DRAFT 10 March 2006
Avian Influenza Crisis Management and Communications:
A Guide for USAID Staff
Introduction
This Guide will help you think through elements essential to communicating
about avian influenza if the virus strikes your country or region,
or is spreading. Being prepared for this event is the most important
thing you can do.
Crisis Management is based on the disciplines of response, control
and decision making, all of which are based on the receipt of timely
information and the recognition that there are situations where
decision-making must be escalated to higher-levels. Crisis Management
is also based on a team approach, eliminating individual decision-making.
Stress, chaos and confusion will often exist in an outbreak situation,
and this can place an extreme level of pressure on an individual
and their ability to make rational, effective and timely decisions.
Because each situation is unique, it is important to keep in mind
that this Guide is not a complete, step-by-step manual. However,
the Guide will hopefully provide information and suggestions to
ensure a timely and effective response to outbreaks of avian influenza
in your area. This information can increase The Mission’s
confidence in its ability to manage this crisis in an appropriate
manner when necessary.
Whatever the situation, members of your emergency response team
must be honest, candid and flexible; they must combine a sense of
urgency with sensitivity and a large measure of common sense. They
must demonstrate that The Mission is a caring, competent and responsible
organization. Doing so will go a long way toward comforting our
various constituencies, preventing rumors and protecting the reputation
of your office and staff.
Step 1 -- Mobilize Crisis Communications Team and Support
Timeframe: Within the first few days following outbreak.
Following is a chart listing the types of expertise (and individuals)
that your Communications Officer (or your internal Crisis Communications
Team, if you have established one) will need access to as part of
your emergency response to avian influenza. To augment the expertise
of these individuals, you also will need to identify and communicate
with members of international organizations that are already at
the forefront of activities to control the spread of avian influenza.
Ideally, The Mission should identify these individuals prior to
an avian influenza outbreak.
| Expertise/Type of Individual |
Sample Responsibilities |
Potential National Counterpart |
Potential International Partners |
| Communication (internal and external sources) |
relations |
Ministry of Information, Office of the President |
U.S. Government Press and Public Affairs offices |
| Education or Health Officer for NGO relations, others with
expertise in bilaterals nd USAID platforms |
NGO Relations, facilitating platforms for community-based
communications and social mobilization, providing input/research
on messages and materials |
Ministry of Education or Health |
USAID, other donors, NGO network officials |
| Human Health (Epidemiologist, Health Officer) |
Human outbreak analysis, treatment advice |
Ministry of Health |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Animal Health (VDM, USDA Officer) |
Veterinary medicine, advice |
Ministry of Agriculture/ Animal Health |
USDA |
| Country and Private Sector capability (Economic/ Policy Official)
|
Interface with host government and private sector, advise
on agriculture and animal and human health regulations |
Office of the President, business executive officers, Ministry
of Agriculture, Ministry of Public Health |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USDA |
| Budget Resources (Finance Officer) |
Budget and purchasing |
Ministry of Finance |
U.S. Government, donor governments and organizations (UN
FAO) |
| Government relations (Deputy Chief of Mission) |
Interface with host government |
Office of President |
|
| Evacuation/ Triage (procurement officer) |
Evacuation, equipment and other procurement |
|
|
| Logistics (Assistant to Crisis Team Leader) |
Logistical and other support |
|
|
Issues that should be clarified among all of these Team members include:
1) Lines of authority for making decisions about:
- Actions
- Emergency regulations
- Financial obligations
- Communications to the public
2) The individual who makes the final decisions (has "sign-off") for the above matters, and how authority is delegated in the absence of this individual.
Responding to the Media
A key individual to identify at the beginning will be The Mission's
spokesperson. To provide consistency and avoid media confusion
about whom to contact, you should appoint one program spokesperson.
