During a Crisis: Establish and Transition Guide

Checklist 3 min
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Use this checklist to hit the ground running upon short-notice deployment to a crisis or emergency.

This checklist provides best practices for establishing a public affairs task force capability and facilitating the transition from the initial capability to the relieving and/or enduring capability. Use this checklist as a starting point and tailor to specific mission requirements as needed.

Pre-Deployment

  1. Ensure manuals, forms and guides are current in electronic and paper forms.
    1. Add electronic versions to laptop prior to departure.
  2. Review Public Affairs Guide and Strategic/Tier 0 Guidance, if available.
  3. Establish interagency coordination with the United States Agency for International Development and/or embassy public affairs officers - local authorities if possible.
  4. Identify and establish team roles.
  5. Ensure access to all of the systems used by various agencies for Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

Deployment

  1. Check in at the crisis or emergency as soon as possible after arriving on-scene.
  2. Review the Site Safety and Health plan, if available.
    1. Review and understand all of the incident hazards and mitigation strategies.
  3. During the first 24-48 hours:
    1. Conduct PA Assessment/Environmental Estimate (formal, informal or hasty).
    2. Integrate with the command group and ID staff networks and processes.
    3. Identify and establish communication requirements (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router, Secret Internet Protocol Router, printer, phones).
    4. Brief the commander.
    5. Establish PA battle rhythm (integration with B2C2WG – Boards, Bureaus, Centers, Cells and Working Groups).
    6. Set up a Watch capability in the Joint Operations Center.
    7. Coordinate Proposed Public Affairs Guidance with Components, High Authority/GCC PA (CCCI, AFRICOM, CYBERCOM, EUCOM, INDOPACOM, TRANSCOM, SPACECOM, etc.) and Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense/PA.
    8. Establish initial contact with applicable external stakeholders.
    9. Identify the need for and initiate applicable processes for clearances, space access, etc.
    10. Establish media desk operations.
  4. During the first 96 hours:
    1. Establish specific redeployment-criteria with leadership.
    2. Determine the formation and process to manage the commander's communication synchronization working group and integrate with the command's battle rhythm.
    3. Coordinate with U.S. Department of State/embassy PAOs in theater and other information assurance representatives.
    4. Coordinate with partner nation militaries and PA/Public Information officials.
    5. Integrate PA in operational planning.
    6. Determine the imagery release process.
    7. Create a boilerplate statement to go with cutline/news releases.
    8. Ensure all component personnel are familiar with approved PAG, operational theme and talking points.
    9. Provide general media training.
    10. Identify the process for internal products to include approval/release/distribution.
    11. Establish social media presence.
    12. Determine relevant hashtags.
  5. Develop Joint Manning Document, if required.
  6. Establish credentialing process, if required.
  7. Establish media embed/embark tracking log.
  8. Coordinate establishment of, or input to, the assessment process.

Redeployment/Transition

  1. Ensure incoming public affairs support capability is integrated with the command group.
  2. Facilitate the transition of communication requirements.
  3. Manage the transition of release authority to relieving public affairs capability.
  4. Validate public affairs input to JMD and recommend sources to fill any vacant positions.
  5. Ensure all PA standard operating procedures are current, validated and accessible.
  6. Conduct right-seat/left-seat turnover as required.
  7. Validate integration of public affairs into B2C2WG.
  8. Conduct right-seat/left-seat turnover of CCSWG as required.
  9. Ensure Media Query Tracking log, contact lists and Public Affairs Guidance documents are validated, current and accessible.
  10. Conduct right-seat/left-seat turnover of media desk as required.
  11. Pass updates to checklist/reference guide to PA OPS.

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