Table 4.
Recommendations to improve ERC practice
| Recommendations to improve the practice of ERC principles - average rating (standard deviation) | |
|---|---|
| 1. TIMELINESS | |
| 1a - Acknowledge the level of scientific uncertainty supporting specific information released to the public and the likelihood that it will change over time. | 9 (2.5) |
| 1b - Improve the speed of the decision-making process and related communication activities in public health. | 8.2 (0.9) |
| 1c - Improve the speed of the government-level clearance process for issuing messages to the public. | 8.4 (1.8) |
| 1d - Communicate at regular intervals. | 8.7 (1.8) |
| 1e - Develop government communication strategies focused on leading the narrative. | 7.6 (2.4) |
| 2. TRANSPARENCY | |
| 2a - Embrace transparency in communicating what is known and still unknown despite the potential economic, social, and political consequences. | 8.4 (1) |
| 2b - Communicate the decision-making process behind specific preventive measures and the interpretation of the science supporting the measures. | 7.5 (1.2) |
| 2c - Inform the public of how social listening activities are being conducted. | 6.6 (1.1) |
| 2d - Develop internal government processes so topics are discussed openly within government staff (intra-agency transparency). | 8.7 (1.5) |
| 3. COORDINATION | |
| 3a - Create permanent task forces that integrate expertise in public communication. | 9.2 (0.7) |
| 3b - Create a centralized internet presence (i.e., dashboards) with plans to keep the information up to date and accurate. | 8.6 (1.1) |
| 3c - Prioritize the role of the government agency that is the closest - geographically and culturally- to the affected population when releasing the message to the public. | 6.2 (1.5) |
| 3d - Build relationships and coordination across different branches of government in charge of the release of information to the public as well as with government agencies in neighboring countries. | 9 (1.2) |
| 4. ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY | |
| 4a - Develop processes to update web pages dedicated to FAQs. | 8.6 (1.9) |
| 4b - Customize FAQs to the needs of different types of audiences. | 8.6 (1.3) |
| 4c - Translate scientific information into plain language prior to delivering it to the political appointees. | 9.2 (1.4) |
| 4d - Increase awareness in spokespersons and political figures of the importance of following the preventive measures they recommend in their personal life. | 8.5 (2) |
| 5. ACCOUNTABILITY AND INTEGRITY | |
| 5a - Communicate the decision-making process behind the recommendations issued to the public. | 7.7 (1.1) |
| 5b - Acknowledge mistakes and delays as they occur. | 9 (1.2) |
| 5c - Engage with media outlets across the political spectrum. | 8.5 (0.9) |
| 5d - Discern a priori the responsibility of different branches of government when communicating to the public. | 6.8 (1.2) |
| 5e - Develop evaluation processes to determine the effectiveness and consequences (positive and negative) of communication practices. | 8.6 (1.7) |
| 5f - Address population health and communication inequities to prepare for future crises. | 9.5 (2.4) |
| 6. INDEPENDENCE FROM POLITICS | |
| 6a - Separate the scientific communication from the political communication regarding implementation of specific policies. | 8.6 (0.7) |
| 6b - Be on guard for the risk of politicization of policies in particular when the government lacks the ability to enforce them. | 8.5 (0.9) |
| 6c - Avoid the use of entertainment venues (i.e., TV talk-shows) and similar platforms to announce new policies and the forthcoming policy changes. | 6.6 (1.2) |
| 7. RESPONSIVENESS | |
| 7a - Acknowledge the priorities of the population. | 8.6 (1.2) |
| 7b - Develop networks of community leaders and professional figures that can inform the government on the population’s informational needs and support government communication efforts. | 8.6 (1.1) |
| 7c - Partner with private companies (i.e., social media companies) to enhance communication efforts and outreach to specific audiences. | 7.7 (0.9) |
| 8. EQUITY | |
| 8a - Develop communication strategies that account for diversity in linguistic background, health and digital literacy, internet access and culture. | 9.5 (2.1) |
| 8b - Build partnerships with local leaders who may be able to reach specific audiences. | 9.4 (1.7) |
| 8c - Develop education campaigns to enhance digital literacy and the public’s ability to discern misinformation. | 9.2 (2.7) |
| 8d - Engage with communities before there is a crisis to understand their pre-existing informational needs and priorities. | 8.6 (3.3) |
| 9. TRUST AND EMPATHY | |
| 9a - Develop strategies to establish trust at different levels ahead of a crisis (i.e., trust in government, between citizens, among different levels of government, between the private and public sector). | 9.9 (1.2) |
| 9b - Create opportunities to build trusted relationships between different branches of government and entities before and during a crisis (i.e., in person- visits to affected areas). | 9 (1.1) |
| 9c - Validate people’s feelings and fears when recommending practices, they are concerned about. | 9 (0.3) |