How can you create a comprehensive emergency plan for managing risks?

1 Identify the hazards

The first step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to identify the hazards that could affect your organization or community. Hazards can be natural, such as earthquakes, floods, or wildfires, or human-made, such as cyberattacks, power outages, or civil unrest. You can use various sources of information, such as historical data, expert opinions, or scenario analysis, to identify the hazards that are relevant and likely for your context. You should also consider the interdependencies and cascading effects of different hazards, such as how a pandemic could trigger a social or economic crisis.

2 Assess the risks

The second step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to assess the risks posed by the identified hazards. Risk assessment is the process of estimating the probability and impact of each hazard on your organization or community. You can use qualitative or quantitative methods, such as risk matrices, scoring systems, or models, to rank the risks according to their severity and urgency. You should also consider the vulnerability and resilience of your organization or community, such as how well you can cope with or adapt to the hazards.

3 Define the objectives

The third step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to define the objectives that you want to achieve in managing the risks. Objectives are the specific and measurable outcomes that you want to accomplish before, during, and after an emergency. You can use the SMART criteria, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, to set your objectives. For example, an objective could be to reduce the number of fatalities by 50% within 24 hours after an earthquake.

4 Develop the strategies

The fourth step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to develop the strategies that you will use to achieve your objectives. Strategies are the general approaches or methods that you will employ to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the risks. You can use the four phases of emergency management, which are prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, to guide your strategies. For example, a strategy could be to implement regular drills and training for your staff and stakeholders to enhance their preparedness.

5 Implement the actions

The fifth step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to implement the actions that you will take to execute your strategies. Actions are the specific and concrete tasks or activities that you will perform to manage the risks. You can use the RACI matrix, which stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, to assign roles and responsibilities for each action. You should also establish the resources, timelines, and indicators for each action. For example, an action could be to distribute emergency kits and supplies to your staff and stakeholders within 48 hours before a hurricane.

6 Evaluate the outcomes

The sixth and final step in creating a comprehensive emergency plan is to evaluate the outcomes that you have achieved in managing the risks. Evaluation is the process of measuring and analyzing the results and impacts of your actions against your objectives. You can use various tools and techniques, such as surveys, interviews, or audits, to collect and review the feedback and data from your staff, stakeholders, and beneficiaries. You should also identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of your emergency plan, and make recommendations for improvement.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?