Scorecard

Step by step instructions on how to use the scorecard

The tool can be used for various purposes:

The instrument is divided into three sections that can be filled in randomly: Before, During and After. For each audit a scorecard is used to evaluate preparedness or performance, after which the results are discussed in a reflection session.

Preparedness audit

The purpose of this audit is to measure crisis communication preparedness and to test the crisis communication plan in the home organisation. This concerns only the first phase of Preparation (prediction, preparedness and mitigation).

  1. Getting started:

    Choose the right moment for an audit: for instance the audit can be connected to the strategy process annually or every second year. Select a person to preside over the audit session in the home organisation, and a coordinator and choose a team to score performance. The team may consist of managers and other important employees who have knowledge about the organisation's communication performance and planning. External specialists may also be invited. Before the scorecard is filled in, everybody is asked to go through the crisis communication plan or those parts of the preparedness plan that concern communication. To get a login for the online scorecard, the coordinator registers online.

  2. Preparing for the session:

    The coordinator invites the team members to fill in the scorecard via an email link. Each team member does the evaluation individually, reflecting on the instructions given in the plans and on the current level of preparedness. Before the team gets together for discussion, the coordinator runs the report to view the results as a whole. The report shows the scores for the separate indicators and in addition averages are calculated per task. The colours indicate whether a certain communication task or indicator is handled well, or needs attention. When there are big differences of opinion among the team members, this is also shown in the result report.

  3. The session:

    In the reflection meeting each indicator is dealt with separately. Areas where there is much difference of opinion are discussed. Strong and weak points are commented on, paying special attention to weak areas and how they might be improved. The areas that were the target of the exercise are prioritized.

  4. Reporting the session:

    Notes should be made in the meeting and documented; for instance, strong and weak points should be listed and explained, and options for changes and improvement projects proposed. Education, training, improvement of systems or changes in structures or procedures might be needed and therefore it is important to save the results for the purposes of comparison during the next audit round.

Evaluation of crisis response

The purpose of this audit is to evaluate how the organisation manages crisis response. Performance can be scored in a crisis exercise or in a real situation. This audit usually concerns the phases Warning and Crisis Response. However, it is also possible to simulate Reconstruction and Evaluation.

  1. Getting started:

    Choose the right moment, for instance, connect the evaluation to an already planned exercise, or conduct the assessment immediately after a crisis situation. Collect together the people who are to participate in the evaluation. Select a person to coordinate the evaluation in the home organisation and choose a team to score performance. The team may consist of managers and employees with responsibility for contingency planning and management who have participated in an exercise or been part of a crisis management team in a real situation. External specialists may also be invited. Before the scorecard is filled in, everybody is asked to memorize the instructions of the crisis communication or preparedness plan and memos of the exercise or crisis. To get a login for the scorecard, the coordinator needs to register online.

  2. Preparation for the exercise:

    Preparing for an exercise is time consuming and thus should be commenced well in advance. First, the goal of the exercise must be set, after which the scenario and setting can be designed. A detailed guide on how to conduct the exercise is supplied. The scorecard fits both table top and simulation types of exercises. In a table-top exercise, performance is initiated by a scenario on paper and the action takes place around a meeting table. This is easier to organize as there is no need for complicated physical arrangements. If decision making about communication strategies or the formulation of crisis messages is to be practised, a table top might be enough. The advantage of a simulation exercise, however, is in getting real-time pressure on people. Stress is more likely to be present when a crisis is played at an imagined crisis-site, making it easier to anticipate how one would actually act in a real situation. To be effective, the exercise should involve all the persons who would deal with the situation in a real life case. This is the only way to practise cooperation in the network. Also, the roles of citizens and journalists should be played. Time lapses can be included to simulate that time has passed and the situation has changed. A checklist for a simulated exercise follows.

