Page 64 - U4SSC Simple ways to be smart

Table 4: Phases of crisis decision-making
Phase Focus Example

1 Identify the inflection point Two facts became obvious: (1) the city's entire water
between normal and crisis supply is from the Loire and (2) the water in the Loire
situation may be contaminated
2 What makes the risk become A reaction is needed and cannot be delayed further
acute? without endangering people’s health
3 Possible decisions are If, for example, the city’s water supply is stopped then
considered and the effects that alternatives will be needed to get water to people
will be triggered are identified
4 Resources are assessed The means to get water to people are assessed and
the available resources measured
5 The decision is evaluated With the collected information, it is now possible
to evaluate the impact of the decision and possibly
suggest different options
6 Action is taken and the collective The water supply is stopped and alternative water
system retracts against the crisis supply measures are initiated; the scenario plays out

A "simple and smart" structured review method might include the follow steps:

1 All information about the crisis, the responses and the consequences is recorded and stored
in the municipal archives.

2 Identify a facilitator with good interpersonal skills and an auditor to record the sessions.
3 Establish a list of the main actors in the crisis and other parties that are interested in the review.

4 Invite teachers to the review so that they can take account of lessons learnt and develop new
best practices.

5 Identify the stages of the unfolding of the crisis and what happened at each stage in a factual
manner.

6 Identify the main points that impeded progress during the crisis and understand why.

7 Make use of traditional consulting tools such as a SWOT analysis to better understand the
effectiveness of city responses.
8 Use a participatory tool to get the opinions of the local population of the city’s handling of the
crisis, immediately and up to 2 years after the event.

9 Identify changes in structures, processes or practices that will be able to ease the response to
similar crises in the future and draft recommendations to the appropriate structures.
10 Set up steps to monitor the implementation of recommendations, built into city annual plans.

52 U4SSC: Simple ways to be smart