Crisis Communications
Crisis communications is how you keep staff, customers and stakeholders informed when something goes wrong. Here is how to build a plan, with a template and message examples.
Non-Governmental Organisations (or NGOs) are typically non-profit organisations that operate in the ever-changing humanitarian sector. The work NGOs do is an incredibly important part of modern society in a world where danger is frequent, altruism is rare, and the number of those around the globe that need aid grows every day. Vismo is therefore proud to support several NGOs and be a commercial partner of the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) – a network of NGOs and partners with a specific focus on security risk management.
Following Vismo becoming a partner of GISF, and our CEO Tom Cowling alongside Business Development Manager Isaac Buckingham attending the recent GISF Global Security Conference, it has become increasingly apparent that the risks faced by NGOs must be viewed as vastly different to risks faced in other sectors. The risk landscape that surrounds NGOs, often due to the locations they must base themselves, is one of constant development and tumultuousness with several, often unrelated, dangers presenting themselves at any given moment. A great example of this is the current Ebola outbreak, predominantly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a situation that clearly requires humanitarian work, but for those on the ‘front line’ one can immediately identify travel, infection and political instability as key risks faced by staff at any given moment, with the UN Refugee Agency describing the humanitarian situation in the country as ‘critical’. This ever-changing nature ensures that each risk faced by an NGO cannot be viewed independently of one another or in a vacuum, highlighting a key operational difficulty faced by NGOs on a day-to-day basis.
A further key reason as to why risks faced by NGOs must be viewed through a specific lens revolves around the fact that, generally speaking, NGOs operate with a combination of travelling staff and locally based teams that operate permanently from the at risk location. This combination, whilst one of the key reasons for the effectiveness of NGOs due to the amalgamation of expertise and knowledge, is also a key cause for the operational difficulties in keeping staff safe. This is as a result of almost every member of staff, or at very least each department or group of staff members, requiring different risk assessments and protective measures. This also makes escalation in moments of emergency difficult to coordinate, as the correct procedure often depends on an individual’s role or location within a particular country. This not only highlights the different risk landscape that NGOs experience compared to organisations of different industries but also highlights a key reason why Vismo is often equipped by NGOs as part of their overall security ‘toolbelt’.
Vismo’s superb tracking capabilities, using both our Locate & Protect App for areas with WiFi/network coverage, and a range of satellite devices for remote areas creates a comprehensive view of all staff, regardless of location or movement. Furthermore, Vismo’s customisability and operating structure allows organisations to alter each element of the Vismo solution depending on groups of staff and location, ensuring all staff can be protected at all times with one underlying system.
It is these key features of the Vismo solution that NGOs, and organisations of all sectors, commonly quote as being beneficial - providing Vismo with a keen sense of pride knowing the solution is part of the, crucial, protective ‘hand on the back’ of those performing important humanitarian work worldwide.
For NGOs comparing outside support, our guide to travel risk management companies explains the provider types, and our guide to the most dangerous countries in the world shows how to assess risk by destination.
