Abstract: This discussion paper focuses on conceptualizing the ultimate goal in disaster management, i.e. reduction of future risks and impacts and explicitly highlights how actions taken in various phases of integrated disaster risk management influence vulnerability and eventually overall risk characteristics. First, the advancement of the disaster management concept evolving from a cyclic perspective to a spiral view is described and the various stages of disaster management including risk analysis, mitigation, and response are explained. In an attempt to improve and advance disaster risk management, next, the concepts of foresight and prediction are described and its major differences are highlighted. Finally, the basic framework of risk governance is considered for integrating foresight and prediction and thus lifting disaster management to the next level. Active and transparent communication and participation is seen as the key for successfully implementing risk governance.

Abstract: It is of practical significance and great value to design and develop a novel Early Warning System (EWS), which will be used by the personnel of institutions involved in the drinking water delivery governance model of Ireland. In order to help the users of our EWS in representing and codifying their knowledge on the complex coincidences that may drive Water Treatment Plants (WTP) to failures or to hazardous states we propose in this paper a novel approach of using Domain Specific Modeling (DSM) in the domain of EWS for Water Treatment Plants. The novelty of our DSM approach also lies in providing a standalone open source software application rendering profiling of the water utilities, early warning signals, monitoring mechanisms of signals along with capability of assessing the “tendency” of a WTP towards failure, given a set of observed early warning signals.

Abstract: This paper examines inter-organizational governance within the context of a County wide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. Through a case study approach that included an action research methodology, this paper reports research findings on how one multi-organizational EMS system in California designed a process to establish an inter-organizational IT governance structure. The process resulted in EMS stakeholders defining architectural qualities that could be used to drive the EMS enterprise to a higher level of architecture maturity. That is, away from inherent business silos and towards greater levels of standardization and integration of information and technology across all stakeholder groups. The San Mateo County, CA Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system provided the case study context to better understand characteristics of a high performing emergency response system. The unique governance structure of this case allowed researchers to formulate a preliminary understanding of what IT governance is within this context and how it plays a role within private and not-for-profit sector large-scale, inter-organizational, emergency response systems. We applied the time critical information services (TCIS) framework to the specific setting of the San Mateo EMS strategic redesign initiative. The TCIS framework was used to drive roundtable discussions and in addition to obtaining a better understanding of the governance dimension, much was also learned about the operational and organizational dimensions of a high performing emergency response system. From these discussions, a set of 11 key findings were developed in order to guide the county's procurement strategy and future strategic direction. The impact of these findings is that they will be used to formulate public and private sector service contracts that will remain in effect for the next 10 years.

Abstract: Large-scale safety and security incidents typically require the coordinated effort of multiple organisations. A networked organisation is generally seen as the most appropriate structure for coordination within safety and security collaborations. Such networks generally are mixed-sector networks in the sense that the strategic orientations of the contributing organisations differ. Our research focuses on how to prevent, overcome and cope with the tensions resulting from this mixed-sector nature. We studied cases of three major Dutch events and our preliminarily findings were that an active network governance approach contributes to a more decisive and more purposive organisation. The flexibility and decisiveness of the networked organisation can be enhanced if in addition informal network governance measures are applied. Moreover, a purposive information infrastructure, directed towards a limited number of clear priority issues, is a key enabler of the functioning of the network.

Abstract: The objectives of the research reported by the authors in this paper are threefold. First, the authors want to fine-tune the rresearch methodology on risk identification based on cognitive mapping techniques and group decision support systems (GDSS) developed earlier (Rutkowski et al., 2005). Second, the authors want to determine how High Reliability Theory (HRT) – through the characteristics of High Reliability Organisations (HROs) – can be applied in the particular organisational context of an important economic sector like banking. Third, the authors want to inquire into how Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management can benefit from experiences gained in a mainstream context. More specifically, the use of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) methodology will be explored from the perspective of Incident Management as a sub-process of ICT management.

Abstract: This paper shows preliminary results of an ongoing research project on the benefits of Strategic ICT Alignment in the domain of disaster management. The research is based on current literature in that area, an observation of a multi-organizational pandemic exercise in a large German municipality and interviews with stakeholders of different emergency management organizations in Germany and Australia. The preliminary results show that emergency managers can feel overwhelmed by the complexity of ICT and are unable to estimate the value and impact of ICT on their processes. Consequently, the paper identifies a research gap in the area of ICT Governance and Emergency Management, which will guide the coming research stages in order to develop a Strategic ICT Alignment framework for emergency management organizations.