| Summary: | In April 2012, the Prime Minister’s Office appointed a working group to examine the extent to which the 2007 Guidelines for Communications in Crisis Situations and Emergencies required reform and to prepare a proposal for updated guidelines. The revised guidelines pay particular attention to seamless coordination of preparedness, management and communications activities as well as to effective flow of information. Reliable, efficient and timely internal and external communications are an inseparable element of incident management. A number of recent large-scale incidents, such as the latest summer and winter storms, the volcanic ash cloud in Iceland, swine flu and the leak at the Talvivaara mine, have emphasised the significance of preparedness, management and communications in the handling of crises and in subsequent recovery from them. Experience has shown that the foundation for successful action and communications in various situations and circumstances is based on everyday cooperation, clear procedures, training of demanding communications situations, and lessons learned from earlier cases. Practical cooperation and assessment of activities in situations like the Talvivaara mine leak enable central government and other authorities to examine and develop their procedures concretely. The guidelines adopted by the Prime Minister’s Office replace the Government Communications Guidelines for Crisis and Emergency Conditions issued on 10 September 2007. The guidelines are in force as of 20 May 2013, until further notice.
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