Methodology Manages The Crisis - JPS

Methodology Manages The Crisis - JPS    (Audio of JPS Operational Crisis Plan)

Communictions Director at the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo), Winsome Callum said that to manage crises the company follows a clear plan with documented processes. She was speaking at the IABC presentation and discussion "Earthquakes, Murders and Blackouts" on March 3.

Noting that when a crisis had been identified it triggered action by specific individuals on an Operational Crisis Organisation Chart, Ms Callum said that a person appointed with the responsiblity for communications is always on a crisis team.
 
Key elements of the company's Operational Crisis Plan, including the crisis communications response, include clear documented guidelines on timely updates and a list of key persons who need to be kept advised.

The JPS response calls for: Immediate acknowledgement of the problem and statement on action being taken; reporting to System Control within 60 minutes; hosting a media conference and releasing an updated statement to all stakeholders." 
 
The JPS crisis plan is not a static document but is reviewed and updated every single year. This is a policy of ongoing improvement. The company proudly says that it has the best hurricane response plan of all public services in the entire country.

As a service provider, billing issues are listed high among the communications challenges for JPS, perhaps even more so than handling an oncoming hurricane or an all-island blackout. To manage those issues, staff members are considered to be key communicators.
 
"Every JPS employee is a customer service rep. We recognise that...our job is to ensure that the information is available, we try to get the team leaders and the managers to discuss these talking points with team members and ensure that they understand them and give us feedback," Ms Callum said.

The organisation is currently undergoing changes and preparation is being done to ensure that persons in key posts have the necessary communications skills.

"We are training people in crisis management and recognising crises. Identified a team of spokespersons and organising a speakers' bureau for training to start being on the ground in addressing customers and the use of new media." she noted.