PECB Crisis Communication study plan
PECB Crisis Communication · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Crisis Communication
Define crisis communication and distinguish it from routine public relations and incident notification
Map the ISO 22361 crisis management lifecycle and locate where communication activities sit in each phase
Identify the stakeholder categories a crisis communication program must address, including employees, customers, regulators, media, and affected communities
Build a personal glossary of at least 25 core terms with one-sentence definitions written in your own words
Your checkpoint
A one-page crisis communication framework map linking lifecycle phases to stakeholder groups, plus a 25-term glossary file
Crisis Communication
Explain the elements of a crisis communication policy and how it links to the wider crisis management and business continuity frameworks
Describe how to assign roles and responsibilities for a crisis communication team, including spokesperson, approver, and channel coordinator
Draft escalation and activation triggers that determine when the communication function is stood up
Compare centralized versus decentralized communication governance models and state when each fits
Your checkpoint
A two-page draft crisis communication policy outline with roles, activation triggers, and a governance recommendation
Crisis Communication
Identify the information needs of each stakeholder group during the first hour, first day, and first week of a crisis
Design message templates for holding statements, initial statements, and follow-up updates
Apply message-mapping technique to connect stakeholder concerns to key messages
Establish approval workflows and time limits for releasing messages under pressure
Your checkpoint
A message toolkit containing three templates and one completed message map for a plausible crisis scenario
Crisis Communication
Select and justify communication channels for different audiences and crisis types, including dark sites, social media, SMS, and press briefings
Define monitoring and listening requirements so the organization can track accuracy, sentiment, and rumor spread
Describe how to coordinate with internal functions such as legal, HR, IT, and operations without losing message consistency
Produce a channel matrix that states primary, backup, and owner for each audience
Your checkpoint
A channel matrix covering at least six audiences with primary and backup channels and named owners
Crisis Communication
Prepare spokesperson briefing packs including key messages, likely questions, and bridging responses
Run a tabletop exercise that tests activation, message approval, and first-hour stakeholder communication
Evaluate exercise performance against defined criteria and record gaps in a corrective action log
Apply lessons from the exercise to revise at least two earlier deliverables
Your checkpoint
A tabletop exercise report with an after-action gap log and evidence of two revised artifacts
Crisis Communication
Identify methods for monitoring and evaluating communication effectiveness during and after a crisis
Define metrics and key performance indicators for timeliness, reach, accuracy, and stakeholder trust
Describe post-crisis review and how communication lessons feed back into the crisis management program
Explain how to handle misinformation and rumor correction in a structured way
Your checkpoint
A one-page measurement plan with at least five metrics, data sources, and review cadence
Crisis Communication
Review the full domain outline and rate your confidence per subtopic to target remaining gaps
Complete timed practice questions and analyze every wrong answer for the underlying concept
Rehearse explaining the plan-do-check-act cycle as it applies to crisis communication
Consolidate weak areas into a one-page revision sheet
Your checkpoint
A scored practice set log with error analysis and a one-page revision sheet of weak areas
Crisis Communication
Recite the crisis communication lifecycle, roles, and message approval flow from memory
Walk through two unseen scenarios and outline first-hour communication actions within 15 minutes each
Finalize exam logistics and confirm your understanding of question format and time allocation
Complete a final self-assessment against all domain subtopics
Your checkpoint
Two timed scenario outlines plus a completed self-assessment checklist showing readiness per subtopic
Milestones
Week 2: You can explain without notes how the crisis communication policy connects to the crisis management framework and who approves messages
Week 4: You can name the primary and backup channel for every major stakeholder group and justify each choice
Week 5: You have run one tabletop exercise and logged at least five concrete gaps with owners
Week 7: Practice scores are stable above your target pass margin and error analysis shows no repeated concept failures
Week 8: You can produce a first-hour communication action list for an unseen scenario in under 15 minutes