Risk Communications Manual

[+Renegade Knight]

A long time ago I took a class in Risk Communications. The class was a complete ephiphany. First it's used on us citizens by any government organization that deals with the public on sensative matters.

 

A couple of years ago I did some emails and worked to start this project. It was put on hold due to a lack of interest. Now it's very clear why it needs to happen.

 

It's time to put together a manual for geocachers. I've been trying to get a local to help me get going on a manual for a long time but since they are in the business of risk communciations and becuase Katrina and other events keep happening they have been busy even though they are interested.

 

I'm going to get in touch with her again and see if we can get her signed up. What I need are volunteers from states that have been under fire. South Carolina, and others. People in the local organization, or who are about to start a local organization to deal with issues.

 

Most LEO's in the forums should be able to say what a great tool this is. When you see them speak about things they are using very carefully crafted statements to elicit the responce they want and to reinforce the message they want to public to have about Law Enforcment in General. Geocaching needs that.

 

If you are a local leader, or even a LEO email me. We need to move on this. That may mean drafting the help needed and finding another Risk Communications person if the one I've been working with hasn't freed up her schedule.

 

=============================================

Risk Communications in a nutshell is anticipating the most common questions and problems that are going to be encountered and preparing in advance the kinds of answers that we would like to see. It's is about being ready so you don't look like a complete moron when you are called before the Senate or Press to defend caching. 90% of the questions can be anticipated. the other 10% can be fielded by the expereince from the 90%. The work is in anticipating hte 90% then preparing answers that are accurate, useful, and direct people to what we want them to know about goecaching.

 

It works. Remember Stormin Normin, During the gulf war? He was a master. Ever seen how politicians can change any subject to key values they want to stress no matter how difficult?

Edited February 6, 2007 by Renegade Knight

[+StarBrand]

Had to look this up to understand what RK is talking about and found the following.

 

Communicating effectively during a crisis takes planning; preparation; an understanding of communications protocols, messaging and the media; and the ability to manage the flow of information. Each is a challenge that can be met effectively, to the benefit of those receiving messages in times of crisis.

 

It describes basic skills and techniques for clear, effective crisis communications and information dissemination, and provides some of the tools of the trade for media relations. It can help you prepare for meeting the important responsibility of communicating with the public both directly and successfully during a crisis.

 

 

So if I understand RK right, he wants a manual for how to talk to the media and others about geocaching in a way that will not raise alarm. Particularly in cases were the bomb squad wnts to blow up something.

 

Right???

[Clan Riffster]

Good luck with that project. I think it could be a great tool. Effective risk communications requires a speaker who is articulate and patient.

[+NorthWes]

I'm interested. I'm involved with Geocache Alaska as a 'regional coordinator' (the only 'title' any of us have... as we're a very loosely-organized cooperative of cachers here in Alaska). Any tools to assist in building public (Land manager/LEO) support for geocaching are appreciated.

[+Renegade Knight]

I'm interested. I'm involved with Geocache Alaska as a 'regional coordinator' (the only 'title' any of us have... as we're a very loosely-organized cooperative of cachers here in Alaska). Any tools to assist in building public (Land manager/LEO) support for geocaching are appreciated.

 

I'll keep you in mind. Heck you may be my only volunteer at this rate!

[+Bud]

PM sent. Regardless of whether I can be of any assistance, I'd certainly be interested in some of the aggregate knowledge that you're able to put together.

[CoyoteRed]

What exactly are you looking for? What would the volunteer be doing?

[+StarBrand]

I'm interested. I'm involved with Geocache Alaska as a 'regional coordinator' (the only 'title' any of us have... as we're a very loosely-organized cooperative of cachers here in Alaska). Any tools to assist in building public (Land manager/LEO) support for geocaching are appreciated.

 

I'll keep you in mind. Heck you may be my only volunteer at this rate!

Count me in too. I can write.

[+Renegade Knight]

What exactly are you looking for? What would the volunteer be doing?

 

Creating the manual.

 

The gist is to anticipate all the questions and issues that can come up. Then work on answers to them. The manual is then made available to anyone likely to field questions. For example Groundspeak. It would have served everone who dealt with the issue that came up in SC not so long ago.

 

The hard part is to come up with the answers and the ongoing message that we would like to stress and not falling into pitfalls.

 

An example of a pitfall is the loaded question asked of a politician.

"Have you cheated on your wife?"

 

The politician who answers by saying "What kind of question is that, did I cheat on my wife, Of course I don't cheat on my wife, I'd love her and would never cheat on her!". Has just repeated the negative message 3 times.

