Crisis Communications Assessment and Evaluation

One of the most critical aspects of crisis communication is assessing the effectiveness of your emergency public information (EPI) program and evaluating the extent to which your plans and processes will actually work in a real crisis event. This includes your audience reach, consideration of demographics, and socio-economic factors and/or adversarial relationships as they impact your ability to communicate during an emergency. For example, you might want to examine more closely the way your agency utilizes social media as an operational tool to reach the largest audience at the most crucial times. Perhaps you want to study training, recruiting, retention or overall evaluation of the people who serve in key EPI roles in your organization.

The team at 4Comm has conducted extensive research and evaluation in crisis communication in support of Federal, state and local EPI programs. Their assessments have provided valuable feedback with relevant and up-to-the-minute data to gauge the success of crisis communication – as well as opportunities to improve. In addition to compiling the information, 4Comm also prepares the data in an accessible format that best serves your leadership – from reports, graphics and presentations, to documentation that highlights best practices and lessons learned.

Here are a few recent examples of research studies and assessments that members of the 4Comm team have developed as independent consultants:

UNLV Business School Shooting

In December 2023, a gunman opened fire on faculty and students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, killing three people before being shot by police. The incident tested the notification and information gathering processes of both university and local police. 4Comm consultants (working independently of 4Comm) examined more than 12 hours of news coverage, including television, print and social media, to gauge the effectiveness of messaging for the various stakeholders.

Hurricane Harvey (FEMA)

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey rolled up onto the Texas coast, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people as high winds and flooding in greater Houston and Southeast Texas cities destroyed millions of dollars in homes and businesses. 4Comm consultants (working independently of 4Comm on behalf of FEMA) examined more than four days of social media coverage to determine how counties and cities along the Texas coast used existing platforms to reach target audiences with key evacuation and response information. The study aided FEMA in assessing pre-disaster messaging and the effectiveness of using multiple platforms to reach high-risk populations.

Hanford Site (DOE)
In May 2017, a tunnel storing legacy-contaminated materials at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington collapsed, releasing radiation into the air. 4Comm consultants (working independently of 4Comm on behalf of the Department of Energy) examined the emergency public information response, which was subsequently identified as a Best Practice approach to crisis communication. Using interviews and research, the team was able to document activities over a 72-hour period and provide guidance on processes that are essential to notifying workers, the public and the news media. 

How it Works

The 4Comm team offers expertise and excellence in conducting a wide range of research, including interviews, analysis of social media and media reports, and the review of other relevant resources to provide the best indication of how effective your emergency public information program might be. 4Comm’s reports can help validate your processes, swing leadership into a better understanding of and support for your program, and provide benchmarking for opportunities to grow and improve.

Simply reach out to 4Comm and our staff will meet with you to assess the size, scope and objectives of your assessment. 4Comm engages with a variety of budgets and work scopes to provide you with a host of products and deliverables that can be valuable in their evaluation and assessment of your emergency public information capabilities.