GBC resolution establishing the ISKCON Global Crisis Response Team (IGCRT), proposal of 14 February 2025

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
      FOUNDER ACHARYA HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA




PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A GLOBAL
 CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM (IGCRT)


                         14 February 2025




                             PROPOSAL

                                      to

       ISKCON Governing Body Commission




                                       1

WHEREAS:

ISKCON is a global organization with temples, installed Deities, congregational and
temple resident devotees, projects and programs, and other assets, in almost every
country of the world;




WHEREAS:

Unforeseen events and crises may include natural events such as fire, flood, and
earthquakes; leadership issues, including moral and ethical violations; technology
failures; breakdown of financial systems; legal or regulatory issues; political
upheavals; and more




WHEREAS:

Crises can, and have, threatened ISKCON’s financial sustainability, organizational
integrity, global reputation, and can lead to the loss of faith of devotees;




WHEREAS:

ISKCON management teams alone may not have the skills or expertise to prepare
for and respond to such crises, nor the ability to address “smoldering crises” (See
Addendum One);




WHEREAS:

Crises need to be handled by teams established in advance by ISKCON leadership
at the global GBC and the RGB/zonal/regional levels, and as appropriate, local
levels;




                                        2

WHEREAS:

Depending on their locale, impact and severity, crises should be managed by local,
regional or global teams provided they are properly trained and coordinated;




WHEREAS:

Unpredictable or unexpected events, especially, often require an immediate
response by a dedicated, trained and coordinated leadership team;




WHEREAS:

ISKCON needs a comprehensive system to both prepare for, and respond to, all
types of crises;




WHEREAS:

A crisis response system, beginning at the global level, needs to be a sufficiently
resourced, multi-disciplinary team that is preemptive in its approach, and
empowered to be responsive as needed;



WHEREAS:

A sub-committee of the Organizational Development Committee (composed of
the GBC Legal Counsel, the ISKCON Communications Minister, a thrice-serving
former GBC Executive Chairman, and the former GBC Executive Office
Chairperson) have studied this issue in depth and offered their analysis:




                                        3

Therefore, it is resolved that:



     1.    An ISKCON Global Crisis Response Team (IGCRT) is hereby formed. The
           IGCRT will serve under the authority of the GBC Body.

     2.    Its members shall consist of:
           Standing Members:
           a. GBC Executive Committee Chair, or another GBC EC member
                designated annually
           b. Director GBC Executive Secretariat Office
           c. Global Communications Minister
           d. ESO Communications Director
           e. Crisis Officer1
           f. Administrative Assistant

           Ad hoc Members
           a. GBC General Counsel (GGC)
           b. Expert consultants, engaged as needed to address a particular crisis

     3.    Regional Governing Bodies (RGB) and other regional, national, and zonal
           governing bodies will be strongly advised to establish Regional Crisis
           Response Teams within two years of the passage of this resolution,
           following a similar format, including that the GBC Member who oversees
           that Zone/Area must be on the Crisis Response Team, as well as the Legal
           Advisor or Director, the Communications Director, and other experts as
           available. It is recommended that individual temples establish Local
           Crisis Response Teams as appropriate, with a similar structure, ie., they
           must include the local Temple President, Legal Advisor or Director,
           Communications Director, and other crisis experts as available.

     4.    Depending on the severity and geographical impact of any crisis, a crisis
           shall be addressed by the Global, Zonal or Regional Crisis Response Team,
           or Local Crisis Response Team. When clarity is needed on jurisdiction of
           response, the decisions of the IGCRT take precedence.



1
  The Crisis Officer shall be nominated by the ESO Director and appointed by majority vote of the
IGCRT members annually. The initial Crisis Officer will be Madhavi-Gopi dd, of the UK.




                                               4

     5.   The ESO Director will coordinate and support the work of the Global and
          Regional Crisis Response Teams as required.

