Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Institute of Directors publish Crisis Communication Handbook for Boards
With boards expected to navigate an increasingly complex crisis landscape, the new handbook offers practical guidance on managing the communications challenges of a crisis from start to finish
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) Crisis Communications Network and the Institute of Directors (IoD) have today published a Crisis Communication for Boards handbook, guiding boards on the crucial role of communications before, during, and after a crisis.
Designed as a practical resource for board members across sectors, the guide - Crisis Communications for Boards: A Handbook for Good Governance - examines what constitutes a crisis, the potential impact on an organisation, and best practice in communications at each stage of the crisis lifecycle. It advises boards on how to predict, protect, prepare, respond, recover, and build enduring resilience.
The handbook is supported by a practical toolkit and in-depth recommendations for wider reading and practical resources. It also identifies case studies from leading academics and practitioners, examining recent and high-profile crises and the lessons they offer for boards looking to strengthen their preparedness, upskill their personnel, and scrutinise existing plans.
Emphasising how, in a crisis, ultimately the buck stops with the board, the handbook also examines how the modern reputation management landscape is evolving, and with it the crisis risks which boards face. These range from an increasingly turbulent geopolitical context to the growing challenges and opportunities presented by AI usage: a detailed section examines the emerging governance risks of AI and how, as its capabilities expand, so too do the associated ethical, legal, operational, and reputational risks.
The handbook also sets out to address a persistent gap: while reputation is increasingly becoming a standalone discussion point on board agendas, very few boards in fact include communications professionals or understand fully the role they can play.
Communications professionals are uniquely well-placed for supporting boards in challenging times, yet too few boards actually include them at the table. They can see how disparate threats, from well-publicised supply chain shocks to subtle employee disengagement, can all coalesce into serious damage to an organisation. Crisis communications need to be embedded in daily management practices, not parachuted in only once the horse has already bolted. At this point a company is already behind, so this handbook gives boards the tools needed to get ahead. Thank you to everyone that contributed to the valuable work.
This board-focussed handbook recognises the new and ever-growing challenges facing boards and is the Network’s most ambitious project yet. Reputation and crisis management invariably come hand in hand and have now reached new levels of urgency, demanding that boardroom and communication functions are constantly aligned and robust. Leaders across sectors need to rise to the challenges of the modern corporate governance landscape and recognise the vital importance of communications in their strategic operations.
In an environment defined by volatility, uncertainty and heightened scrutiny, boards are increasingly required to lead through complex and fast-moving crises. Reputational threats can emerge quickly, escalate rapidly and have far-reaching consequences for organisational value, trust and long-term viability. In such conditions, effective crisis communication is not a peripheral concern – it is central to good governance. This handbook gives directors practical guidance on how to prepare, respond and build resilience, and will be a valuable resource for boards across all sectors.
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About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with over 11,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).