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THREAD: With the Aviation Minister's remarks in parliament over fake licenses causing a fallout, many supporters of the PTI are arguing that full disclosure was warranted.
As someone who has worked on crisis communications, allow me to elaborate how he should've handled this.
As someone who has worked on crisis communications, allow me to elaborate how he should've handled this.
Disclosure and transparency is important when dealing with a crisis, such as fake licenses. However, disclosure alone is not enough. It has to be followed up with a transparent strategy to deal with the issues.
Yelling in parliament about the issue is foolish and ill-advised.
Yelling in parliament about the issue is foolish and ill-advised.
So what should have been the strategy?
1. Complete investigation into the suspected list and finalize a list of pilots who actually have dubious licenses.
2. Communicate with other aviation agencies about the nature and extent of the issue and reassure them about the path ahead
1. Complete investigation into the suspected list and finalize a list of pilots who actually have dubious licenses.
2. Communicate with other aviation agencies about the nature and extent of the issue and reassure them about the path ahead
3. Hold a press conference, providing details of pilots/personnel with fake licenses; announce that they have been grounded already.
4. Present a detailed remediation plan to close the loopholes and procedural lapses that led to this outcome in the first place
4. Present a detailed remediation plan to close the loopholes and procedural lapses that led to this outcome in the first place
5. Reassure domestic and global audiences that the issue has been fully investigated and action against all those suspected of having fake licenses has been taken.
6. Promise to hold a weekly press conference to share updates on execution of the remediation plan.
6. Promise to hold a weekly press conference to share updates on execution of the remediation plan.
7. Immediately before or following the first press conference, have a conference call with every major airline and agency employing Pakistani pilots and personnel to run them through the remediation plan and strategy.
Reassure them that you are on top of things.
Reassure them that you are on top of things.
8. Have a 1-1 in-depth interview with reputable domestic and foreign journalists covering aviation to talk through the issues and the remediation plan.
9. Consistently reassure everyone that whoever is not on the list has been verified as having been fully investigated & cleared
9. Consistently reassure everyone that whoever is not on the list has been verified as having been fully investigated & cleared
10. Roll out a broader set of reforms that deal with the weaknesses within the aviation sector, including the CAA, over the coming weeks.
END.
END.
PS - most of these 10 points should have been executed within 72 hours, like clockwork. 1-1 interviews should have been conducted within a week, and detailed reforms rolled out within 3-4 weeks at the most.
That would have solved the issue and bolstered the govt's credibility.
That would have solved the issue and bolstered the govt's credibility.