 

Think about the "Pipe Bomb Cache " thread. Ever time that's repeated the message is "caches look like pipe bombs". I don't even like repeating the term for the same of an example.

 

Anyway, simple concept, but not quite as simple of an execution.

[CoyoteRed]

I wouldn't have the first clue on how to proceed.

 

I do know the importance of having your stuff together and know how to speak when confronted with accusations. Learned that the hard way a couple of years ago.

[+Renegade Knight]

I wouldn't have the first clue on how to proceed.

 

I do know the importance of having your stuff together and know how to speak when confronted with accusations. Learned that the hard way a couple of years ago.

 

I need to get in touch with the person who taught the class that I attended and see if she has the time. We need a professional to guide us. If she's not going to have the time then we would need to find someone else.

[+ScaredOfBees]

"I wouldn't have the first clue on how to proceed."

 

I was the Y2K risk manager, now retired, for the Federal Aviation Administration on 1/1/2000. I wrote the FAA Y2K Business Continuity and Contingency Plan.

 

I look at this as a need for contingency planning. While the details of how to present the information are hammered out, an effective exercise to develop the contents of the manual is to list as many risks as you can think of so that a discussion of the best, measured response for each can be developed. Each risk is evaluated for probability of occurrence and impact. The higher the probability and impact, the greater its priority with geocachers. This way we could begin to address the top 90% of issues that will come up.

 

For instance:

 

1) Geocacher (possibly intentionally) places a bomb-like cache. Example analysis: This is a low-probability event as most adults have the common sense, or at least enough knowledge of law, not to do this. The flip side of it is that it has a large impact. One very serious event like this in the right place could result in immediate knee-jerk legislation. Out of tens of thousands of caches placed, even a low probability ensures that it *will* happen and have to be dealt with. Consequently, this would tend to float towards the top of our priority list.

 

2) Wilderness related legislation

 

3) Serious injury of a geocacher, such as from disassembly of electrical infrastructure

 

4) Damage to infrastructure or private property resulting in injury to others

 

5) Insurance companies deny liability or health coverage of geocachers (as has been done for some activities perceived as being high-risk)

 

6) Various 'loaded' media questions

 

7) ...

 

After brainstorming this list, we could start to apply low/medium/high probabilities and impacts, sort them for priority and start to think about measured responses.

 

Another thought. We should eventually spend a few bucks to set up our "Golden Child" as an expert on a site such as the American Press Institute's

Expert Sources. The media would see the "GC" as the go-to guy.

 

Does this float anybody's boat?

-ScaredOfBees

[+Renegade Knight]

"...Does this float anybody's boat?

-ScaredOfBees

 

Got a copy of that plan as an example to look at? Or perhaps a the training/information/eample manual that you used to create the plan since the plan probably would not be public in the traditinional sence?

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I believe that I would take the idea to Groundspeak and the Reviewer community first.

 

The manual you discuss presumes a central authority, an agency or individual with a unified response, identifiable and recognized by the community.

 

You've been around these forums long enough to know that no unified answer will come from geocachers, so who will be the contact for such issues? How will you communicate that contact info and to whom? How will you get geocachers to deliver the approved message?

 

I would like to see these things addressed first, as we in geocaching face quite different challenges re communication and centralization than do structured organizations such as the FAA or The American Red Cross.

 

The FAA, for example, can develop and adopt such a manual and push it down from the top, instructing all employees to learn and abide by it. Police recognize when an issue involves the FAA, know how to contact that agency, and employees of that agency know to push the message to the appropriate spokesperson or representative.

 

None of that is true in geocaching.

 

Pondering the content of such a manual of policy and procedure without first determining how to implement it will only lead to a goat rope.

 

If you can determine how such a system approach would work in our distributed geocaching community then I would offer my services as an Editor and Technical Writer for the online document development process.

[CoyoteRed]

Pondering the content of such a manual of policy and procedure without first determining how to implement it will only lead to a goat rope.

 

The alternative is it never going anywhere.

 

Trust me when I say that many a worthy project never saw the light of day because it was pondered to death.

 

I see nothing wrong with a group getting together and trying to hammer out some good responses to questions posed by the media or authorities. Such a guide would have been a boon to us in SC. Groundspeak will either accept it or they won't, but that does not in any way reduce the usefulness to local and regional groups.

 

Personally, if I were to attempt to move forward with such a project I'd create a forum somewhere and invite some big thinkers to join. I'd ask for as many scenarios as possible where geocaching could be seen in a negative light and ask honest questions--even dishonest ones. Then attempt to formulate some answers to those questions.

