MSB: Countering disinformation in Sweden

With information influence continually on the rise and antagonists looking to destabilise countries, regions and industries through the spread of fake news and disinformation, 4C Strategies was approached by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) to help prepare government agencies and county administrative boards nationwide to counter this threat.

Getting started

It was important to start with a varied group of participants in order to represent a diverse range of organisations. Bringing people together from different organisations allows for a collaborative approach and prevents participants from feeling isolated. It also speeds up the learning process and helps attendees understand the importance of collaboration when countering information influence.

The implementation and training programme

With events planned around the country, it was time to roll out the programme with one-day training workshops in each region. The programme involved a series of exercises throughout the day to help attendees:

• Understand the problem and the potential scale of the task
• Identify potential information influence
• Understand who the target group is
• Analyse how the target audience can be impacted
• Create strategies and processes for countering information
• Learn proven techniques for proactive communication.

“Too often, people assume they have to engage with antagonists, but that’s just playing into their hands”, continues Maria Pålsson. “Reasoning with an antagonist is a great way to lose at information warfare. A rule of thumb is to always stick to your strategic narratives. When you know your target groups and what’s at stake for them, you can reassure them that you are the trusted source for information.”

Learning by doing

In total, 15 programmes were held throughout the country, with around 200 attendees from 55 governmental agencies, county councils and municipalities. Doing scenario exercises in smaller groups like this allows all participants to share their experiences and get a real sense of what is at stake. People quickly learn that everyone has to be vigilant to spot fake news and misinformation. At the same time, clear lines of responsibility in an organisation ensure individuals know how to escalate any concerns so the right action can be taken.

In one typical exercise, participants were challenged to analyse target groups and worked through a series of questions to develop a strategic narrative. In another exercise they were presented with information influence from tailored scenarios and were asked to use tools to identify who was behind the message.

“Typically, government agencies conduct extensive risk analysis programmes every four years,” says Pålsson. “A lot can happen in that time. Holding smaller-scale exercises like this can prove really beneficial for the organisations and the people they serve.”

Putting learnings into practice

After one day of training and exercises, it’s time for the participants to put their learnings into practice. As it is something that most of them have to do in addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, they are usually quick to involve others within the organisation. Based on their learnings, they can quickly put processes into place that didn’t exist before and share and agree on strategic narratives.

“Through this series of exercises, we gave attendees the tools and confidence to counter information influence,” concludes Maria Pålsson. “In today’s society where entire industries and countries are being targeted by antagonists, preparing staff to for this is essential. If you want a proven team to help your organisation adopt and act on best practices, 4C Strategies is the ideal partner.”

Read the full interview with Maria Pålsson on information, disinformation and countering information influence