Abstract: One problem affecting crisis management planning teams is overconfidence- An inflated belief that a plan will be successful. In this paper we compared the effect of several different methods for reducing individual team member confidence levels and compared each to a baseline control condition. One hundred and seventy-eight people participated in one of five conditions to evaluate an H1N1 flu epidemic plan in a university context. Over the course of evaluating the plan, participants provided several ratings of confidence in the plan's success and their understanding. We compared several techniques commonly used, such as critique, Pro/Cons generation, Cons only generation and a newer technique, PreMortem, to a baseline condition. The Pro/Cons generation, Cons only generation and the PreMortem technique all reliably reduced confidence levels more than baseline condition. Furthermore, the Premortem method, imagining that a plan has failed and then generating reasons to explain why, reliably reduced confidence more than each of the other conditions, and therefore can be a useful tool for combating overconfidence in crisis management planning. We discuss the results in the context of sensemaking and decision making theory.

Abstract: The need to gather and use decentralized information and resources in responding to disasters demands an integrated interface that can support large-scale collaboration. This paper describes the development of a collaboration tool interface. The tool will surpass existing groupware and social networking applications, providing easy entry, categorization, and visualization of masses of critical data; the ability to form ad-hoc teams with collaboration protocols for negotiated action; and agent-augmented mixed-initiative tracking and coordination of these activities. The paper reports user testing results concerning the data entry interface, emergent leadership, and the directed negotiation process. The paper also discusses planned enhancements, including formalized collaboration engineering and the use of a disaster simulation test bed.

Abstract: Collaborative teamwork is becoming more common in several domains including healthcare and disaster management. While collaborative teamwork can benefit from information system (IS) support, designing IS models to support collaboration is a significant challenge owing to the variations in tasks and people that must be supported, and the different contexts within which collaboration takes place. Collaborative teamwork can vary greatly because of context, which is the integration of diverse, dynamic, and heterogeneous needs for groups to achieve a specific goal. However in the literature there has been limited emphasis on how contextual underpinnings can be incorporated into IS design. This paper uses a case study of the design of a user-driven prototype disaster management IS. We used the think aloud method to capture participant thoughts while interacting with the IS prototype. The think aloud data was analyzed and used to develop an ontology of contextual considerations to support IS design.

Abstract: Remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have the potential to provide United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and their partners with much needed disaster related information and improved management of resources. However, the technical nature of these tools requires considerable expertise to fully benefit from satellite images and related geographic information. The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is implementing the UNOSAT service on behalf of the UN Institute on Training and Research (UNITAR) together with several private actors. UNOSAT provides the UN and its partners with the expertise in Earth Observation (EO) and GIS applications. As a crisis is part of a spectrum of disaster related events, UNOSAT provides services in all phases of humanitarian assistance, including planning, crisis response, relief and development. UNOSAT's objectives are to facilitate the territory planning and monitoring processes of local authorities, local technicians, development project managers and humanitarian field operators working in coordination with or within the framework of UN activities, on issues such as disaster management, risk prevention, peace keeping operations, post conflict reconstruction, environmental rehabilitation and social and economic development. A key part of this work is to accelerate and expand the use of accurate geographic information derived from EO-satellite imagery. UNOSAT is also involved in several international initiatives aimed at improved crisis response and management, such as the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters”, an important asset in providing timely information to relief personnel on the ground. By working closely with its UN sister agencies, UNOPS/UNOSAT offers a one-stop-shop for satellite imagery and GIS services related to disaster response & management within the United Nations. © Proceedings ISCRAM 2004.

Abstract: Crisis management (CM) is an aspect of command and control characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and severe time pressure. To address these challenges, CM teams can use collaborative work support systems (CWSS) to help plan their intervention and coordination activities. However, the use of CWSS is not necessarily beneficial and in some cases, can impede more than augment performance. Hence, it is essential to understand the impact of a CWSS on team performance and CM teamwork. We have developed a methodology to assess the effectiveness of CWSS by comparing the use of an interactive Smartboard with that of a traditional topographic map during team planning activities. To do so, a dynamic CM situation is simulated using a forest firefighting functional simulation – the C3Fire microworld. We compared two groups of participants on the basis of performance, communication, coordination efficiency, and planning quality. Based on a preliminary analysis, in comparison to maps, the use of a CWSS seems to be beneficial to planning activities and CM coordination. At this point the main contribution of the current on-going project is to provide a method and metrics for the objective assessment of new technology in the context of CM.

Abstract: The research on technology for emergency management is usually based either on studies in the field that focus on workers using current tools or on the development, testing, and deployment of novel software tools used in controlled settings. Little is known about the effects of the new collaborative media and work conditions 'in comparison to' the current media and conditions. In 2007, we presented at ISCRAM a method for studying common ground development through a paper prototype in face-to-face collaboration and subsequently presented preliminary findings on common ground development. In this paper we present preliminary findings from an analogous experiment on teams working remotely via a geo-collaborative software prototype. We compare these findings with those from the prior paper prototype study. We use this comparative research design to explore implications for system design and theory development in computer-supported cooperative work.

