Risk Communication : Concept and Principles

1. Risk Communication : Concept and Principles Abdul Jabar Ahmad Director, Health Education Division, MOH

2. Elements of Crisis Response

3. Effective Crisis Response Effective and Concerted Co-ordination

4. What you will learn

5. RC Evolution

6. RC Definition

7. RC

8. Interested parties

9. RC Definition

10. Emphasis

11. Effective Risk Communication

12. Purpose

13. …. cont

14. Important • In view of different possibilities it is vital to be sure of what you want to achieve before proceeding with RC. • Ask yourself “what is the aim of your RC ?”

15. RC- Interlinked Components Communication With external stakeholders/ departments

16. Overall Goal

17. Principles (KSFs) for Effective RC Overarching

18. Risk Management Cycle RC

19. Principles (KSFs) for Effective RC Supporting

20. Listen to and partner • Involve all parties that have interest in the crisis • Demonstrate respect for those affected by decisions & include them early in the process • Use wide range of channels • Be ethically accountable • Empathise • Assess needs • Recognise cultural, economic & political factors that can complicate RC

21. UK 1996 BSE Crisis • No strategy to build relationship with key factions • Mc Donalds decided to remove British beef from UK menu. Followed by other countries • Worldwide banning – devastating economic blow

22. Trust • Once lost trust and credibility is almost impossible to regain. Credible communication important • 2001 anthrax crisis (poor communication) -CDC recommends prophylactic doxycycline for postal workers -Capitol Hill workers given prophylactic ciproflaxin -Feeling of treated less well among postal workers

23. …. cont • 1999 Coca-Cola poisoning in Belgium – lead to largest product recall (99 million euro)

24. ECCB Formula

25. Work with media • Wide and fast coverage • Can either help or hinder crisis situation • Ensure reliable and accurate information • Inaccurate reporting during BSE crisis heightened public fear • If you do not supply information, the media will report what they have • Prepare key messages • Say only what you want the media to report

26. Develop your mesage • Develop and test • Develop message for variety of audience • Use input from field staff, media briefings, public enquiries, poll, websites to determine major messages • Communication monitoring – dynamic activity • Comprehensive monitoring

27. Honest, clear and compassionate • Literacy disparity – variety of formats and reading levels • Clarity – plain-language communication • Connect with audience with compassion • Let your emotion show • Be wary of over-reassurance, trivialising, speculating while portraying empathy

28. Think before you speak • Never amplify risk that are in their very nature , attenuated – can confuse people • High trust institution should be careful when communicating with media • In communication message focus on the aspects that are certain • Remember risk and RC is never easy. • New York was well prepared with anthrax crisis through press conference and media briefings. Twice daily PC by mayor

29. Establish objectives • Identify stakeholders and their concerns • Find out what they already know and want to know • Determine trust level and credibility of source • Develop key messages • Determine best communication tools/channels mix PLAN • Prepare materials and review them • Anticipate key questions and concerns • Message mapping (key messages and supportive information ) • Ensure broad involvement of stakeholders PREPARE • Use various techniques of delivery/ be creative • Listen attentively • Ensure adequate resources • Resolve conflict COMMUNICATE & INVOLVE EVALUATE AND IMPROVE

30. Thank You