Unit 3 Discussion Questions
Topic: Assessing the Effectiveness of Risk Assessment Planning
There are five characteristics of effective risk assessment plans:
1. Identify the risk
2. Assess and analyze the risk
3. Develop strategies to mitigate the risk
4. Evaluate the strategies
5. Implement and monitor
How can you successfully evaluate risk assessment plans to determine the effectiveness based on these five criteria? Your assignment in this unit requires you to evaluate the risk assessment plan specific to pandemics in the State of New Jersey. Discuss your initial thoughts regarding how you will approach the evaluation of the plan. Be sure to provide a specific approach to each of the five characteristics.
Topic: Effective Risk Communication
Effective risk communication in a crisis situation is essential to increasing comprehension of the threats, risk perception, and ensuring affected groups act safely and appropriately before, during, and after the crisis. As such, effective risk communication has identifiable and replicable characteristics that all homeland security professionals need to understand in depth. In addition, DHS needs all spokespersons for the department to be able to put these characteristics into action when a crisis emerges.
• After reading about risk communication, how would you define it and explain why you think it is important?
• What is the overall purpose of risk communication?
• What are some of the misconceptions concerning risk communication?
• What are some of the challenges to effective risk communication?