How can post-disaster decision-making be improved?

Victoria MaynardProgramme Research and Developmentvmaynard@habitatforhumanity.org.uk

practice

policy theory

SM12b What is recovery? What is resilience? How to

measure either of them? Do we need more evidence? Or better use of the

evidence we already have? Do our problems lie in decision-making? Or in the

challenges of implementing decisions?

SM13a What do we mean by recovery? How to measure it?

SM13b How are decisions made? And how could decision-

making processes be improved?

Theory-policy-practicepractice

policy theory

decision-making

‘a process of interaction and decision-making among a variety of groups and

institutions’ (Mileti, 1999)

“The key characteristic that distinguishes post-disaster conditions from normal times is time compression”

(Olshansky et. al, 2012).

Decision-making

Digital Humanitarian Network, 2013

Evidence-based or eminence-based?

Borton, 2002

Humanitarian organisations

Recovery and reconstruction “invariably involve (a) large amounts of money and (b) decisions about that money. That combination is politics” (Olson, 2000).

“government officials are confronted with the need to not only manage the situation but also explain it” (Olson, 2000).

Disasters as ‘critical junctures’ (Olson & Gawronski, 2010).

“’Accidents’ do not really overload political systems. ‘Emergencies’ might... ‘Disasters’ certainly do overload political systems, and ‘catastrophes’ can bring down regimes” (Olson, 2000).

Government money

decisions

politics

management

explanations

capabilities

competence

compassion

correctness

credibility

anticipation

1. Which individuals, groups and organisations make decisions about shelter and settlements after disasters? What is their relationship?

2. What kinds of decisions do they make? When? Where?

3. Why are these decisions made? What factors influence the decision-making process?

4. What effect do these decisions have on the actions of 1) affected communities or 2) assisting individuals, groups or organisations? Which decisions are most important? Why?

Research questions

Consequences

Causes

Characteristicsdecision-making

Research questions

How can post-disaster decision-making be

improved?

?1. Which individuals, groups and organisations make

decisions about shelter and settlements after disasters? What is their relationship?

2. What kinds of decisions do they make? When? Where?

3. Why are these decisions made? What factors influence the decision-making process?

4. What effect do these decisions have on the actions of 1) affected communities or 2) assisting individuals, groups or organisations? Which decisions are most important? Why?

@vcmaynardwww.resilienturbanism.org

vmaynard@habitatforhumanity.org.uk

How can post-disaster decision-making be

improved?

?

Darcy et al (2013) The Use of Evidence in Humanitarian Decision MakingDigital Humanitarian Network (2013) Decision-Makers Needs CommunityOlshansky et al (2012) Disaster and recovery: Processes compressed in timeOlson (2000) Toward a politics of disaster: Losses, values, agendas, and blameOlson & Gawronski (2010) From disaster event to political crisis: A “5C+ A” framework for analysisBorton (2002) Improving Performance Through Improved Learning, Learning and Knowledge ManagementChang (2010) Urban disaster recovery: a measurement framework and its application to the 1995 Kobe earthquake