     6.   The initial budget for the IGCRT shall be $10,000, for travel and
          development expenses.




DUTIES OF THE ISKCON GLOBAL CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM

“The functions of the ISKCON Global Crisis Response Team would include a
comprehensive response to an immediate crisis. The IGCRT will also provide
training to adopt a preventative strategy in protecting ISKCON.

Specific additional functions, including but are not limited to, are:

Pre-crisis:

     1.   Define, categorize and anticipate the types of crises, including
          smoldering crises, that may impact ISKCON
     2.   Clarify principles to guide any response
     3.   Design potential action plans/responses for different types of crises
     4.   Test specific CRP plans/response
     5.   Adopt preventative strategy by identifying and addressing risks as well as
          advocating for ethical leadership at all levels of ISKCON
     6.   Clarify roles of IGCRT members when a crisis is identified
     7.   When requested, advise RGB, national, zonal and local ISKCON Crisis
          Response Teams

Response to a Crisis:

     1.   Convene in the event of a crisis or an impending crisis
     2.   Determine what, if any, ad hoc members need to be involved in any given
          response
     3.   Clarify roles of IGCRT members specific to a particular response
     4.   Investigate all issues pertaining to the crisis
     5.   Develop a specific Crisis Response Plan (CRP) for this event with set
          timelines
     6.   Assign tasks for response plan roll-out including allocating tasks across
          ISKCON management levels and particularly for those actively involved
          in the CRP and crisis resolution.




                                          5

     7.     Establish and execute a communication strategy to notify all stakeholders
            including the GBC, ISKCON devotees and the general public as
            appropriate
     8.     Identify other resources (personnel, financial) if needed

Post Crisis:

     1.     Update procedures with lessons learnt
     2.     Submit a final summary document to the GBC after a CRP is executed as
            appropriate, while considering confidentiality issues.
     3.     Ensure proper data and records are kept in a secure electronic database



DUTIES OF ISKCON GLOBAL CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS

GBC Executive Committee Chair or Other EC Member

The GBC EC Chair, or other designated member of the GBC EC, must be a standing
member of the IGCRT in order that the IGCRT has credibility and authority within
ISKCON.

Key Actions of this role are, including but not limited to:

     i.         Work with the GBC Body to appoint the standing IGCRT
     ii.        Provide feedback to the IGCRT to ensure that the CRP aligns with
                ISKCON and GBC organizational policies and has philosophical
                integrity.
     iii.       Provide information to the GBC Body as appropriate during any
                crisis response
     iv.        Facilitate the allocation of annual resources and finances (approved
                by GBC Body).
                a. The IGCRT Budget should be a line item in the GBC Budget.
                b. The IGCRT should have an emergency travel fund and a legal
                      fund to seek legal advice.
     v.         Approve additional emergency budgeting if required.
     vi.        Ensure that the GBC members efficiently execute any crisis response
                plan in their areas with the assistance of the ESO.
     vii.       To periodically review the effectiveness of the IGCRT with input
                from the GBC




                                          6

Director GBC Executive Secretariat Office:

Key Actions, included but not limited to:

     i.       Ensure that the IGCRT convenes as required and that the IGCRT is
              working efficiently and effectively.
    ii.       Ensure execution of any Crisis Response Plan (CRP) with the ESO,
              GBCs, Zonal Supervisors and Temple Presidents (and others as
              indicated in the CRP)
    iii.      Assists in coordinating communications between the
              Communication Ministry / ESO Communications Office and
              ISKCON as a whole


Global Communications Minister and ESO Communications Director

Key Actions, including but not limited to:

    i.        Manages communications both internally and externally.
    ii.       Craft messages and manage media relations and other
              communications
    iii.      Pro-actively promote positive, ethical management and
              communications in ISKCON
    iv.       Aid in reducing the likelihood of crises and the negative impact of
              any crisis (possibly leading to a positive outcome.)

Crisis Officers (CO): Are persons who have professional training in crisis
management and are aligned with ISKCON’s mission. One Crisis Officer will serve
as a member of the IGCRT. Others may be consulted on an ad hoc basis, especially
in the design phase.

