Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) table for the Policy on Social Media Posting Detrimental to the Agency's Image:

Author : Jaime Menor Jr.

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 Here’s a concise Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) table for the Policy on Social Media Posting Detrimental to the Agency's Image:

Item	Potential Failure Mode	Potential Cause(s) / Mechanism	Mission Phase	Local Effects of Failure	Next Higher Level Effect	System-Level End Effect	(P) Probability (Estimate)	(S) Severity	(D) Detection (Indications to Operator, Maintainer)	Detection Dormancy Period	Risk Level P*S (+D)	Actions for Further Investigation / Evidence	Mitigation / Requirements
1. Employees post harmful content	Post content that defames the agency	Lack of awareness of policy; personal disputes	Operational	Reputation damage	Public backlash; legal action	Loss of trust from stakeholders	4	5	Public complaints, media coverage	Immediate	20 + 2	Review of social media posts; Implement stricter monitoring mechanisms	Regular awareness campaigns, mandatory social media ethics training
2. Inappropriate political views	Publicly endorsing political candidates	Misunderstanding of neutrality rules	Election period	Bias perception from public	Politicization of the agency	Loss of credibility in public service	3	4	User comments, public response	Immediate	12 + 2	Collect employee feedback on political neutrality rules	Revise guidelines and enhance internal training on political neutrality
3. Sharing confidential agency information	Accidental leak of sensitive data	Poor understanding of data classification	Operational	Breach of security protocols	Information compromise	Legal penalties, loss of competitive advantage	2	5	IT department audit, public or media reports	Days to weeks	10 + 3	Conduct internal audits on data shared; test employee knowledge regularly	Confidentiality refresher courses; strict internal review before posting
4. Lack of policy enforcement	Inconsistent application of penalties	Poor communication of guidelines	Operational	Unequal treatment	Decline in employee morale	Perception of favoritism	3	3	Employee feedback, case reviews	Weeks	9 + 2	Track case reports and responses across departments	Standardize punishment, establish audit processes for policy enforcement
5. Failure to detect policy violations early	Delayed response to violations	Weak monitoring system for social media posts	Operational	Late intervention	Worsening public perception	Escalated reputational damage	4	4	Media coverage, stakeholder feedback	Immediate to days	16 + 2	Invest in automated social media monitoring tools	Real-time monitoring solutions, reporting mechanisms
6. Misinterpretation of the policy	Employees misunderstand guidelines	Ambiguous language in policy	Pre-operational (Policy intro)	Non-compliance	Increased violations	Erosion of public trust	3	3	Employee inquiries, internal confusion	Days to weeks	9 + 1	Conduct surveys to assess employee understanding of policy	Clearer policy wording, ensure easy access and regular dissemination
7. Personal social media affecting agency	Posting negative comments on personal accounts	Lack of distinction between personal and professional accounts	Operational	Perceived agency endorsement	Blurring of personal vs professional conduct	Reputation loss	3	4	Review of posts upon incident reports	Days to weeks	12 + 2	Monitor public posts and provide training on differentiating personal/professional content	Clarify boundaries between personal and professional social media conduct

Key Points:

• (P) Probability (Estimate): 1 (Low) to 5 (High)
• (S) Severity: 1 (Low impact) to 5 (High impact)
• (D) Detection: How easy it is to detect the issue (lower values mean harder to detect, 1–3 scale)
• Risk Level (P*S): Probability multiplied by severity (with detection factored in where needed)

Action Items:

• Regular audits, surveys, and employee feedback should be used to continually assess the effectiveness of the policy.
• Training sessions to reinforce the importance of responsible social media use.
• Implementation of automated monitoring tools for real-time tracking of potential violations.