In 2016 I was selected by U.S. Army Pacific to be the senior U.S. professional communicator participant and lecturer during disaster response exercise Gobi Wolf 2016 held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. These are the slides I used to brief participants from the U.S., Mongolia, Japan and Nepal on the difference between Strategic Communications and a communications strategy/plan. I also briefed them on how professional communicators may employ each to effect post-disaster chaos and attain desired responses from various audiences through targeted messaging. The format was kept intentionally mundane to simplify the translation process. Coverage of the exercise can be viewed at https://mn.usembassy.gov/gobi-wolf-2016-tests-humanitarian-assistance-disaster-relief-capabilities-mongolia/

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Disaster Response
Communications
Captain Richard Packer
U.S. Army Alaska Public Affairs
Exercise Gobi Wolf 2016
Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange: Mongolia
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Agenda
• Nepal April 2015 Earthquake Vignette
• Definitions
• Guiding Principles
• Developing a Communications Strategy
• Developing Messages
• Practice

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• Magnitude 7.8
• 9,000+ dead
• 23,000+ injured
• 450,000+ displaced
• Entire villages flattened
• 20,000 foreigners in Nepal
during the disaster
April 2015 Earthquake in Nepal
Imagine a similar disaster hit Ulaanbaatar three hours ago.
- What messaging do we have ready right now?
- Who needs our information most?
We are preparing for a press conference in two hours.
- What are we going to say and why?

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Definitions
• Strategic Communications (STRATCOM)
Focused efforts to understand and engage key
audiences to create, strengthen, or preserve
conditions favorable for the advancement of
policies and objectives through the use of
coordinated programs, plans, themes, messages,
and products.

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Definitions
• Communications Strategy (COMSTRAT)
Also known as a communications plan, COMSTRAT
expresses the goals and methods of an
organization's outreach activities, including what an
organization wishes to share with the public and
whom the organization is trying to reach. Generally
an internal document, COMSTRAT serves as a guide
for all media and public relations activities.

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Definitions
• Messages
Messages are statements that complement facts we
provide to our audience. They don’t have to be
complex, for disasters simple is better. After any
tragedy it is crucial to keep the focus on the victims.
Sincere condolences and assurances of assistance
can create a powerful connection with audiences.

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Guiding Principles
Trust is like the water in a damn;
It is lost in rivers and renewed in raindrops.
Never lie to the public or the media. It takes much longer
to build or regain trust than it does to lose it. After a
tragedy, people are looking for someone to blame. Lying
to them makes it easy to identify us as the villain. Work
early to build good rapport with the media. Give them
access to stories and facilitate interviews with leadership
before tragedies so they know us when we need them.

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In a crisis situation, don’t panic!
Acknowledge the nature of the
challenge as best you understand it.
Identify opportunities the situation presents
without appearing to spin tragedy into a good thing.
Guiding Principles

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Plan early to synchronize communication.
Does our boss share our same concerns and priorities?
How about their boss?
While developing our messages we must ensure
they are nested within what other echelons are saying.
Developing COMSTRAT

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Developing COMSTRAT
Before the disaster is when we accomplish
all of the planning and most of the work
We do this by:
• Fostering alliances amongst key stakeholders
• Approved procedures signed by the senior official
• Testing/refining messages and procedures

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Developing COMSTRAT
Basic disaster communication strategy
1. Signed endorsement from the senior official
2. Designated staff responsibilities
3. Approved verification and release procedures
4. Accurate media contact list
5. Procedures to coordinate with other organizations
6. Designated spokesperson, primary and alternate
7. Communication response team roles and resources
8. Basic messages and communication platforms

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Why do we communicate?
The most important part of planning is
understanding why we are engaging with an audience.
The urgency of the situation and the
stakes involved should guide our preparations.
Developing Messages

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Audience
Communication
Platform
Desired
Action / Outcome
Time
Requirements to develop
effective messages.
This is the process for developing
every message for every audience.
Developing Messages

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First identify who to communicate with.
• Victims
• First Responders
• Volunteers
• Media
• Foreign Governments
• Businesses
• Humanitarian Organizations
• The world
Keep in mind that different audiences will require unique
messaging to attain our strategic communication goals.
Developing Messages

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Now decide what to communicate.
Begin with the end in mind. What does our audience need to know?
Reporters want to know who, what, where, when and why.
Knowing this helps us anticipate the information
we must have ready and helps formulate our COMSTRAT.
While we should target a specific audience,
we always assume that all audiences may receive our message.
Developing Messages

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Next identify how we will communicate.
• Radio
• Television
• Media
• Social Media
• Websites
• Public Address System
• Telephone
• Leaflets/Flyers
Remember that after a disaster there may be significant
infrastructure communication challenges to overcome.
Developing Messages

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The length of our message is constrained by the
communications platform we choose.
Different communication platforms require different messages.
Broadcast platforms (television, radio, etc.) require
short sound bites, usually no more than 10-20 seconds.
Print platforms (websites, newspapers, leaflets, etc.) offer much more
detailed, technical and instructive communication opportunities.
Be prepared to adjust messages based on the communication
platform available to best reach a target audience.
Developing Messages

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Now determine when target
audiences need information.
In a crisis, the answer is as soon as we can verify
and coordinate release of the information.
We will have more time to prepare if we plan to communicate early.
This means we must prepare
communication strategies before disasters strike.
Developing Messages

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Practice

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Responding to Questions
Questions
Comments
Concerns

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Additional Guidelines
&
Best Practices

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Messaging through the Media
Provide useful, actionable information.
We want our target audience to know what we are doing and why our
information is important.
Whether we are asking for support, requesting action or just
informing, our messages must make sure our target audience
understands our communication objective.

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Developing Messages
In a crisis situation, don’t panic!
Refer to the professionalism of those responding to the crisis – how
they are trained and educated to deal with complex issues like search
and rescue, resource distribution, emergency medical care, etc.
Even with little notice, these strategies provide a quick method to
meet immediate communication needs.

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Responding to Questions
Don’t just answer questions. Respond with facts and messages that
provide clarity and context to the issue.
Responding to, rather than answering, questions means providing
relevant data plus a message to provide context. Use Effective
Responses.
Effective responses make the media our partners in delivering
messages to our target audiences.

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Responding to Questions
Effective Responses.
Just an answer:
“We currently have 30,000 first responders in the field.”
Effective Response:
“We currently have 30,000 first responders in the field participating
in search and rescue operations, providing emergency medical
care and distributing food, water and blankets to those struck
hardest by this tragedy.”

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Responding to Questions
Personalize our messages.
Don’t attempt to memorize messages verbatim. Know the content and
speak from the heart.

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Responding to Questions
Anticipate tough questions and prepare.
List the ten toughest questions we anticipate receiving and think
about how we will pair answers with a message which will provide
target audiences an effective response.

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Responding to Questions
Practice Effective Responses.
We must be prepared to express our major points in concise
statements. By organizing our thoughts it is more likely our position
will be understood by reporters and target audiences.

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Responding to Questions
DON’T READ ANSWERS WHEN RESPONDING!!
Practice with public affairs or other professional communicators until
comfortable and ask them for honest feedback on responses.