Breaking Tradition: A Look at Crisis Management Mechanisms in the Federal Government

Abstract

This research will examine current Canadian Government crisis management mechanisms, in order to evaluate their effectiveness once applied to a crisis situation. The improvement of crisis management by government could lead to more comprehensive and coordinated approaches towards crisis preparedness and response. The area of crisis management is an often neglected, yet vital part of government operations. Whether operational decisions during a crisis are politically inspired or genuinely practical, good management of the processes involved with making these determinations is imperative. The government needs to anticipate not only the broadest spectrum of difficulties that may arise during a crisis but the many options available for responding to them. This challenge may be facilitated by incorporating a generic crisis management response mechanism as a component in departments’ standard operating guidelines. Consistently, various levels of government have been primarily reactive in how they prepare for crises, by focusing on them only once they occur. This can lead to inefficient and ineffective responses, particularly with the misallocation of resources such as funding and the identification of lead response personnel. An overreliance on what has been employed traditionally, regardless of its efficiency or effectiveness, often takes place. This paper will examine some of these issues as it seeks to recommend preparedness versus reactive responses to crises. Furthermore, the use of proper crisis communications techniques would serve to mitigate negative effects once a crisis emerges.