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Communications
A warning may need to both warn and reassure, communicate your message. This could include, for
example, targeted direct mailing campaigns as are
and has to reach a diverse audience with diff erent
currently used for householders and businesses, but
values and world-views
also tapping into resources such as Teachernet
iv
.
An essential aspect of any risk communication
A general lack of awareness of a fl ood risk might mean that the staff and campaign is the evaluation. In the case of the EA, a
other interested parties are unprepared, have made no preparations, and clear indicator would be the number of schools that
may not be best able to cope with the impact of a fl ood. Given the age register to receive the automated fl ood warnings. As an
of the pupils, and the duty of care that is expected, this may have severe aside, this would also assist the EA in working towards
consequences for a school and its management. Thus, the research aimed to targets for provision of the warning service.
test whether schools were aware that they were situated in an at-risk area, and
to look at the fl ood risk communications that the schools received. LUCID for business continuity
In the UK, the EA is responsible for fl ood forecasting and fl ood warning So how does this all apply in a business continuity
dissemination (DEFRA, 2010
iii
). This is achieved through a series of alerts and management context? Well, the same considerations
campaigns. Annual campaigns are targeted at households and businesses that for both awareness campaigns and alerting schemes
lie in fl ood risk areas, advising on how best to protect property, and explaining apply:
what actions to take in the event of fl ooding, and to encourage householders Listen to your audience – This is particularly
in vulnerable areas to sign up to an automatic voice messaging service so that important during the business impact analysis phase
they will receive fl ood warnings (EA, 2005). and any exercises/training when there is face-to-face
The research demonstrated that the majority of schools within fl ood risk contact. What are the staff saying, and what is their
areas were not aware that they were in a fl ood risk area, and were not in experience?
receipt of information or warnings from the EA. In fact, it was found that the Understand your audience – This is particularly
EA has no policy regarding communicating with schools in terms of general applicable for large and diverse workforces. Is the
fl ood awareness or fl ood warnings, apart from some fl ood awareness for workforce largely professional or less educated? Do
pupils, thus schools do not receive any tailored information regarding the you have to consider a high turnover of staff, issues
fl ood risk and preparatory measures that can be taken, and equally are not the such as shift working, or large numbers of migrant
direct recipient of fl ood warnings. Indeed, on querying how schools should be workers with possibly language/cultural differences?
informed of impending fl oods, a representative of the EA suggested that fl ood Are all staff in receipt of personal emails, and do
warning dissemination could be carried out by the local authorities. Given all have access to computers and the intranet? Are
that schools are largely self-managing, and such a methodology would not noticeboards routinely used as a source of information,
necessarily encompass privately-run schools and nurseries, this suggests a gap. or are they generally disregarded?
Collaborate – Are there unions or workforce
LUCID in practice representatives that need to be consulted. Can you
Consider how the EA could better target their risk communications to schools engage your communications team?
using the LUCID model: Is your message clear? – Are there any ambiguities
Listen to your audience – Work with schools to understand their specifi c or areas of potential misunderstanding?
requirements. This could help to clarify what is required in terms of warnings Develop a multi-media approach – use all means at
and preparatory information, and ensures that the messages sent are your disposal to communicate your message
adequately tailored.
Understand your audience – Understand that schools are not businesses Again, evaluation is a critical element of any
or households, and therefore have different requirements in terms of campaign, ensuring that methods for increasing
communications and advice. Schools have responsibilities for vulnerable awareness of business continuity have not only
young children, as well as considerations for communicating with parents, and increased people’s knowledge but actually changed
managing issues such as exams. Also, there are signifi cantly different ‘duty of their behaviour.
care’ considerations for four year-old pupils as compared against 16 year-old
students. Furthermore, some schools host Breakfast and After School Clubs, Target audience
and Sure Start Children’s Centres. This article has outlined a simple model for planning
It may be that the school does not itself lie in a fl ood plain, but access risk communications and illustrated its use with two
roads do; consider the recent problems in Workington where pupils were examples. Use of the model should ensure that the
unable to reach their schools due to problems with river crossings. This point intended message is received and understood by
in itself might help the EA to reconsider their view of the community and its a greater number of the target audience. Critically
requirements. It may be that there are other establishments that have their though, all communication should be rigorously
individual needs, such as care homes, further education establishments or evaluated to establish if they have met their original
prisons, and thus enable the Agency to more effectively target its campaigns. aims.
Understanding the audience will also assist in knowing where responsibility
i
Molyneux, h.l. (2008). effective embedding through risk
lies. For the education sector, it is important to be clear about the delineation Communication, presented at BCi symposium 2008, Brighton.
between local authority education departments and schools, and to have an
ii
environment agency (2005). www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
awareness of those outside the state sector, including faith schools, private
iii
deFra (2010). www.defra.gov.uk.
schools and nurseries. iv
teachernet. www.teachernet.gov.uk
Collaborate – Work with your audience, and get them on side. This requires
a proactive campaign, demonstrating that the information is being collated
using expertise from within the education sector, and is therefore relevant and
HELEn MoLynEUX, BSC(HonS), MSC, MBCi
effective.
helen Molyneux is a director of Cambridge risk solutions
Is your message clear? – School staff and governors are expected to provide
ltd.
safe environments for children in their care. To enable adequate planning and
helen@cambridge-risk.com
preparation, they need to have an understanding of the hazards that may exist.
www.cambridge-risk.com
Develop a multi-media approach – Use all means at your disposal to
January/February 2010  Continuity  
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