As the sending agency and the employer, Reliant Mission maintains liability and takes on the risk for its staff serving internationally, particularly in secure locations. With this in mind, Reliant's International Crisis Management Team (ICMT) is ultimately responsible for decisions regarding crisis response for Reliant employees. In all crisis response, Reliant's ICMT will work closely with field leadership, empowering field leaders to make decisions for their teams. In some situations, Reliant will also allow an approved third party (supervising network or sending church) to make decisions on behalf of the team.
Shared Crisis Authority and Responsibilities in Reliant Partnerships
Reliant utilizes a partnered and decentralized approach to ministry leadership, so authority and responsibilities are often things that are shared. This includes crisis management and in most cases, we believe the best decisions are made, and situational awareness best occurs, closest to the ground. With this in mind, it is important for Field Leaders to be in regular communication with Reliant and any approved third-party decision-makers (Supervising Field Network, Sending Church, etc). Reliant will provide channels for communication and protocols for response to various crisis events.
While Reliant wishes to entrust decision-making as closely as possible to the field, if a Field Leader is unable or unwilling to carry these responsibilities, Reliant will step into active management in the event of a crisis. Unless approved by Reliant and outlined in a signed MOU, it will not be appropriate for other parties to step into the management of a crisis, including relationally and financially invested partners.
Definition of Parties Involved
- Reliant is the sending agency and employer, partnering with local churches and ministries to support ministry on the ground (rather than initiate or guide those works). Reliant holds fiduciary responsibility and a duty of care for our workers, and associate volunteers. In the international crisis management field manual, the use of "Reliant" refers to the organization, often central leadership.
- Field Leader guides the strategy and day-to-day work of the ministries where Reliant workers serve. The capacities of field leaders vary; they may be a pastor, a church plant leader, a leader of a network of churches, or the team leader of a ministry. The Field Leader may or may not be employed by Reliant. The Field Leader(ship) has agreed to a partnership with Reliant according to the Memo of Understanding (MOU). One of the responsibilities assigned to the Field Leader is crisis response management and preparation. In the event of a crisis, the Field Leader will actively work with Reliant's ICMT to guide decision-making and response.
- Reliant Team Member is the Reliant employee or volunteer actively involved in the field work of a Reliant ministry partner. The Reliant Team Member reports directly to a Field Leader and agrees to follow his/her guidance in crisis response and decisions for the team. The Reliant Team Member is responsible to create personal contingencies and needs to think through personal appetites for risk that could dictate a different response in various crises.
- Supervising Field Network In some settings, the field work is guided by a network of churches. In most cases, the network also has a direct partnering relationship with Reliant (GCE, Salt Network, 100 UPG). These networks provide oversight and guidance to local leaders. When a supervising field network is present, oftentimes resources are provided by the network in crisis situations. In some cases, upon approval (by Reliant and Field Leader), Reliant will allow the Supervising Field Network to make decisions on behalf of the team in the event of a crisis. *When Reliant is working with another mission sending agency or ministry and a seconding agreement is in place, Reliant's crisis regulations will be subject to any written protocols in the secondment agreements.
- Sending Church The sending church is the entity that is affirming the calling and sending of the international worker. When the sending church has an expectation or duty to assist in crisis management, this will be detailed in an MOU with Reliant and the Field Leader.
Here are specific examples of how Reliant hopes to share authority and various parties are involved in crisis management and response:
Location Preparation
Field Leader: When a Field Leader wishes to enter a new international location as a Reliant employee, or if a non-Reliant Field Leader wishes to enter a new location with Reliant employees, he/she needs to be confident (and able to articulate) that the potential risk carries kingdom value, and aligned with stewardship of kingdom resources. Reliant will work with the Field Leader and any approved third-party decision-maker (field network or sending church) to approve work in the new location. The Field Leader is the one to initiate this process and will invite a team (or team members) to join in the strategic endeavor.
Reliant: Reliant will aim to support the Field Leader in the desire to launch a ministry in a new international location. Reliant will initiate discussions and ask appropriate questions to allow the Field Leader to articulate confidence in God's call to a new location. In locations of greater security risk, Reliant will provide a basic assessment to gauge the Field Leader's readiness (and willingness) to lead out in crisis management. Reliant will also assess the availability of resources to empower ministry in the high-risk location. The final decision making is ultimately the responsibility of Reliant, but as spelled out above, Reliant seeks to share authority and will work with the Field Leader and any approved third party decision-maker to make final approval on starting ministry in a new location.
Reliant Team Member: Personally needs to feel called to take the risk and accept the invitation from the Field Leader.
Supervising Field Network: When an approved sending field network is present, Reliant will work with leadership within the network to make a final decision on the new location. Often, it will be the responsibility of the sending field network to gauge the strategic nature of sending a team to a new location, especially one with a greater security risk.
