The Dell saga is as dramatic a case as we are likely to see for some time of how timing bedevils crisis managers. Easy enough for Monday morning quarterbacks to talk about how the company waited too long to announce the largest computer-related recall in history, thereby exposing itself to blaring front-page headlines, including a lead Wall Street Journal story and worldwide media follow-up coverage.

Question: Many government agencies have a reputation (whether deserved or not) of facing crisis communications with stonewalling or deliberate misinformation. What advice can you give to information officers in public agencies in regard to handling crisis communications?

ANSWER: With the same advice given to their counterparts in the corporate world: Be honest, be transparent and be in front of the story. According to Brandi North- Williams, public information officer for the City of Charlotte (NC) Solid Waste Services, there are four key elements to consider.