AKRAV / 03
Crisis governance: who decides when time is short
In a crisis, unclear authority costs time. Define escalation thresholds, a common operating picture and a record of decisions before pressure makes them harder to establish.
AKRAV Strategic Solutions
Know who can decide
Crisis governance is the structure that lets an organisation make accountable decisions when routine management is not enough. It defines who has authority, what information they need and when responsibility moves to a different level.
Write down the decisions that can remain with an operational team and those that require executive involvement. Include a deputy for each key role. If escalation depends on a single person's availability, the structure is fragile.
Keep one shared view of the situation
Leaders need a concise account of confirmed facts, working assumptions, immediate risks and decisions outstanding. Separate what is known from what is still being checked. Update the account at agreed intervals so teams are not working from different versions of events.
Use a decision log to note who decided what, when, on which information and what follow-up is required. This supports handovers, coordination and review without slowing down an urgent response.
Review the structure before it is needed
Check escalation thresholds, contact routes and decision rights after organisational changes and during exercises. Test what happens if a decision-maker is unavailable or if operations and communications teams receive conflicting information.
Good governance does not remove uncertainty. It gives people a workable way to act despite it, while keeping leadership informed and accountable for the decisions that matter.