Key actions, including but not limited to:

    i.        Act as IGCRT Convener and keep the process on track.
    ii.       Provide expertise in the analysis of a crisis and in executing a plan to
              address it
    iii.      Compile a Handbook for ISKCON Crisis Response (Crisis Response
              Framework) to guide the functioning of the IGCRT
    iv.       Provide continuing analysis of the service of the IGCRT with the goal
              of continuous efficiency and effectiveness
    v.        Provide post crisis analysis




                                         7

Expert Consultants:

These are ad hoc members who may be co-opted for the short term as needed
depending on the nature of the crisis. These include experts on financials, property,
data, child protection, or leader misconduct etc.

Key Actions, including but not limited to:

    i.        Assist as requested with analysis of the presenting crisis
    ii.       Offer advice


Administration Assistant:

Key Actions, including but not limited to:

    i.        Provide administrative support
    ii.       Remind members of meetings, keep minutes
    iii.      Keep documents securely
    iv.       Facilitate communications
    v.        Other duties as required




GBC General Counsel (GGC) on an ad hoc basis:

Key Actions, including but not limited to:

    i.        Provide legal advice and information pertaining to the crisis
    ii.       Vet the contents of the communication to ensure that the messaging
              is appropriate relevant, legally advisable, and compliant to
              appropriate laws and regulations
    iii.      Manage appropriate liaison with statutory and legal authorities



End.




                                         8

ADDENDUM ONE: DEFINITIONS



What is a Crisis?

A crisis is an event that impacts the day-to-day operations of an organisation and
is a significant threat to its financial stability, organizational integrity, and
reputation. If handled properly, it can also lead to strengthening the organization
and its reputation.

Some of the key features of a crisis are:

     1.   It requires immediate attention
     2.   A crisis brings uncertainty
     3.   Generally, crises attract a lot of external visibility and not just internal
          urgency
     4.   A crisis can impact day-to-day operations, assets, people and
          infrastructure.

A crisis can be caused by natural events such as fire, flood and earthquake. Crisis
are also initiated by technology failures, financial system breakdowns, political
change, leadership moral or ethical lapses, reputational, legal and regulatory issues.



Level of Crisis:

    Levels of crisis     Characteristics

    Minor                Usually manifests at local level and is usually of low
                         impact.

                         If handled well, recovery is easier.

    Moderate             May impact the whole organization, but likely to affect
                         specific functions or geographies. If proper attention is
                         not given, it quickly escalates.

    Major                Could threaten the functioning, reputation and
                         survival of the organization and its long-term viability.




                                            9

Types of Crises

Sudden Crises (30% of crises) - for example a fatal accident

    §    Occur without warning
    §    Catch the organization off-guard
    §    Can be caused by internal or external factors
    §    The crisis must be immediately addressed to prevent serious damage to
         the organization.



Smoldering Crises (70% of crises) - For example leader fall-down, financial fraud.

These are scenarios that may seem small, or smoldering, but are like embers of a
fire that may not attract immediate attention but can burst into flames if
unchecked. In the same way, this type of crisis can manifest into a full-blown crisis,
if not treated in the “smoldering” phase.

    §    Start small and grow over time
    §    Often the result of poor management decisions
    §    Magnified by missteps in communications
    §    Can generate negative attitudes, both internally and externally
    §    Early warning signs are usually present - reports of misinformation,
         complaints, rumors




                                         10

ADDENDUM TWO: ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Can a crisis be averted?

A crisis may be unannounced. But more often they fall into the category of
Smoldering Crises; problems that could have been foreseen and corrected before
they explode. These Smoldering Crises are generally caused by managerial
problems, including ethical lapses, and/or inadequate communications. The GBC
Body, its Executive Committee, individual GBCs and other ISKCON world leaders
must be on guard to prevent Smoldering Crises from becoming full-blown crises.

Like risks, there can never be a zero-crisis environment. This is so, because not all
crises are created internally. Sometimes there are factors beyond our control that
can lead to a crisis.




                                         11