerfert, D.L. and Murphrey, T.P. (2012)
Crisis communication needs assessment: A Delphi study to enhance instruction for agricultural
communicators and other stakeholders1. NACTA Journal, 56(4), p.52.

Hayes, L., Manyweathers, J., Maru, Y., Loechel, B., Kelly, J., Kruger, H., Woodgate, R. and Hernandez-
Jover, M. (2021) Stakeholder mapping in animal health surveillance: A comparative assessment of
networks in intensive dairy cattle and extensive sheep production in Australia. Preventive Veterinary
Medicine, 190, p.105326.

Johansen, W., Aggerholm, H.K. and Frandsen, F. (2012) Entering new territory: A study of internal
crisis management and crisis communication in organizations. Public Relations Review, 38(2),
pp.270-279.

Liu, B.F. and Fraustino, J.D. (2014) Beyond image repair: Suggestions for crisis communication theory
development. Public Relations Review, 40(3), pp.543-546.

Lokesh, K., Ladu, L. and Summerton, L. (2018) Bridging the gaps for a ‘circular’bioeconomy: selection
criteria, bio-based value chain and stakeholder mapping. Sustainability, 10(6), p.1695.

Olsson, E.K. (2014) Crisis communication in public organisations: Dimensions of crisis communication
revisited. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis management, 22(2), pp.113-125.

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Sedereviciute, K. and Valentini, C. (2011) Towards a more holistic stakeholder analysis approach.
Mapping known and undiscovered stakeholders from social media. International Journal of Strategic
Communication, 5(4), pp.221-239.

Ulmer, R.R. and Pyle, A.S. (2016) International organizational crisis communication. The handbook of
international crisis communication research, 43, p.108.

Veil, S.R., Buehner, T. and Palenchar, M.J. (2011) A work‐in‐process literature review: Incorporating
social media in risk and crisis communication. Journal of contingencies and crisis management, 19(2),
pp.110-122.

Zaremba, A.J. (2014) Crisis communication: Theory and practice. Abingdon: Routledge.

APPENDIX: PORTFOLIO OF CONTENT

Appendix 1: Holding Statement

Santiago Medicals Statement on University of Deal Fire

Date: 20/04/2021

Time: 8.30 pm

The Santiago Medicals company states that a fire swept at unfinished £100 million in the state-of-
the-art scientific building at 8:00 pm on Thursday at the University of Deal. We have opened an
independent inquiry and are completely collaborating with law enforcement authorities. An inquiry
into the cause of the fire was launched. 

The CEO has been placed on a notification period without compensation before the investigation has
been finished. Our headquarters are ready to deal with the fire-related reversals and all personnel
has been tracked and informed.

We Santiago Medicals would like to share our heartfelt prayers and remind the public that we take
this subject seriously and move swiftly in the specifics of contractors with life-threatening burns.

We also created a task force and a call centre response team and will refresh the details we have
received as soon as possible. Our next update will be at 10.00 pm (2 hours from now).

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Appendix 2: Press Release

University of Deal Fire: New state-of-the-art science building goes up in flames with
smoke billowing into sky

April 20, 2021, at 8.00 PM

The university state-of-the-art science building has got fired at night, which is located at
Deal city centre. The building was new and unfinished and aimed to complete the
construction by September 2021, which is part-funded by Santiago Medical company. The
work process of the building is controlled by a team of sub-contractors, and in this particular
fire situation, it is not clear that anyone is infected or injured by fire. The smoke fumes were
drastically spread around the nearby community. Forty firefighters were assembled on the
scene to extinguish the blazing fire, which frightened the near building with spread risks.
The eyewitness reported that the entire community was under a monstrous smoke field. As
per the records, a group of sub-contractors and at least three unidentified people has been
working on the site. Social media and news reports are started to arriving the site and much
of the footages were already spread throughout the media. There is no clarification about
the big and largest event scheduled to conduct on Saturday, which is a most awaited
program for the entire University. Until now, the reports say that the PR managers
communicated with the crisis management and asked the holding statement to make
decisions upon conducting the event. Most recent reports show the third floor has been
destroyed, and the local firefighters and police are discussing the possibilities that caused
the fire incident. Also, it has been confirmed until now; there are no casualties reported.
Although the three contractors are suffering from dangerous burning and they have been
moved to the intensive care unit. Rumours are spreading through many channels and social
media about the reason for the incident. But there is no clarification from the authorities on
the cause, and the police are ticking every corner to find the reasons.

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Appendix 3: The Q&A briefing

Why crisis happen in our University?

The cause of the fire is not known still and has not been confirmed by either fire services or
police.

Who was created the University of Deal Fire crisis?

This will be also subject to further investigation

Where the crisis center in your University?

The University unfinished and new £100 million state-of-the-art science building, located in
the heart of the main campus in Deal city Centre is on fire.

What particular tasks should the University board undertake as part of crisis
management?

I believe that our University’s communications during the crisis period are significant to
maintain the reputation, credibility and the capability to restart normal operations. All our
management teams are concerned more maintains consistent corporate communication
with all the stakeholders. I believe that our University’s strong crisis communication plan aid
firm ensure the wellbeing of their individual, keep all their resources protected and
improves the capabilities to optimally perform when the odds are loaded against them.

How should your university board and members respond to this sudden crisis?

During the time of the crisis, the all our university members are responded decisively,
promptly and effectively. All our teammates have the fundamental responsibility for
responding to sudden crisis situations and executing the Business continuity plan. Our main
priority during the fire crisis situation is the wellbeing of the individuals.

When the University of Deal Fire crisis has significant financial impact, how can our
management adapt business model to eliminate the costs?

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The University of Deal Fire crisis can create financial loos to our University. The University of
Deal Fire crisis makes financial loss through disrupting operations like closing events while
investigations into the accidents takes place. The financial issues also threaten to tarnish the
firm’s reputation. Thus, we believe that the crisis management is one of the most essential
organizational functions.

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