Democratic Leadership in Crisis Contexts: A Communication Guide

Crises, whether triggered by natural hazards or by social events, are becoming an increasingly common feature of political life. These crises test the ability of democratic leaders to communicate. Ineffective communication not only fails to foster critical trust but also provides opportunities to aspiring autocrats whose movements use crises as fuel. Effective communication that is democracy-intentional—transparent, inclusive, accessible, responsive, and accountable—fosters trust, provides the credible information required to guide citizens to take the necessary actions, and safeguards democratic norms. 

This guide was developed to assist national and local democratic leaders, civil servants, and crisis communication teams in understanding how better to integrate democratic values into crisis communication practices in order to fashion more effective crisis responses. It provides tangible advice and examples on how public leaders can better prepare prior to a crisis, better communicate once it begins, and better communicate and gather feedback after it ends. It draws upon lessons learned from recent crises from a diverse set of places such as Fiji, the Gambia, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Liberia, and Moldova. 

The guide is broken down into three sections focusing on each of these periods. Each section has a checklist with major activities that should take place as well as a more detailed description of the checklist and how democratic principles can be applied to all communication activities.

• The Before crisis section focuses on how public leaders can prepare for crisis communication. This includes recommendations for engaging external stakeholders to improve information integrity, developing community engagement activities to offer more inclusive and accessible communication, and using feedback loops to improve public leaders’ responsiveness and accountability. The section includes a practical checklist for developing a crisis communication plan and a guide to developing and conducting the training necessary to prepare.
• The During crisis section highlights the steps that public leaders should focus on to ensure transparent crisis communication that reaches as much of the public as possible. It provides practical tools for understanding the crisis, engaging stakeholders, developing and testing messages, developing timelines, and getting the message out.
• The After crisis section provides recommendations for ensuring responsiveness and accountability in the recovery and rebuilding process while enabling continued transparent communication with the public. It also guides public leaders in strategically learning from each experience in crafting responses to future crises. 

This guide should bolster the ability of democratic leaders to respond effectively to crises, both mitigating short-term harm and fostering longer-term democratic stability.