Oakwood Risk & Resilience

What You’ll Learn

Assessment Methods

What You’ll Learn

Certified operational resilience training course.

Lead Effectively in a Crisis: Develop the leadership, communication, and decision-making skills required to manage complex crises under pressure.

Build and Implement Crisis Frameworks: Create effective crisis plans, teams, escalation protocols and response strategies aligned with regulatory and organisational needs.

Test, Learn and Improve: Design and evaluate crisis exercises, embed lessons learned, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and readiness.

Certification

Assessment Methods

What You’ll Learn

On successful completion of the course, you'll receive two certificates:

1) The Certified Crisis Management Professional (CCMP®) certificate issued by Oakwood Risk Training, which is provided on successful completion of the course.

2) The Certificate in Crisis Management at QLS Level 5 – issued by our independent awarding body, the Skills and Education Group (The Quality Licence Scheme).

Assessment Methods

Certified operational resilience distance learning training course.

1) Short exams following each module on the course, with no limit on attempts.

2) A written assignment of up to 2500 words, completed after the course.

Students will receive ongoing support and guidance from tutors to assist with the successful completion of this assignment. You will have up to 12 months from the end of the course to submit your completed assignment.

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to Crisis Management

Definitions and types of crises (strategic, reputational, operational, safety)
Key differences between crisis management, emergency response, and business continuity
The lifecycle of a crisis: pre-crisis, response, and post-crisis
Legal and regulatory duties of care (e.g. H&S legislation, corporate manslaughter, reputational liabilities)
Overview of key frameworks
Organisational responsibilities and governance structures for crisis preparedness
The importance of a coordinated resilience strategy

Module 2: Horizon Scanning and Scenario Planning

Risk horizon scanning: environmental scanning tools, PESTLE analysis
Identifying crisis triggers and weak signals
Designing plausible, high-impact scenarios
Crisis typologies and categorisation (e.g. black swans vs chronic risks)
Impact and consequence modelling
Scenario stress testing and use in training
Linking threat intelligence to strategic planning

Module 3: Crisis Response Planning

Key components of a crisis response plan
Roles and responsibilities during a crisis (Gold/Silver/Bronze or equivalent structures)
Incident management team structures
Strategic response strategies: containment, continuity, recovery, communication
Escalation criteria and activation protocols
Integration with business continuity and emergency plans
Information flow and situation reporting

Module 4: Crisis Leadership and Decision-Making

Leadership under pressure: traits and competencies
Command, control, and coordination in crisis environments
Structured decision-making tools
Delegation and empowerment during crises
Maintaining authority and trust under uncertainty
Coping with ambiguity and incomplete information
Team dynamics, cohesion, and leadership psychology

Module 5: Crisis Communications

Crisis communication principles (transparency, timeliness, empathy)
Communicating uncertainty and bad news
Internal comms – keeping the organisation aligned
External comms – media, customers, regulators, the public
Holding statements and key message development
Media engagement and interview techniques
Social media management in crises
Case studies of communication failures and successes

Module 6: Stress, Ethics and Human Factors in Crisis

The psychological impact of crisis on individuals and teams
Recognising and managing stress responses
Decision-making fatigue and emotional regulation
Ethical dilemmas in crisis leadership
Cultural considerations in decision-making
Human factors: communication under stress, cognitive bias, groupthink
Supporting staff welfare during and after crises

Module 7: Post-Crisis Evaluation and Organisational Learning

The importance of post-incident evaluation
Hot debriefs vs structured post-incident reviews
Root cause analysis (e.g. 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram)
Action tracking and accountability for lessons learned
Building a learning culture: openness, transparency, and follow-up
Reporting formats for senior leadership and regulators
Embedding lessons into policy, training, and culture

Module 8: Crisis Simulations and Case Studies

Real-world case studies (e.g. COVID-19, cyberattacks, product recalls, natural disasters)
Crisis simulation methodology: tabletop, functional, live-play
Exercise planning and facilitation tips
Inject writing and scenario development
Observation and evaluation techniques
Applying theory to practice in dynamic environments
Group feedback and learning consolidation

Course Length

In Person

The in person course is delivered over 5 consecutive days, with sessions running from 9:00am to 5:00pm each day.

After the course, you will be required to complete a final written assignment of up to 2,500 words.

Ongoing support and guidance will be provided by our tutors to help you successfully complete the assignment. You will have up to 12 months from the end of the course to submit your work.

In Person Course Bookings

Distance Learning (Coming Soon!)

The distance learning version of our CCMP® course will be available to purchase from mid August 2025!

This course has a total qualification time of approximately 120 hours, combining guided learning through our online platform with self-directed study, including research and assignment writing.

You will have access to the online course for 12 months from the date of enrolment, and you may complete the course at any time within that period.

Certified Crisis Management Professional

What You’ll Learn

Assessment Methods

What You’ll Learn

Certification

Assessment Methods

What You’ll Learn

Assessment Methods

Assessment Methods

Assessment Methods

Course Content

Course Length

In Person

Distance Learning (Coming Soon!)

This website uses cookies.