About the project

The goal of this project is to develop an audit instrument and guides
for communication strategies which will better prepare public authorities
for the task of communication in crisis situations.

CrisComScore

The Communication Scorecard, the Guides and scientific background materials on this web platform have been developed by an international group of researchers. This EU-funded project is coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä and based on extensive ground work by research teams from:

First, critical factors were identified for communication strategies in media relations, communication with citizens, and within the network of response organizations.

Next to literature reviews, this included a number of empirical studies, e.g. an international online questionnaire with crisis communication experts, a survey and several focus group interviews with citizens, and interviews with journalists and spokespersons.

On the basis of these research efforts the framework for the scorecard was developed and the indicators formulated. The instrument was tested for clarity and appropriateness by interviewing crisis management and communication specialists. It was also used in several tryouts, to conduct a preparedness audit, evaluate a crisis exercise, and to evaluate the post-crisis communication. The results showed that the Scorecard can be a useful tool for practitioners in the field of crisis communication and crisis management.

The materials can freely be used by organisations in crisis management, with citation. Feedback by users and researchers will be highly appreciated and help in seeking to optimize the instrument.

The research project ‘Developing a crisis scorecard’ leading to these results has been funded as part of the European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 217889.