Public Relations

Crisis-Ready PR Teams

When a crisis hits, the PR team must work fast under intense pressure. This course builds crisis readiness for communication teams: team roles, crisis communication plans, pre-approved materials, monitoring, rapid response workflows, spokesperson support, working with legal and operations, and exercises.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

Download course PDF

Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Teams that prepare respond in minutes, not hours. You will learn to make your PR team crisis-ready.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Crisis plan reviews, role allocation, rapid response drills and a full crisis simulation.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Define crisis communication team roles
Build or update a crisis communication plan
Prepare templates and pre-approved materials
Set up monitoring and rapid response workflows
Support spokespeople during crises
Exercise and improve team readiness

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

PR and communication teams
Press office staff
Communication directors
Social media managers
Crisis management team members

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Team roles
Crisis planning
Rapid response
Spokesperson support
Exercising

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Crisis Readiness

09:00–10:08Crisis types
10:08–11:00Readiness assessment
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Readiness assessment (continued)
11:45–12:53Case studies
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 2Team and Plan

09:00–10:08Roles
10:08–11:00Plan contents
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Plan contents (continued)
11:45–12:53Contact lists
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 3Materials

09:00–10:08Templates
10:08–11:00Holding statements
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Holding statements (continued)
11:45–12:53Dark sites
12:53–14:00Drafting practice

Day 4Rapid Response

09:00–10:08Monitoring
10:08–11:00Approval workflows
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Approval workflows (continued)
11:45–12:53Legal liaison
12:53–14:00Drill

Day 5Simulation

09:00–10:08Full crisis simulation
10:08–11:00Debrief
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Debrief (continued)
11:45–12:53Improvements
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon UK certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon UK programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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The full course agenda and dates are available above. Use the session links in Dates & venues to choose a session. Registration and quotation forms require JavaScript; you can also contact our learning team directly.