This person should be at a senior level and should not have to
focus on other duties during the outbreak. Be sure to have a range
of other experts you can call upon to handle specific subjects
- such as animal and human health officials. Staff should be reminded
that all inquiries from media or other agencies should be forwarded
to the approved spokesperson.
Step 2 -- Conduct a Rapid Assessment of the Situation
Timeframe: Within 3-5 days following outbreak.
This is essentially an analysis of the situation at hand. The team
should first ask itself, "What do we know?" While gathering the
information for your quick assessment, staff should also begin discussing
the components of your Communication Plan of Act (See Step 4).
The following table outlines issues that should be addressed as
part of this assessment, and examples of questions that can be asked.
| RAPID SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS |
| Types of Issues to be Considered |
Types of Questions to be Asked |
| The number and type of disease outbreaks for both humans
and animals |
- What types of birds have died or been reported as ill
- Where have they been reported and by whom
- Have any humans been reported as ill
|
| What is being said publicly, and through which channels
is the information being disseminated. |
- Are there rumors being circulated that contain erroneous
information
- Have there been news reports of outbreaks and what
have they reported How are people learning about the outbreak
- Has the Government already said anything (or not said anything)
- What channels have been used (e.g., TV, radio, hotline, newspapers
|
| The information that other organizations may have.
|
- Have the NGOs in your area received updates or other notifications
on the outbreak
- Have NGOs communicated with their constituents
about the outbreak yet
- What have they seen and heard from people
in the community or from other sources
|
| The policies in place at USAID/the Mission
|
- Does The Mission have any procedures in place that will affect
the way you respond to this outbreak
- Do you have to obtain approval
from the local or national government to undertake any actions
- Does your office have existing evacuation or quarantine plans
and, if so, in what situations should they be put into effect
|
| The Government’s position |
- What do they know Are they doing anything in response Have
they asked for assistance or given other instructions on how
to proceed
- What are their policies on movement of poultry, quarantine,
compensation after culling, or vaccination of poultry
- Are there
existing government committees on vaccination or animal health
on the state level that can be accessed
|
| Communications capacity at The Mission – both human and technological |
- Do you have enough people to carry out intended activities
- Do you have sufficient communication tools such as mobile telephones,
a telephone information hotline
- Can you tap into the Government’s
communication resources
- Are you ready to begin dialogue with
members of the media
- Do you have existing platforms and mechanisms
that can be used to roll out communication activities
|
Keep in mind that, if possible, you should validate and record all sources of information if there is any doubt whatsoever as to its legitimacy. If any level of doubt exists, corroborate the information with other sources.
Step 3 - Determine The Mission's Immediate Response and
Make Assignments
Timeframe: Within the first week following an outbreak.
Based on the rapid assessment, your internal Crisis Team or decision-makers
can then decide on emergency actions you should and are able to
pursue.
For example, if cases of avian influenza have been reported but
not confirmed, it will be important to find out if a team of veterinary
health officials have been dispatched to the site of the outbreak
to confirm that it is, indeed, avian influenza. Your human or veterinary
health officer could visit NGOs or other health officials in the
region (or in the government) to get a status report and offer support.
Part of this Immediate Response is the Communication Plan of Action,
which is outlined in Step 4.
Step 4 – Develop a Communication Plan of Action
Timeframe: Within a week following an outbreak.
A Communication Plan of Action has essentially three main desired
outcomes:
- Determining what types of information will be disseminated by
The Mission;
- Determining who will deliver that information (e.g., a spokesperson);
and
- Deciding how to follow up on these activities. Following are
steps to guide you through the process of undertaking communications
tasks.
| PLAN OF ACTION DEVELOPMENT PROCESS |
| Identify and Obtain |
These goals can include messages and activities |
| Consensus on Communication Goals |
conveying desired actions such as:
- to promote the prevention of animal to animal and animal
to human transmission of avian influenza
- to encourage the reporting of all suspected animal and
human cases of avian influenza
- to avoid the consumption of undercooked poultry
- to emphasize the importance of culling and subsequent
procedures (e.g. compensation) to control the spread of
avian flu
|
| Identify Target Audiences |
It is important to identify the types of organizations or
individuals that will need to receive information on an outbreak.
