The following information is available in downloadable pdf-format:
Traditional crisis simulation exercises conducted over a few hours mainly test and practice short term operational response to a given crisis scenario. It does not allow for the exploration of the noises, signals and issues that can lead to a crisis nor for the practice of the extensive and complex crisis implications, which are usually encountered over the longer term and may be more damaging than the first few hours of the event itself. Moreover, traditional exercises require resources, funds and the availability of executives across different locations. More than ever, in today’s ever-changing risk environment and economic climate, organizations must be able to plan and practice “what if” scenarios to address complex business challenges and define sustainable strategies effectively
ICONS, the on-line crisis simulation tool developed by the University of Maryland Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM) http://www.icons.umd.edu, enables multiple participants to practice scenarios virtually from their desk across time zones, thus avoiding time-consuming face-to-face exercises.
Initially developed for and applied to the academic and public sectors, CS&A is collaborating with ICONS to deliver simulations to the business and corporate environment. Combining CS&A’s hands-on practical risk and crisis management expertise with CIDCM’s academic insight, the ICONS simulation approach is ideally suited to help organizations practice the pre and post crisis phases as well as uncover opportunities to turn potentially negative situations into positive outcomes.
The ICONS online tool is designed to address the potential escalation emerging from a risk or an issue as well as the lingering and long-term impacts of a crisis. As such, ICONS helps enhance crisis anticipation and prevention as well as mitigation and recovery. With the ICONS Tool you can broaden your perspective by taking into account stakeholder behaviour and as a result enhance your overall stakeholder management capability, manage issues and risks more proactively and improve your scenario planning skills.
