CLIENT'S CHALLENGE
SSI faced several governance and operational challenges when responding to crises:
Governance Boundaries
The Board often became operationally involved, creating inefficiencies in crisis response.
Leadership Confidence
Changing Board membership required greater assurance in the Executive Team’s crisis management capability
Regulatory and Stakeholder Pressures
SSI’s government contracts and external partnerships required a structured and transparent approach to crisis governance.
Lessons from COVID-19
The pandemic highlighted the need for a crisis framework that ensured sustained leadership focus rather than ad-hoc decision-making
To address these challenges, SSI needed a governance-aligned crisis management framework that:
- Established distinct roles and responsibilities for the Board and Executive Team.
- Created structured escalation processes to improve crisis decision-making.
- Balanced operational independence with strategic Board involvement in key risk areas.
- Provided clear assurance mechanisms to reinforce Board confidence in executive leadership
OUR APPROACH
Metropolis Advisory applied a structured and collaborative approach to ensure SSI’s crisis framework met governance best practices and operational realities
Crisis Governance Framework Development
- Defined clear governance and operational roles to reduce unnecessary Board intervention.
- Developed structured crisis escalation protocols to ensure efficient decision-making.
- Created a flexible model adaptable to different crisis scenarios within SSI’s operations.
Strengthening Board Confidence in Executive Leadership
- Facilitated Board engagement workshops to align expectations and governance priorities.
- Implemented structured assurance mechanisms to validate the Executive Team’s crisis response capability.
- Developed clear guidelines on when and how Board expertise should be leveraged in key risk areas such as cyber risk, regulatory compliance, and external communications.
Testing and Refining the Framework
- Conducted crisis simulations with both the Executive Team and the Board.
- Used real-world scenarios to validate governance boundaries and improve response agility.
- Gathered feedback to refine the framework, ensuring alignment with SSI’s evolving needs.
FROM OUR CLIENT
“Through Metropolis Advisory’s structured scenario-based workshops and engagements, our leaders and Directors have the confidence and capability to navigate crises effectively. The shift from theoretical planning to active testing has transformed our resilience.”
VALUE-ADDS & CLIENT OUTCOMES
Through our tailored approach, the client achieved significant benefits:
Clearer Governance Boundaries
The Board focused on strategic oversight while the Executive Team managed crisis operations.
Enhanced Leadership Confidence
The framework provided assurance that the Executive Team had the capability to lead crisis response effectively.
Stronger Organisational Resilience
Crisis decision-making became more structured and agile.
Targeted Board Involvement
The Board’s expertise was strategically leveraged without operational overreach.
At Metropolis Advisory, we believe that crisis preparedness is more than just having a plan, it requires continuous testing, training, and refinement. SSI’s investment in scenario-based training and structured crisis response exercises has strengthened its ability to manage unexpected events with agility and confidence.
