SHARJAH: The Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) today launched a new Government Support Platform to strengthen cooperation and coordination with various government departments and entities in the emirate.

As part of its initiatives to help bolster government administration in Sharjah, the SGMB launched a Crisis Management Guide for government communication departments in the emirate in order to help them deal effectively with crises and emergencies.

The Crisis Management Guide spotlights the critical role played by government communication teams during unforeseen crises and emergencies, suggesting ways and mechanisms of tackling crisis situations and developing action plans to take on such challenges.

The Government Support Platform was launched Monday during a meeting at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre, in the presence of members of the Government Communication Network, members of the Official Spokesman Programme, and coordinators of the Government Agenda in the Emirate of Sharjah.

Tariq Saeed Allay, Direc
tor General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, reaffirmed the SGMB’s keenness to work with various government agencies and departments in Sharjah in order to support the efforts of the emirate and its qualitative development initiatives, and to develop effective mechanisms for communication and rapid response in crises and emergencies.

The Government Support Platform, which aims to bolster cooperation and coordination between various government agencies and departments in Sharjah and exchange expertise and invaluable professional insights, contributes to coordinating collective efforts and enhancing the quality of work and outputs in the emirate.

Allay pointed out that the Crisis Management Guide developed by the SGMB is a testament to its keenness to support and empower government communication departments in the Sharjah government and facilitate their tasks in accordance with the highest standards of quality and professionalism.

He lauded the role of the Government Communication Network in raising t
he level of cooperation between government agencies and consolidating the importance of teamwork and participation in decision-making.

The Government Communication Network (GCN), which includes members of various Sharjah government departments, aims to create effective communication channels between various government agencies in the emirate.

The GCN works to facilitate the exchange of information and expertise, and to coordinate the various stakeholders and their efforts in a way that contributes to translating the Government’s goals and strengthening government communication mechanisms in the emirate.

The Network includes the Official Spokesperson from every government agency in the Emirate of Sharjah and the crisis team, which is formed according to the nature of the crisis with select network members. It also includes as members (on a rotating basis) crisis management specialists.

The Crisis Management Guide, developed by the Government Communication Department of the SGMB, offers a detailed definitio
n and explanation of crisis communication and the critical role it plays in helping nations, government agencies, and other stakeholders deal with the effects spawned by crises.

Crisis communication helps various parties maintain their reputation and image during a crisis, and demonstrate their commitment to their core values and keenness to provide relief and support to those affected by the crisis.

The guide underscores the importance of developing an effective communication system for managing emergencies and crises, which contributes to reducing the high economic and social costs of disasters and crises, and the human and environmental damage and the economic and emotional losses unleashed by them.

Crisis communication provides a foundation of information upon which the crisis management process is built, enabling those in charge to plan adequately to deal with it and proposing better scenarios for dealing with crises in light of the recent communication and technological revolution, which helps transm
it vital and critical messages on a large scale at tremendous speed.

The guide highlights the importance of conscious and professional management capable of managing crises and dealing with fake news, as crises may cause the spread of false and misleading information and rumours.

Crisis communication contributes to monitoring how officials or governments respond in times of crises to provide the public and stakeholders with accurate and timely information that contributes to resolving the crisis effectively.

The guide also includes models from the UAE in successfully dealing with crises and checking their impact by implementing swift measures based on goals that achieve positive results.

The Government Support Platform adopted by the SGMB addresses the government agenda that aims to unify strategic plans to ensure coordination of work between departments and work in a single team spirit.

The agenda provides an opportunity to deal with developments and expected events to prepare a future work agenda that
includes key government programmes, decisions and strategies to organise the government agenda and activities. The agenda aims to highlight government initiatives in a strategic way that serves the government at the national and global levels.

The Platform, in cooperation with government departments, helps ensure that there is no conflict between planned press stories and important events, and the continued media presence of the emirate in various media outlets on a daily basis, translating the spirit of cooperation within the government.

Source: Emirates News Agency