Australian Government Crisis Management Framework (AGCMF)

A 4-tier model for crisis coordination

The Australian Government uses a 4-tier approach to guide and support appropriate and consistent levels of coordination in response to crises.

There is no standardised response to crises. Each crisis is unique and will present different challenges. As the nature of a crisis changes over time, the Australian Government must be able to shift and adapt its coordination in accordance with the severity and complexity of the impacts and consequences.

The Australian Government’s 4-tier crisis coordination model provides guidance to support Australian Government ministers and officials in considering the severity, complexity, impacts and consequences of a crisis, and to:

  • determine the appropriate crisis coordination and decision-making needs and the appropriate mechanisms to respond to these needs
  • decide when to escalate or de-escalate the tier of crisis coordination
  • manage responses to both a crisis and its consequences
  • adjust the coordination over time if required by evolving impacts and consequences, including the ability to change the Lead Minister and Australian Government Coordinating Agency.

The tiers do not indicate set criteria for classifying a crisis, or when a crisis moves between tiers. Rather, they provide consideration and guidance for officials to support their decision-making.

The Handbook provides Lead Coordinating Senior Officials with principles-based crisis management guidance, including the application of the 4-tier model.

A diagram showing the 4 tiers of crisis coordination across a scale of both severity and complexity. The severity and complexity of each tier increases from left to right. Tier 1 on the far left is limited impact and complexity, and supported by the Australian Government Coordinating Agency (AGCA). Second left, Tier 2 is major impact and complexity, and coordinated by the AGCA. Third left, Tier 3 is severe impact and complexity and coordinated by the AGCA. Tier 4, on the far right, is extreme to catastrophic impact and complexity coordinated by the National Emergency Management Agency.

Figure 7. The Australian Government’s 4-tier crisis coordination model16

Within 12 months of Tier 3 or 4 crisis coordination no longer being required, the Australian Government Coordinating Agency will conduct a whole of Australian Government evaluation. The outcomes of the evaluation will be shared across the Australian Government through the AGPG and reported to the CAC to support the integration of lessons into continuous improvement processes. The Australian Centre of Evaluation, administered by the Treasury, may assist agencies to undertake evaluation activities.

Footnotes

  1. The tiers of coordination refers to the scale of Australian Government coordination required. The severity and complexity of a crisis would influence the scale of coordination required among other factors, and therefore influence how the tier of coordination is determined.↩