Sending Church: At times a sending church will be involved in decision making, but more often, the sending church releases, prays for, and supports the individual workers as they are guided by field leadership and Reliant. The sending church is invited to express concerns about sending team members to a high-risk location. Reliant will involve the sending church in decision making on a new location if the sending church has pre-approved third party authority as detailed in a signed MOU.
Preparing for Crisis Management
Field Leaders: All field leaders at Reliant are responsible to prepare official team-wide, location-specific crisis management (contingency) plans for and ensure that team members are informed of how to use those plans. Reliant will provide Field Leaders a risk assessment tool, and it will be the responsibility of the Field Leader to fill that out and provide Reliant with the team's greatest risks and the contingency plans in the event of each of those risks occurring. These plans will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis (or more often if that serves the local ministry).
- The risk assessment will outline the 3-5 greatest risks to the team and plans for response. They will include information about communication, potential trigger points, responsibilities, and preparedness required of team members (including finance, documents, and other items to have ready).
- General team-wide crisis management plans should include things like in-country rallying points, shelter in place locations, out-of-country rallying points, evacuation plans by air, land, sea, etc. Reliant will provide the Field Leader with tools and templates to complete this.
Reliant: It will be the responsibility of Reliant to provide the necessary tools and templates for the team to use in order to create crisis management and contingency plans. Reliant will also be responsible to review/approve these plans and will hold affected parties accountable to use them in crisis events.
Reliant Team Member: Each Reliant Team Member will be responsible to have personal/family plans in the event of a crisis. The Reliant Team Member must know and understand the team's contingency plans in various scenarios and how he/she will specifically respond in each event.
Supervising Field Network: If a supervising field network is present and has approved decision-making authority in the event of a crisis, it will be the responsibility of the network to review (and possibly approve) contingency plans. The supervising field network will provide Reliant a clear point person with the authority to make decisions and provide guidance in the event of a crisis. It will also be important for them to communicate with Reliant and the Field Leader the resources they hope to provide in the event of a crisis.
Sending Church: If a sending church has pre-approved third-party decision-making authority as detailed in a signed MOU, it will be the responsibility of the network to review (and possibly approve) contingency plans. The sending church will provide Reliant a clear point person with the authority to make decisions and provide guidance in the event of a crisis. It will also be important for them to communicate with Reliant and the Field Leader the resources they hope to provide in the event of a crisis.
Decision-Making Authority in the Event of a Crisis
Field Leader: The Field Leader is the primary party responsible to respond to crises as they develop. The Field Leader may delegate management to another responsible party, as outlined in the contingency plan. The Field Leader is responsible to balance the local priorities of the ministry with kingdom values and stewardship of personnel. The Field Leader should ensure the safety of the team and is responsible to implement/follow team contingency plans when necessary. Decisions on team security levels and trigger points will be made by the Field Leader. When real-time immediate decisions on sheltering-in-place and evacuation is necessary, the Field Leadership has the authority to make those. Whenever possible, the Field Leader will be required to involve Reliant and any approved third-party decision-makers in the decisions regarding crisis response.
Reliant: As an organization, Reliant shares authority and responsibility and will empower the leadership of a church/ministry partner to make decisions. However, as the employer, Reliant has the right to require its personnel to exit a situation at a safe juncture if it chooses to do so.
Reliant Team Member: All Reliant team members are expected to follow any instructions provided by local leadership or Reliant during a time of crisis, making it as easy as possible for leaders to lead effectively. Workers are also expected to understand ministry principles and values, providing information that is helpful to their ministry’s shared values, and seeking ways to be supportive to the work and their teammates.
Supervising Field Network: If a supervising field network is present and has approved decision-making authority in the event of a crisis, it will be the responsibility of the network to provide Reliant a clear point person with the authority to make decisions and provide guidance in the event of a crisis. It will also be important for them to communicate with Reliant and the Field Leader the resources they hope to provide in the event of a crisis.
Sending Church: In general, sending churches will not have decision-making authority in the event of a crisis, especially if an approved supervising field network is present. However, if a sending church is present and has pre-approved decision-making authority as detailed in the MOU, it will be the responsibility of the network to provide Reliant a clear point person with the authority to make decisions and provide guidance in the event of a crisis. It will also be important for them to communicate with Reliant and the Field Leader the resources they hope to provide in the event of a crisis.
Third-Party Security Consultants: If the Field leader wishes to engage the help of a third-party security constant (like Concillium), it should be clarified in the contingency planning phase. If delegation to a consultant is expected to happen as an incident unfolds, that change needs to be communicated to and approved by Reliant.