 

Then a Risk Management professional should have an easier time with putting that data into a coherent package.

 

(Okay, so I got a bit of a clue on how to proceed.)

 

I'd be willing to put my two cents in when available.

[+Muddy Chris]

 

Trust me when I say that many a worthy project never saw the light of day because it was pondered to death.

 

 

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

For Emphasis

 

This sounds like a great idea. I'm new to this and would hate to see the hobby ligislated to death before I am able to fully get into it. I think this could certainly be an effective tool with the media and government agancies. As this "sport" grows ... and it will continue to do so ... the incedents of bad and unapproprite hides will grow proportionally. When we set out a plan to deal with things before they happen, we are able deal with them gracefully, swiftly and effectively when they actually occur.

 

Props .... I'll help if I can.

 

^^v^^

 

Chris

Edited February 10, 2007 by Muddy Chris

[+Too Tall John]

One of the reasons I've been pushing for a start of a New Hampshire GC organization is to be able to answer questions local authorities may have. I've actually started a website to get people thinking about it, and now that the site is up, the question of "Great, now what happens if the local press wants me to field questions?" I would kill for such a resource. This would obviously be something that Groundspeak would want a hand in (has anybody asked? Maybe there is one...) but if I were a local reporter who'd googled "geocaching" I'd chase down the local group before I went to national. At least I'd hit 'em both at once...

 

What kind of input do you need from us? I'll try to help.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Alrighty then! Sounds like this goat rope is underway!

[+ScaredOfBees]

Got a copy of that plan as an example to look at? Or perhaps a the training/information/eample manual that you used to create the plan since the plan probably would not be public in the traditinional sence?

 

Because of it's sensitive content, the document was appropriately marked "For Official Use Only". But the concepts are well documented. I'd start with these references:

Risk Assessment

Risk Management

Crisis Communications

 

It wouldn't hurt to start brainstorming possible crisis events now. No matter what the log cabin ends up looking like, you're going to need logs.

[+Renegade Knight]

I believe that I would take the idea to Groundspeak and the Reviewer community first....

 

I did that two years ago and did not receive any response. It's my intent to invite Hydee to the party along with reps from other cache listing sites this time around as well.

 

It looks like there is enough interest to make this happen. I’ve emailed the Risk Communications Person I know and may be able to meet with them in the next three weeks. Plus is looks like ScaredOfBees is able to handle the job of herding cats the right direction, or at least knows the direction we should be heading.

 

It’s a valid point to ask “how will we come to a consensus”. It can be done. It also doesn’t matter if we don’t agree 100%. It’s more important to build the guide book at 80% and get it out where it can do some good. We can argue about the last 20% later.

 

CR your idea on a forum is exaclty what I was thinking.

[+StarBrand]

....CR your idea on a forum is exaclty what I was thinking.

I will set up a forum on the wnag.net site - if you like -.

[CoyoteRed]

CR your idea on a forum is exaclty what I was thinking.

 

Done.

[BRTango]

It might be a good idea to contact each of (or at least as many as you can) the local caching organizations and see if any of them want to participate. They may have a collective knowledge based on events that have taken place in their local AOs.

[+Renegade Knight]

I emailed the Risk Communications person I mentioned a few days ago. No answer. I'm going to keep trying so I can get permission to copy her manual for her class or maybe get some from her. However it looks like we are on our own and that we are lucky to have our own SOB. (Couldn't resist that...).

 

As ScareOfBee's said, you know you will be using logs to build the cabin, so brainstorming questions and situations those questions may come up in is something everone can do while we pull our group together. Since it's brainstorming everything is good. Make a note of anything you come up with. We will do something with them as we get going.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

This sounds like a timely and important project, with a growing number of caches and "scares" it could be a very useful tool. Since there is the whole central authority issue to deal with, it seems it could best be used as a "best practices" model when dealing with questions about the game, or about a particular situation. whether it ends up being supported by Groundspeak or not, it could certainly be distributed through other outlets. Making the final info available to regoinal groups to list on their websites would go a long way to standardize the responses to questions.

 

Beyond GeoCaching, this type of information could prove usefull as a learning tool to be applied to other areas on ones life as well.

 

One place to maybe get Groundspeak on board is to think about a revision of the stash note that's available here. The stash note, as well as responses to questions about the game will communicate more effectivly if they are more "on point" and condensed.

[+Too Tall John]

I'm glad to see a forum opened for this project & have signed up. Where do we go from here?

[+mikeslomka]

I'll help if I can.

[+Confucius' Cat]

count me in