This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to lead sophisticated responses in a crisis. It applies to government and non-government roles with assigned accountability or responsibility for mitigation, preparedness and response and recovery functions for communities and/or organisations.

A crisis includes varying events of significant disruption having broad effects on relationships among communities and/or organisations. It is characterised by high levels of ambiguity, uncertainty, opportunity and change. Leaders in a crisis need to independently make sense of uncertain situations, creatively seek solutions and apply judgment and decision making in highly pressurised environments.

Emergency service leaders typically work autonomously, within collegiate environments, that require the ability to build and develop relationships and partnerships with a broad range of formal and informal groups. Emergency service leadership roles are complex requiring the individual to make ethical decisions in variable, evolving and dynamic circumstances.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to the unit at the time of publication.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Manage selfin crisis

1.1

Implement strategies to manage psychological and physiological aspects of crisis leadership

1.2

Research and analyse models of emotional intelligence in relationship to the requirements of crisis leadership

1.3

Evaluate the importance of unflagging integrity in crisis leadership

1.4

Analyse personal limitations and biases in crisis leadership and develop a plan to address

1.5

Reflect and seek to self-improve through in-action and review of behaviour and actions in crisis leadership role

2

Build confident and capable teams

2.1

Identify and forecast human capital and capability needs for a crisis

2.2

Research and evaluate strategies that foster trusting relationships amongst team members and leadership

2.3

Provide vision through creating an understanding of leadership intent and objectives for a crisis

2.4

Construct an action plan that fosters collaboration and communication sharing throughout all phases of a crisis

2.5

Identify and implement a participation model that encourages critical questioning and frank discussion by engaging team members and leaders

2.6

Design a strategy that creates a sense of ownership of decisions and engenders accountability in team members and leaders

3

Establish and maintain background conditions to optimise performance

3.1

Devise and lead a coaching program that fosters reflection and change in personal and professional performance

3.2

Establish, maintain and lead governance, organisational systems and resource requirements to optimise performance

3.3

Develop and implement mechanisms for monitoring performance progress against leadership objectives

4

Pursue sensemaking

4.1

Research and implement heuristic framework to develop common operating consensus

4.2

Use strategic foresight analysis and feedback to anticipate trajectory and consequences of a crisis

4.3

Develop mechanisms for testing and adapting situational awareness during a crisis

5

Apply judgement and decision making

5.1

Scope and evaluate options for action during a crisis

5.2

Identify and assess implications of the political context of crisis situations

5.3

Demonstrate how it is possible to resolve conflicting priorities during a crisis with limited information

5.4

Demonstrate how to assess and apply ethical discretion in the use of power and how this impacts on the responsiveness of community members and key stakeholders

5.5

Compare and contrast moral challenges that can occur during a crisis

6

Manage psychological well being

6.1

Identify and address signs of guilt and distress in personnel, community members and key stakeholders who have acted in a crisis of moral complexity

6.2

Support, counsel, brief and debrief others to achieve positive outcomes during and after a crisis

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

Not applicable

Emergency Management