Review and Testing of Crisis Plans
A well-developed Crisis Management Plan is a crucial part of any company’s risk management strategy. It provides an organisation with a competitive advantage and enables a business to effectively respond to a crisis, minimising the impact to the operation and reputation of the company. Any Crisis Management Plan should include a comprehensive security management component that encompasses physical and personal security.
A crisis is defined as a major, unpredictable event that threatens to harm an organisation and its stakeholders. This type of event can strike a business at any time and can arise from a variety of incidents, including natural disasters, accidents, pandemics, fraud or crimes such as kidnap and product contamination. A security breach resulting in death or injury to personnel or damage to property and inventory can represent a crisis type event for any organisation. At RISQ our team’s philosophy is one of partnership: to work with our clients to develop, support and enhance security systems and/or procedures, focusing on a preventative approach rather than short-term solutions.
RISQ has extensive experience in developing and implementing crisis management frameworks that assist businesses in responding to any incident. These plans establish policies and procedures that are then tested through desktop exercises and scenario role-play. This testing prepares staff by allowing them to understand their roles during a crisis and to minimise the negative effect a crisis may have. This training also prepares the senior management team to deal with any serious incident that confronts an organisation.
We have particular expertise in dealing with security-related incidents which have the potential to escalate into crises, resulting in significant harm to our client’s people and property. Consequently, we are regularly engaged by individuals, political representatives and corporations that require prompt and professional advice in response to a range of security concerns.
What are the risks of NOT having a Crisis Management Plan?
A crisis often results in financial and personal loss, and failure to adequately plan for a crisis can mean that the losses are exacerbated through failure to recommence production; loss of customers; and continuing exposure to reputational risk through the corrupt or fraudulent actions of management or staff.
A crisis inevitably involves potentially negative media which can make or break an organisation. Having an effective media strategy can often prevent smaller issues escalating to a crisis. Our media partners’ experience in crisis management is well recognised and our partner companies have managed some of Asia Pacific’s most significant issues and successfully protected the interests and reputations of our clients.
Crisis Management in action
A large international client of RISQ had operations in a number of countries throughout Asia. On a previous occasion, this company had made a decision to close down a factory operating in India without utilising our services.
As a result, members of the senior management team and their families were actively targeted by disgruntled employees with links to organised crime. Some of the senior management were physically attacked and injured.
The next time our client was forced to close an operation, this time in Malaysia, members of RISQ’s Crisis and Security Management team were dispatched to the location to work with client management in developing a strategy to best handle this situation.
RISQ developed a strategy to close the under-performing plant, whilst satisfying all stakeholders through mediation, negotiation and "flexibility”. Simultaneously, a contingency plan was put in place to cover a worst-case scenario.
This strategy was also subsequently applied
When should companies consider Crisis and Security risk?
All organisations should have a Crisis Management Plan that is regularly tested and updated to re detect changes in the business; country and/or political risk; and any other factor which could have an impact on the organisation, its customers or suppliers.
Crises require urgent attention to minimise loss and/or damage to reputation, and therefore crisis plans should be enacted within 24 hours of an event occurring. Security Risk Assessments should be conducted at least every two years and immediately following a change with the potential to alter the risk profile of the organisation.
The benefits of having a Crisis Management Plan that encompasses potential security issues include:
• Reduction in the potential adverse affects that result from a poorly handled crisis
• Protection of people and property
• Ensuring continuity of supply for key customers
• Obtaining a competitive advantage by having a robust crisis management plan that will allow the
organisation to adequately handle any crisis.
RISQ Services
In the event of an actual crisis, RISQ Consultants are available 24 hours a day to offer our clients professional advice and support as part of their crisis management team. In addition, we work with Public Relations and Corporate Communication partners to ensure that internal and external communication is handled professionally and sensitively.
We offer the following core services:
• Close Personal Protection
• Security Audits and Reviews, plus Crisis Management
• Kidnap Recovery
• Malicious Product Tampering Response
• Technology
We offer advice on risk management, corporate intelligence, executive and family protection, travel safety, electronic security and crisis management. RISQ is committed to maintaining an excellent reputation amongst its clients and therefore its consultants are carefully selected, based on the expertise that they offer in their respective fields.
Our team maintains an extensive knowledgebase in the security sector and has developed a wealth of practical, operational and educational experience, qualifying it to assist our clients with any requirement, anywhere in the world.
RISQ’s clients benefit from the in-depth experience of senior staff being involved in each project. Unlike many of our competitors, we do not use junior staff to conduct security risk assessments or prepare crisis management plans. If an event does occur, our clients know that they can rely on the fact that RISQ will dispatch resources with the requisite skills, to immediately add value to their own internal capabilities.
As an organisation, RISQ is admired for its high level of professionalism and client services; our commitment to achieving successful resolutions to problems; and our loyalty to our clients and their people. As a competitor, RISQ is measured by our value for money; the seniority and experience of our management team and key staff; and our reputation in the global crisis and security management marketplace.
