Transcript Risk Communication Strategy - Pan American Health Organization

Technical Session 3: The Risk Communication Strategy
Bryna Brennan
Senior Advisor, Risk and Outbreak Communication
Pan American Health Organization/WHO
Trinidad and Tobago 24-25 October 2011
Contents
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Components of the Risk Communication Strategy
National Risk Communication Team
Internal and Interinstitutional Coordination
Training of Spokespersons and Communicators
Risk Communication Guide
Crisis? This is not the time to start planning…
What do we do?
Who’s going to
speak to the
media?
Is it true
that…??
Plans are nothing; planning is everything.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Risk Communication Strategy
• It’s Planning: Preparation + Prevention = Good Response
• It’s thinking about what might happen if….
• It’s based on probable scenarios.
• It’s based on the realities and risks of individual
communities.
It’s Planning
Why?
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Informing is not communicating
Explaining a risk is not risk communication
Evolution
Concrete actions lead to successful responses
Risk Communication Strategy
Ask yourself
• Who could be affected?
• Who should do what?
• Who will coordinate?
• What is the role of the public?
• The role of different authorities?
Definition: Risk Communication Strategy
“Risk communication” is the umbrella term used to define the
planning, preparation, response, and evaluation of a crisis or
emergency. Risk communication is an interactive process
encompassing the sharing of information and opinions among
the stakeholders, who in turn prepare the options and details for
the response. This includes research and evaluation, and as well
as ongoing feedback with the different stakeholders and
audiences.
Preparation
Start
Control
Recovery
CRISIS
Components
• Put together risk comm team
• Internal coordination
• Strategic alliances
• Risk communication plan
• Staff training
• Prepare messages
•Media Plan
•Communication surveillance
•Staffing plan
Activate crisis plan, etc.
• Evaluate work
• Document lessons learned
• Identify actions for
improvement
PAHO Model 2010
Components of the Risk Communication Strategy
Prepare,
organize, and
coordinate
Carry out training
Crisis Plan:
Identify:
validation and
simulations
What to do, why, how,
when, and with whom?
Evaluation
Prepare,
organize and
coordinate
Organize/research capacities and the steps to follow
What do we have? What we are missing?
• Review institutional and national plans for public health
emergencies, and review the communications component;
• Study possible solutions as well as national and international
laws (e.g., IHR);
• Identify communication capacities both inside and outside the
organization;
• Identify existing mechanisms to monitor public opinion
(communication surveillance);
• Establish criteria for the delivery of information;
• Integrate and strengthen the risk communication component
of existing national plans for public health emergencies.
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
National Risk Communication Team
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Form a cross-cutting risk communication team
Discuss and reach consensus on objectives and
implementation (interinstitutional coordination);
and
Identify the roles and responsibilities of the team
during an emergency. Who does what, how, and
when? This includes the spokespersons.
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
Private
Enterpris
e
Health
Labor
Agriculture
Education
National
Communication
Team
Customs &
Immigration
Min. of Foreign
Affairs
National
Emergency
System
Civil
Society
Military
Police
Office of the
President
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
Inter-institutional and Internal Coordination
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Identify subject matter experts;
Jointly prepare basic information on different topics;
Arrive at the same time and in a coordinated way (adapt to
the needs of the public and the media).
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
Internal Coordination
• Institutional plans and components approved by officials at
the highest level;
• Action plans for rapid activation validated;
• Definition of hierarchy (channels of command), validate
internal information and communication flows;
• Identification of channels (blogs, Twitter, social media)
• Research on Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
Internal Coordination
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Prepare public health emergency messages,
informational materials;
Identify communication channels for at-risk target
audiences;
Update media lists (media plan);
Identify internal mechanisms for interagency,
multisectoral, and interinstitutional coordination;
Identify key external partners.
PREPARATION
Planning
organization
coordination
Identify target audiences and
determine message content:
• Emergencies involve different segments of the
population and require many – but not
contradictory– messages
• For messages:
• Risk perception (address the questions and
concerns of the population);
• Use communications tools (message map);
• Emphasize what individuals can do;
• Messages should be written in clear and
simple language.
PREPARATION
Plan,
organize, and
coordinate
Identify formats
and available channels
Two-way formats/channels:
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Advisory committees;
Panels;
Workshops;
Public discussion forums;
Public meetings;
Chat rooms, interactive Web pages, and Web blogs;
Text messages and social media;
Direct consultations.
PREPARATION
Planning
organization
coordination
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Identify available formats and channels
Ways to reach the public:
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Press releases
Interviews
Live call-in programs
Regularly scheduled
interviews (broadcasts, etc.)
Websites
Public service
announcements
E-mail messages
Short wave radio
Paid advertising
Pamphlets, circulars, fact
sheets
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Presentations at community
meetings during routine community
activities
Direct mailings
Exhibitions
DVDs
Information centers
Text messaging, cell phone and
voice mail messaging
Newspapers, newsletters
Traditional and folkloric media
Blogs
Loud speakers
PREPARATION
Training
Preparation Means Training
• Training of the risk communication team
• Media training
• Training of the media
PREPARATION
Training
Training of spokespersons:
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Competent and with
professional
experience. Project
empathy, honesty,
openness, and
commitment.
Public image of the
emergency response.
They help establish the
credibility of public
authorities.
PREPARATION
PAHO’s Risk Communication Guide
Bryna Brennan
[email protected]