These audiences can include: agricultural health officials,
government information officers, Ministry of Health officials,
community leaders (faith-based groups, women’s unions,
child welfare officials), human and veterinary health officials,
the media and journalists, and the general public. It will also be important to keep open the lines of communication
with USAID for overall guidance, as well as with other international
organizations you may have worked with in your region (e.g.,
FAO, WHO). These organizations have addressed avian influenza
outbreaks in many other areas of the world, and will be a helpful
source of information and guidance. |
| Identify Priority Channels of Communication |
Once you identify your target audiences, the next step is
to determine the best ways to reach them. Each audience may
have a different channel through which to reach them. This can
include an emergency telephone information hotline that people
can call to obtain up-to-date information; community-based communications
(community meetings, house visits, etc.); loudspeaker announcements,
radio or television announcements, etc. Community organizations
that can be engaged to help deliver messages include religious
groups, women’s union members, or other community health
workers. |
| Decide on the Messages to be Conveyed |
You will need to decide which types of emergency messages
you would like to communicate to various audiences. To
assist in this process, please refer to Annex A for Emergency
Messages by Audience.
Regardless of messages, it is important to keep communications
consistent and clear. If your messages are too complicated,
they could lead to misinformation or confusion among your audiences. |
| Determine the Materials to be Distributed |
You will need to disseminate materials to your various audiences
to provide information and guidance, as well as to motivate
and reassure them. |
Important Points to Keep in Mind for All Communications
- Be calm when talking to the media or the public.
- Don't over reassure.
- Acknowledge uncertainty.
- Share dilemmas.
- Acknowledge opinion diversity.
- Acknowledge fear and other emotions.
- Do not ridicule the public's emotions or beliefs.
- Tell people what to expect.
- Offer people things to do.
- Apologize for errors.
- Don't lie or tell half-truths - Aim for total candor and transparency. If you don't know the answer, don't say you do.
Also important to note is that each type of media will be looking at the situation from a slightly different angle. Television and radio reporters will have different needs and deadlines than newspaper and magazine reporters, and regional or national journalists will treat the situation differently from international reporters. It is important that your spokesperson understands the different requirements these media have and can anticipate and provide the appropriate information.
Materials that have already been developed and can be used or adapted by The Mission include:
- Posters
- Radio public service announcements
- Live-read scripts that can be used for radio, television or
loudspeaker
- Messages addressing prevention and control of avian influenza
between animals, between humans, and from animals to humans
- Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Influenza
- A leaflet for Community Workers on how to communicate about
avian influenza (draft)
- Media training on avian influenza for journalists (forthcoming)
- A workplace guide to address avian influenza prevention and
education for the workplace
- A brochure for farmers (in development)
Step 5 – Monitor Developments and Prepare for Longer-Term
Strategy Development
Timeframe: Two weeks following outbreak, or after the
initial phase of crisis/emergency response is completed.
Once most of the immediate, emergency tasks have been completed,
-- usually over the first week or two following an outbreak -- it
will be important to look back on what you accomplished and whether
it was successful in meeting your communication goals.
It is important to reflect on your activities with your internal
Crisis Team and identify any lessons learned. These lessons will
form the basis of what The Mission decides to do over the long term
to help prevent and control the spread of avian influenza.
Moreover, when you are not in an emergency or crisis situation,
you may have time to plan a process so that you are prepared for
additional outbreaks or unexpected developments.
Steps in this process can include:
- Formally identify a crisis committee within The Mission to set longer-term strategic priorities and oversee the execution of activities.
- Hold Planning Discussions.
- Set Strategic Priorities.
- Assign Roles and Set a Schedule for Action.
- Revise your communications strategy, if necessary.
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