ISO 22361-2022 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 22361:2022 — Security and resilience — Crisis management — Guidelines. Guidance to help organisations plan, establish, maintain, review and continually improve a strategic crisis management capability applicable across public and private sectors.

Abstract

This document provides guidance on crisis management to help organisations plan, establish, maintain, review and continually improve a strategic crisis management capability. It covers context, core concepts, principles and challenges; development of an organisation’s crisis management capability; crisis leadership; decision‑making challenges and complexities for crisis teams in action; crisis communication; and training, validation and learning from crises. It is applicable to top management with strategic responsibility for crisis management and to those who operate under their direction.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard)
• Publication date: 19 October 2022 (Edition 1, 2022‑10)
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 03.100.01 (Company organisation and management in general)
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2022)
• Number of pages: 36

Scope

Provides non‑prescriptive guidance for establishing and improving a strategic crisis management capability across all types and sizes of organisations. It addresses strategic roles and responsibilities, leadership, decision‑making under complexity, communications, training and learning. The guidance recognises interdependencies with related disciplines (for example business continuity and emergency/incident management) but is distinct from the normative requirements of those disciplines.

Key topics and requirements

• Context, core concepts, principles and challenges for crisis management.
• Developing and maintaining an organisation’s strategic crisis management capability.
• Crisis leadership and governance (roles, responsibilities and strategic decision‑making).
• Decision‑making challenges and cognitive/organisational complexities faced by crisis teams in action.
• Crisis communication: internal and external communications, stakeholder engagement and media considerations.
• Training, exercises, validation, after‑action review and organisational learning from crises.
• Applicability to top management and those acting under top management direction; emphasis on continual improvement.

Typical use and users

Used by senior leadership, crisis management teams, emergency and incident managers, business continuity and resilience professionals, public authorities, sector regulators, consultants, trainers and educators. Typical applications include designing or maturing strategic crisis capabilities, preparing crisis governance arrangements, shaping crisis communications, and planning training and exercise programmes.

Related standards

Belongs to the ISO 22300 family (Security and resilience). Commonly referenced and complementary standards include ISO 22300 (vocabulary), ISO 22301 (business continuity management systems) and ISO 22313 (guidance on ISO 22301), ISO 22320 (emergency/incident management guidelines), ISO 22316 (organisational resilience) and related national guidance such as BS 11200 and earlier CEN/CENELEC technical specifications (for example CEN/TS 17091:2018) that preceded this standard.

Keywords

crisis management, crisis leadership, crisis communication, organisational resilience, decision making, training and exercises, strategic capability, top management, incident response, continual improvement

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 22361:2022 is an international guideline that provides non‑prescriptive guidance for developing and improving a strategic crisis management capability in organisations.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the context and principles of crisis management, building and operating a strategic capability, crisis leadership and governance, decision‑making in crisis, crisis communication, and training, validation and learning from crises.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Top management, crisis and incident managers, business continuity and resilience professionals, public authorities, consultants and trainers use it to design or mature crisis management arrangements and programmes.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 22361:2022 was published on 19 October 2022 (Edition 1) and is an active International Standard. It remains current as the authoritative ISO guideline for crisis management as of 28 February 2026.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it forms part of the ISO 22300 series (Security and resilience) developed by ISO/TC 292 and is intended to be used alongside related standards such as ISO 22300, ISO 22301, ISO 22313 and ISO 22320.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Crisis management; crisis leadership; crisis communication; resilience; strategic capability; decision making; training; exercises; top management; after‑action learning.