    • Set up a goal for the exercise, e.g. testing a specific crisis communication function or overall performance.
    • Select the exercise type (Is it about decision making or rehearsing action?).
    • Decide the scenario and duration: What kind of a crisis it is, who are affected, what are the causes, what needs to be done to respond, and how long the crisis is to last.
    • Write a script that has a starting point with crucial backup information, feeds for players (the plot development story) and an ending.
    • List the participants and their roles. Both players and organisers (game centre) are needed in order to run the game. Make sure that each player has a part in the scenario, and if not, make sure that the game centre provides such. Ensure that everybody in the game centre knows what they have to do. Those who rehearse cannot be given too much information beforehand as preparation might affect reactions in the exercise.
    • Decide the location for the exercise and make the necessary arrangements, for instance technical requirements, logistics, reservations, catering and so on.
    • Give notice that you are (practising) (rehearsing a crisis situation) and compile exercise instructions for all participants. No one should (inadvertently) (mistakenly) conclude that the exercise is a real crisis situation.
    • Decide how the exercise is to be documented and evaluated.

  3. After the exercise, preparing for the session:

    After the exercise the coordinator invites the team to fill in the scorecard via an email link. Each team member does the evaluation individually, reflecting on the preparedness plans and goals of the exercise, and assesses performance. Before the team sits down to discuss the results, the coordinator runs the report to calculate the collective results. The report shows the scores for the separate indicators and averages are calculated per task. The colours indicate whether a certain communication task or indicator is handled well, or if it needs attention. Also differences of opinion between the team members are shown in the result report.

  4. The session:

    In the reflection meeting each indicator is dealt with separately. Areas where there is much difference of opinion are discussed. Strong and weak points are commented on, paying special attention to weak areas and how they might be improved. The areas that were the target of the exercise are prioritized.

  5. Reporting the session:

    Notes should be made in the meeting and documented; for instance, strong and weak points should be listed and explained, and options for changes and improvement projects proposed. Education, training, improvement of systems or changes in structures or procedures might be needed and therefore it is important to save the results for the purposes of comparison during the next audit round.

Learning from what happened – An post-crisis evaluation

The purpose of this audit is to evaluate communication after a real crisis situation, to help analyse problems occurring and find processes that can be improved in a future case. In implementing a post-crisis evaluation all the phases mentioned on the scorecard may be relevant; alternatively, the focus could be on particular parts of the phases.

  1. Getting started:

    Choose the right time to perform the evaluation. This could be after a technical evaluation of crisis management has taken place, or, to add to a broader evaluation, at the same time as the communication analysis is done. Select a person to coordinate the evaluation and choose a team to score performance. The team can include external experts, or the evaluation can be outsourced to expert-auditors using inside informants. People with enough knowledge of the situation and with enough distance to it should be involved. The team can also gather information needed for the evaluation. To obtain the login code for the scorecard, the coordinator registers online.

  2. Preparing for the session:

    The coordinator invites the team to fill in the scorecard via an email link. Each team member does the evaluation individually, reflecting on the communication tasks performed. Before the team sits down together to discuss the results, the coordinator runs the report to calculate the collective results. The report shows the scores for the separate indicators and averages are calculated per task. The colours indicate whether a certain communication task or indicator was handled well, or needs attention. Differences of opinion between the team members are also visible in the result report.

  3. The session:

    In the reflection meeting each indicator is dealt with separately. Areas with much difference of opinion are discussed. The strong and weak points are commented and special attention should be paid on to the weak areas, considering how these can be improved. The areas that were the goal of the evaluation are prioritized.

  4. Reporting the session:

    Notes should be made in the meeting and documented, for instance, strong and weak points are listed and explained, and options for changes and improvement projects proposed. Education, training, improvement of systems or changes in structures or procedures might be needed. It is important to save the results to compare them with the next evaluation round.

    The audit results are stored for four months in the temporary database of the scorecard, during which time they should be downloaded and saved into the organisation's information management system.

Explanation of the scores

The indicators are formulated as statements and assessed using the following scale. For each indicator, an open space for the rater's own comments is available.

  • 1 = This is not taken cognizance of
  • 2 = Its importance has been recognized, but hardly any action is being taken
  • 3 = We act on this to some extent but not systematically
  • 4 = This is to a large extent a systematic part of the action
  • 5 = This is fully a systematic part of the action
  • 0 = Do not know, or this indicator is not relevant for our organisation.

The last option "Do not know, or this indicator is not relevant for our organisation" is meant for indicators that are beyond the remit of the user organisation. However, it should not be selected too easily and, when selected, should be accompanied by an explanation in the space for comments.

The results are also shown in graphs that present an overall picture of the various phases. The phases can be compared and highlighted according to the relevant stakeholder groups.