The knowledge and skill for crisis management is imperative to all individuals, groups or agencies, particularly to the youth in a crises-ridden time and space like Nigeria. This paper attempts to describe the meaning and understanding of crisis management to a group of educated, smart and active young people in the pursuit of in leadership and professional competence. Models and theories associated with crisis management are employed to outline strategies for problem-solving in crisis management. The way forward calls for a clear and active role for youth in crisis management. It is recommended for youth, to actively engage in seeking for knowledge and skills, including clear thinking on what to do in times of crisis.

1. BY
TANKO AHMED fwc
Senior Fellow, NIPSS, Kuru
30 AUGUST 2014

2. PROLOGUE
 The knowledge and skill for crisis management is
imperative to all individuals, groups or agencies,
particularly to the youth in a crises-ridden time and space
like Nigeria.
 This paper attempts to describe the meaning and
understanding of crisis management to a group of
educated, smart and active young people in the pursuit of
in leadership and professional endeavours.
 Models and theories associated with crisis management
are employed to outline strategies for problem-solving in
crisis management.
 The way forward calls for a clear and active role for youth
in crisis management.
 It is recommended for youth, to actively engage in seeking
for knowledge and skills, including clear thinking on what
to do in times of crisis.

3. INTRODUCTION

4.  The knowledge and skill for crisis management is
imperative to all individuals, groups or agencies,
particularly to the youth in a crises-ridden time
and space like Nigeria.
 The study of crisis management originated from
efforts in disaster management in the 1980s
(Shrivastava, et al 1988; ASIS, 2009).
 Crisis management is within the field of
management involving skills and techniques
required to identify, assess, understand, and
cope with a serious situation, especially from the
moment it first occurs to the point that recovery
procedures start.

5. Crisis
Crisis Situation
Management
Crisis Management
Problem-Solving

6.  Denotes a dangerous or worrying situation
or period that is very uncertain, difficult or
painful, requiring immediate action to avoid
total disaster or breakdown.
 Generates a situation of instability and
uncertainty; and when superimposed on
leadership process, it could spell doom to
any recipient entity.

7.  Characterized by four main elements of threat, surprise, short
decision time and the need for change from existing status
(Seeger, et al 1998; Venette, 2003).
 Created either by man or nature hence the classification of crisis
situation into natural and man-made.
 Natural Crisis Situation - disasters such as flood, draught,
volcanic eruption, earthquake,( tsunamis), etc.
Human/Man-Made Crisis Situation, civil disturbances,
terrorists attacks, extreme political instability etc.

8.  Act of handling or controlling something or
situation successfully, including the skills or
expertise involved in doing so.
 Function that coordinates efforts of people to
accomplish goals and objectives by employing
available resources efficiently (without loss) and
effectively (with result).
 Consists of planning, organizing, directing and
controlling which involves decision-making and
leading an initiative to attain a goal.

9.  Measures to identify, acquire and plan the
use of resources needed to anticipate,
prevent, and/or resolve a crisis or the threat
of a crisis (Akpa, 2005).
 Process of dealing with crises or working
through a crisis to solve or cope with
problems as they arise.

10.  Another term applied to Crisis
management.
 Consists of standard method for finding
solutions to problems.
 A problem-solving cycle developed by
Bransford and Stein (1993), requires one to
recognize, define and develop a means or
strategy to fix problems at hand.
 Strategies for problem-solving are
addressed in this paper downstream.

11. MODELS AND THEORIES
RELATED TO CRISIS
MANAGEMENT

12. Models and theories connected to
crisis management are built on
generally applicable 3-Phases
founded by Gonzalez-Herrero and
Pratt (1996) to include:
Identification of the problem;
Choice of appropriate action; and
Implementation

13.  Crisis Arc model introduced by Alan Hilburg
consists of crisis avoidance, crisis mitigation
and crisis recovery;
 Crisis Management Planning looks forward
facing a situation by providing the best
possible response to crisis situation
www.12manage.com
Contingency Planning prepares in advance as
part of a crisis management plan
www.12manage.com

14.  Continuity Planning helps minimize disruption
effects by identifying critical functions and
processes needed to keep things running
(Osborne, 2007);
 Structural-Functional Systems Theory (Infante,
et al 1997) addresses the intricacies of
information networks and levels of authority or
command identifying flow of information; and
 Diffusion of Innovation Theory (Rogers, 2003)
describes how innovation is disseminated and
communicated through given channels over a
period of time occurring when new ideas are
created for solution of problems at hand.

15.  These models and theories signify crises as
critical situations requiring action by means
of ideas and effective communication and
adaptation for positive results.
 Crisis management in turn necessitates
efficient and effective planning, organizing,
directing and controlling, for decision-making
and leadership.
 All these are based on good problem-solving
knowledge and skills.

16. STRATEGIES FOR
PROBLEM-SOLVING IN
CRISIS MANAGEMENT

17. Solving problems use of
models before applying to
real life situation

18. Using solution that solves
something similar

19. Developing many ideas or
solutions into best options

20. Breaking large complex
problems into smaller and
simpler forms

21. Assuming possible
solutions and trying to
prove and apply them

22. Approaching solutions
indirectly, but creatively

23. Choosing solutions in steps
towards or closer to final
stage

24. Mixing different ways and
means into something new
for solution

25. Interactions and results
assessment towards solution of
problems

26. Try to prove that a problem
cannot be solved, needing
other methods

27. Transforming one problem
into another for ease of
solution

28. Use of existing ideas for
solution to similar problems

29. Identifying the cause of a
problem to get to its
solution

30. Testing possible solutions
until the right one is found

31. CONCLUSION

32.  This paper sets out to describe the meanings
and understanding of crisis management as
problem-solving process.
 Models and theories are employed to signify
crises as critical situations requiring planned
action by means of ideas and effective
communication.

33.  Crisis management presents situations with
clear roles, responsibilities and related
process requiring response.
 These responses include prevention,
assessment, handling and termination of the
crises at hand.
 Crisis management therefore calls for
preparedness for rapid and adequate
response.

34.  It is recommended that individuals, groups,
organizations, governments, etc., should
always be prepared with plans on how to face
emergencies, otherwise known as Crises.
 Intelligent and active youth are advised to
engage in seeking for knowledge and skills,
including clear thinking on what to do and
how to about doing things in times of crisis.

35. THANK YOU

36. Reference/Further Readings
Akpa, P. A. (2005). Defence Headquarters Crisis Management Procedure. A Lecture Presented to the
Participants of Course No. 13, National War College, Abuja. May 05.
ASIS International (2009). Organizational Resilience: Security, Preparedness, and Continuity
Management Systems-Requirements with Guidance for Use, American National Standard, ASIS
SPC.1-2009
Gonzalez-Herrero, A. and C. B. Pratt (1996). An Integrated Symmetrical Model for Crisis-
Communication Management, Journal of Public Relations research, 8(2), Pp. 79-105
Infante, D.; A. Rancer; D. Womack (1997). Building Communication Theory (3rd ed.). Prospect
Heights, IL: Waveland Press.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.
Seeger, M. W.; T. L. Sellnow and Ulmer, R. R. (1998). Communication, Organization and
Crisis. Communication Yearbook 21: 231–275.
Shrivastava, P.; I. I. Mitroff; D. Miller and A. Miglani (1988). Understanding Industrial Crises. Journal
of Management Studies, Vol. 25, No. 4, Pp. 285-304.
Venette, S. J. (2003). Risk communication in a High Reliability Organization: APHIS PPQ's Inclusion
of Risk in Decision Making. Ann Arbor, M. I: UMI ProQuest Information and Learning.