We are addressing the current needs and challenges of policy experts by providing practical skills for effectively managing crisis responses at the local, national and global level.
Crisis Management, Coordination and Capacities
Thurid Hustedt, Professor of Public Administration and Management at the Hertie School, talks about how crises call for swift and coordinated public sector responses and strong leadership from policymakers. However, there is no silver bullet for managing a crisis: Public organisations remain deeply embedded in existing institutional arrangements, administrative cultures and political structures. All crisis management systems require considerable administrative capacity to assess data and to access relevant expert networks. The systems need to be able to cope with urgency and uncertainty, acquire political and expert support for their policy responses and arrange for smooth implementation. This requires considerable coordination capacity on a political, strategic and operational level. This module examines various ways of setting up durable crisis management systems and discusses the subsequent administrative prerequisites and challenges.
Crisis Communication for the Public Sector
Andrea Römmele, Dean of Executive Education and Professor of Communication in Politics and Civil Society at the Hertie School, addresses the organisation and management of communication in crises. An organisation, a state or a business can be hit by a crisis at any time – a natural disaster, financial collapse, a terrorist attack, disclosure of individual misconduct – or as we have seen, a pandemic. Leaders, regardless of sector, are measured by how they perform and communicate during (and after) the crisis. Communication requires effective organisation and stakeholder engagement. Timing, messaging and delivery are key. This full-day online module will start with mapping government stakeholders relevant to today’s health crisis. We will discuss framing, priming and messaging as crucial success factors for any organisation, as well as message delivery (traditional media/social media/press conferences) and post-crisis communication.
Successful Leadership In Times Of Crises
Johanna Mair is Professor of Organization, Strategy and Leadership at the Hertie School. Here she speaks about the importance of successful leadership during crises. While the current global health emergency has suspended business as usual, your career as a public servant, policy adviser, consultant, data analyst, human rights advocate, or international manager is not on hold. Leadership is key as your organisation adapts to new modes of operation and as you are called upon to take on new responsibilities and deliver under pressure. Now is the time to develop critical skills necessary for successfully leading and managing the large challenges that arise in times of global crises.
Stakeholder Engagement in Times of Crisis
Thomas Losse-Müller is an economist, public sector policy advisor and a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School. While businesses regroup and rethink their strategies, stakeholder engagement is of utmost importance. How do you identify the individuals as well as public or private groups your organisation interacts with? Who are internal stakeholders and who are external stakeholders? What information will each group need to know in times of crisis? How can companies take immediate and effective action to protect their employees and customers? And how can your organisation mitigate business risks through successful stakeholder engagmenet?
