Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to gather, assemble and disseminate timely, tailored and relevant information to the community and media and if the Incident Controller requires and can also include government, incident personnel and their organisations.  

An individual performing this role has the title of Public Information Officer and is typically appointed by the Incident Controller. Public Information Officers are required to liaise with the planning section, intelligence section/unit and other Incident Management Team (IMT) units to gather information about the incident. They then assemble this information into a form suitable for dissemination to the public, media and other stakeholders.

They will also provide timely and relevant information to stakeholders; provide warnings and information to threatened communities, other stakeholders and the public; liaise with news media; manage media liaison issues and consult with affected communities in conjunction with relief and recovery organisations and/or agencies. Authorisation to perform this role is subject to organisational policies and procedures.

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

Not applicable.

Operations

Public Safety

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

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

1 

Establish public information section 

1.1 

Initial briefing, including information required to manage the public information section, is obtained from the Incident Controller where the Incident Controller’s intent is confirmed

1.2 

Public information section objectives and tasks are identified and confirmed with the Incident Controller

1.3 

Information on the current and projected incident situation is obtained from the planning section, the intelligence section, if established, and from external sources including media reports 

1.4 

Appropriate structure for the public information section is established, tasks are delegated and briefings are provided to assigned personnel 

1.5 

Resources are identified and obtained to meet public information section requirements

1.6 

Safe work practices and health and welfare arrangements for the work area are implemented and monitored

2 

Manage public information section 

2.1 

Public information plan is prepared and objectives and strategies are specified to meet the information needs of the community and media 

2.2 

Analysis of the incident, its risks, constraints and the information to be reported to identified target audiences is incorporated into the public information plan 

2.3 

How information is to be communicated internally and externally to the community, media and other stakeholders is confirmed in the public information plan

2.4 

Timely and relevant information on the current and projected incident situation including, incident control objectives, strategies and resources at the incident is collected, summarised and prepared for dissemination

2.5 

Workload, progress and performance of the public information section is monitored and managed

2.6 

Public information section meetings are conducted, as required

2.7 

Structure of the public information section is adjusted during the incident to meet predicted and actual information demands

2.8 

Arrangements are made for a log and/or record of activities and decisions to be kept

3 

Manage information and warnings unit 

3.1 

Information and warnings unit is established, if required, to provide timely, tailored and relevant information and warnings to affected communities and stakeholders on behalf of the Incident Controller

3.2 

Information is gathered from the incident management team to maintain situational awareness 

3.3 

Information gathered directly from the community and used by the information and warnings unit is provided to the intelligence unit

3.4 

Ongoing liaison with the community liaison unit and the media unit is undertaken to ensure that information is disseminated according to the area of responsibility

4 

Manage media unit 

4.1 

Media unit is established, as required, to liaise with and respond to enquiries from the media at the incident

4.2 

Media unit is communicated as the point of contact for the media, the public and other organisations for general information about the incident

4.3 

Current and timely information consistent with incident requirements and local knowledge is provided to the media, in accordance with organisational procedures

4.4 

Preparation and issuing of media messages is managed by the media unit, working in conjunction with media networks, to disseminate key messages

4.5 

Preparation of key messages for press conferences and other media events involving the Incident Controller, or other members of the incident management team, are drafted and managed by the media unit

4.6 

Media needs and deadlines are communicated within the public information section and to the incident management team

4.7 

Media liaison officers and/or escorts are appointed to support incident ground media liaison as approved by the Incident Controller 

4.8 

Organisational requirements for media liaison are applied

5 

Manage community liaison unit 

5.1 

Community liaison unit is established, as required, to promote two-way communication between the incident management team and affected communities

5.2 

Established community networks, groups and/or systems relevant to the incident area, that may assist with the acquisition and dissemination of incident information, are identified

5.3 

In consultation with relief and recovery organisations the information needs of affected communities are identified and timely, tailored and relevant information is prepared 

5.4 

Community meetings and other activities are conducted to respond to community information needs and to log concerns requiring follow up

5.5 

Liaison is maintained with the operations and planning sections, the intelligence section or unit and the resource unit to ensure the accuracy of information disseminated to the public

5.6 

Liaison with the information and warnings unit is maintained to update incident information and potential threats to communities

5.7 

Local knowledge and information provided by the community about risks, issues and local factors provided by the community are communicated to the incident management team

5.8 

Information about the current and anticipated extent of the impact and broader effect of the incident on the community is communicated in a suitable and timely manner

5.9 

Feedback is obtained from the community on the effectiveness of the community liaison unit’s communication strategies and responses to community concerns

6 

Contribute to planning processes 

6.1 

Communication is maintained, as required, with members of the incident management team through formal and informal meetings, briefings and debriefings

6.2 

Incident management team is briefed on social and/or political issues and is provided with feedback on community needs and concerns

7 

Monitor and review public information function 

7.1 

Allocation and performance of public information resources is monitored and reviewed, in accordance with organisational procedures

7.2 

Briefings and debriefings are conducted, as required

7.3 

Post incident analysis is initiated and/or participated in

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.

New unit, there is no equivalent unit.

Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the Public Safety Training Package.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and includes

• allocating and monitoring resources
• analysing incident information from a variety of sources
• applying Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines and practices
• collating and preparing timely, relevant and consistent information to be disseminated to a range of stakeholders to meet their individual information requirements
• collecting community feedback
• communicating and working effectively as a member of an incident management teams to resolve the incident
• conducting briefing and debriefings
• determining public information strategies and methods of communication
• developing a public information plan to meet internal requirements and external needs of the community, media and stakeholders and the incident
• identifying risks and constraints
• implementing organisational policies and procedures
• liaising with communities at an incident
• managing a public information section at an incident including information warnings unit, media unit, community liaison and appointing media liaison officers
• managing the implementation of a public information plan
• organising and conducting community meetings to assist local groups to prepare themselves and to manage their risks
• working with community groups and recovery and relief organisations

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and includes knowledge of

• Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) structure and principles
• collection methods and analysis of feedback
• communication strategies for communities both affected and likely to be affected by an incident
• confidentiality, privacy, libel and discrimination requirements
• constraints for disseminating public information including cultural, economic, environmental, physical, political, social and temporal
• current practices for media liaison with internal and external stakeholders
• different media requirements including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet and social media
• organisational documentation, policies and procedures
• post incident reviews and reports
• processes and requirements for planning and resourcing for managing a public information section
• processes for conducting briefings and debriefings
• public information plan requirements
• public information section including community liaison unit, information and warnings unit and media unit
• risks and constraints when disseminating public information
• role of media in disseminating information to stakeholders
• stakeholders and target audiences
• structure of a public information section including sub-units
• techniques for analysis and dissemination play of public information
• types of warnings and methods
• types of warnings to affected communities and stakeholders including telephone based alerts and warnings, standard emergency warning signals, warnings via media outlets and/or networks and warnings via social media

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations. Where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in industry approved simulated workplace operational situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Resources for assessment must include access to

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or simulations
• relevant and appropriate materials, equipment, tools and personal protective clothing and equipment currently used in industry
• applicable documentation including organisational procedures, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.