Abstract: This paper discusses the applicability of Cooperating Smart Spaces in the disaster management realm and their potential to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of rescue relief teams. The Cooperating Smart Space is a novel concept that combines and extends pervasive computing and social computing to support smart space management and community collaboration. Based on an analysis of current practice, we illustrate how the concept can be exploited in the assessment of a disaster scenario in order to improve information management, collaboration between expert teams and cooperation with online volunteers outside of the disaster zone. We present the results of an initial user evaluation by disaster management experts and conclude with important implications for the design of a Cooperating Smart Space platform. © 2012 ISCRAM.

Abstract: Dynamic Team Management for Cross-organization Collaboration was developed by IBM, in cooperation with the U. S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and MITRE (a federally funded research and development organization), to support participating organizations in the U.S. Homeland Security/Homeland Defense Command and Control Advance Concept Technology Demonstration (HLS/D C2 ACTD). Dynamic Team Management includes finding and accessing information about resources (people) with whom you need to communicate and collaborate on a mission or task. Used in conjunction with collaboration tools and other applications, DTM supports constructing cross-organization teams of individuals to address particular missions or tasks, based on emerging needs. DTM demonstrates approaches to overcoming many of the challenges of building the best teams for each mission/task, accommodating information sharing preferences of participating organizations, directory integration automation, dynamically scaling to meet cross-organization communication and collaboration requirements, and achieving organizational interoperability.

Abstract: Despite the significant advances that software and hardware technologies have brought to the emergency management field, some islands remain where innovation has had little impact. Among them, emergency plan management is of particular relevance due to their key role in the direction of teams during responses. Aspects like coordination, collaboration, and others are spread in plain text sentences, impeding automatic tool support to improve team per-formance. Moreover, administrative management of plans becomes a mere document management activity. In this paper, we present SAGA, an architecture that supports the full lifecycle of advanced emergency plan management. By advanced we mean plans that include new types of interaction such as hypermedia and advanced process definition languages to provide precise specification of response procedures. SAGA provides all the actors involved in plan management a number of tools supporting all the stages of the plan lifecycle, from its creation to its use in training drills or actual responses. It is intended to be instantiated in systems promoted by civil defense agencies, providing administrative support to plan management; additionally, editing tools for plan designers and tools for analysis and improvement of such plans by organizations are provided. Plan enactment facilities in emergency response are also integrated. To our knowledge, it is the very first proposal that covers all the aspects of plan man-agement. © 2012 ISCRAM.

Abstract: In the USA the basic objective of local and state government's Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) is to implement mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property damage by the efficient mobilization and deployment of resources. The evacuation of citizens out of harms way either before an impeding disaster or after the occurrence of one is a critical component of any EOP. This document represents a summary of the Evacuation Plan designed for the City of New Orleans. Results of live field exercises conducted during the 2006 Hurricane Season and suggestions for improvement will be highlighted. The ideal Emergency Evacuation Tracking System will be designed to operate within a System of Systems framework with interfaces: to field personnel, emergency managers and logisticians operating in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), with state and local government systems such as public information emergency hotline (311 Centers in the USA), asset tracking management systems and others.

Abstract: There is a growing need to understand how mobile devices are used to reach people in a crisis. This study focuses on how work organizations play a gatekeeping role in how their employees receive crisis information. Relying on research in the digital divide and organizational justice, this study compares two different types of organizations and their policies banning or allowing mobile devices at work. Three major themes emerged: having omnipotent supervisors, being powerless workers, and experiencing information holes. These themes highlight the burden placed on organizations to create more inclusive digital policies to ensure that employees do not fall through the net of crisis management systems. Additionally, these findings necessitate new discussions among crisis and emergency management scholars that include the current understanding of the digital divide, specifically as it relates to digital inequality in the workplace.

Abstract: Education in crisis response traditionally includes formal field exercises that attempt to replicate to some extent the chaos and complexity of an emergency situation. Part of the complexity facing multinational teams of crisis response professionals is diversity within the team itself. In this paper we discuss the group faultline model of diversity and its impact on team performance. Faultlines exist wherever there is diversity. When faultlines become active – And only when they become active – They form barriers to team cohesion and impediments to team performance. We propose that it is eminently feasible to develop a toolkit that managers of multinational crisis response teams can use to identify and span group faultlines. We identify two classes of tools. The first is a questionnaire that elicits information that can be used to (1) infer faultline length and to predict the relative likelihood of activation, and (2) identify (individual) team members who can span a ruptured faultline and facilitate team cohesion. The identification suggests appropriate actions that the instructor can take to help the team bridge the rift. The second tool in the kit is a checklist of defensive routines – policies and actions that attempt to save face – That can be used to identify faultline rupture. We are currently working at developing the tools in this toolkit.