The crisis communication scorecard: A tool for crisis communication evaluation

The Crisis Communication Scorecard presents critical factors in the communication of public authorities with stakeholders such as citizens, news media, and other response organisations before, during and after emergencies. It also pays attention to the kind of cooperation in the crisis response network that is crucial in the successful management of complex crisis situations. The response organisation network includes public authorities such as rescue services, the police, health care, and various municipal and state officials.

The tool can be used in two ways. The first phase, Preparation, is suitable for assessing the crisis preparedness of the organisation and its communication plan. This pre-crisis evaluation takes place, e.g., alongside the annual strategy development process. The second and the third phases are used to evaluate a crisis exercise or to reflect on real-life performance after an emergency situation. The second phase concerns Warning and Crisis response when the situation is at its peak, whereas the last phase, Reconstruction and Evaluation, concerns actions when the situation has calmed down. The tool is divided in three phases for ease of use.