Strategic perspective. A structured response. Three complementary areas of expertise to focus on what matters: your operations, your people and your reputation.
In a crisis, credible communication depends on verified facts and accountable decisions. ARCOM Canada connects analysis, response management and communication around the people affected.
01
Clarity and proportion
Establish the facts, acknowledge uncertainty and assess the actual exposure. We favour a response that serves the people concerned, is proportionate to the consequences and reflects what the organization can actually do.
IN PRACTICE+
A dated assessment separates confirmed facts, assumptions and outstanding checks.
02
Operational discipline
Under pressure, preparation must translate into action. We clarify who decides, who acts and who speaks. Messages follow decisions and actions, while significant changes reach the right level of leadership.
IN PRACTICE+
A designated response lead, an approval process and a decision log.
03
Ethics and confidentiality
Defending a reputation requires lawfully obtained information and honest messages. Access, communications and document use are governed by the engagement, agreed permissions and applicable obligations.
IN PRACTICE+
A confidentiality undertaking, limited access and approved versions before release.
Each stage produces a deliverable and calls for a decision. Detection connects preparation to activation; lessons learned update the risk map and future exercises. The cycle adapts to the facts and the engagement.
Explore each step
PREPARE & DETECT
PROTECTPEOPLE · OPERATIONS · TRUST
RESPOND & LEARN←
PREPARATION SHAPES THE RESPONSE. EXPERIENCE STRENGTHENS PREPARATION.
STEP 01 / 08
Anticipation
Map
Prioritize scenarios that threaten people, operations and trust.
KEY ACTIONS
Assess risks by impact, likelihood and speed of escalation.
Identify exposed stakeholders, their expectations and critical dependencies.
DELIVERABLE
Risk and stakeholder map with priority scenarios.
DECISION
Leadership selects the scenarios to prepare for and names an owner for each.
Anticipation
Prepare
Give each role the means to act and a clearly defined authority.
KEY ACTIONS
Define the response lead, deputies, spokespersons, specialists and approval process.
Set alert thresholds, contacts and initial measures to protect people and maintain operations.
DELIVERABLE
Crisis plan: roles, contact directory, thresholds and initial actions.
DECISION
Leadership approves decision authority, resources and activation conditions.
Anticipation
Rehearse
Put the response arrangements to the test before a real event.
KEY ACTIONS
Simulate a scenario with incomplete information and stakeholder requests.
Test alerts, coordination and approval of an initial statement.
DELIVERABLE
Exercise report with gaps, owners and dated corrective actions.
DECISION
Leadership prioritizes corrective actions; the response lead incorporates them into the plan.
Alert
Detect
Distinguish a signal to monitor from a situation requiring activation.
KEY ACTIONS
Cross-check internal alerts, stakeholder requests and relevant public information.
Verify the source, time, scale and impacts before comparing the alert with agreed thresholds.
DELIVERABLE
Alert brief: confirmed facts, unknowns, impacts and proposed escalation level.
DECISION
The designated decision-maker continues monitoring, requests verification or authorizes activation.
Response
Activate
Establish shared direction and address immediate priorities.
KEY ACTIONS
Bring together the necessary functions, confirm the response lead and open a situation log.
Establish verified facts, protective measures and decisions requiring escalation.
DELIVERABLE
Initial situation report: facts, impacts, priorities, owners and deadlines.
DECISION
Leadership sets the mobilization level and confirms the decisions delegated to the response lead.
Response
Communicate
Reach the right people with messages aligned with action.
KEY ACTIONS
Prepare messages and questions and answers for affected people, employees and the media.
Verify the facts and approve release through the agreed process; set the next update.
DELIVERABLE
Approved messages, notification sequence and update schedule.
DECISION
The authorized approver confirms who speaks, to whom, through which channel and when.
Adjustment
Assess
Measure actual developments and decide whether the response must change.
KEY ACTIONS
Compare facts and stakeholder feedback with protection and continuity objectives.
Review uncertainty, commitments fulfilled and the effects of measures and messages.
DELIVERABLE
Monitoring dashboard: indicators, gaps, corrective measures and open questions.
DECISION
The response lead recommends maintaining, strengthening or scaling back the response; leadership decides.
Improvement
Strengthen
Organize recovery and turn response gaps into better preparation.
KEY ACTIONS
Close priority actions and assign remaining commitments to a named owner.
Conduct a lessons-learned review, then revise scenarios, thresholds, procedures and exercises.
DELIVERABLE
Improvement plan: actions, owners, deadlines and verification of corrections.
DECISION
Leadership approves the end of the crisis arrangements, then restarts the updated risk mapping cycle.
An adaptable framework: depending on the event, several steps may run in parallel or be revisited.