Ajay Kumar, & Simeon Vidolov. (2016). Humanitarian Effectiveness: Reconsidering the Ethics of Community Engagement and the Role of Technology. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: This position paper discusses the ongoing debate on the topic of humanitarian effectiveness and highlights the need to look at the structuring of the humanitarian system from an ethical point of view. The paper makes the argument that any community engagement with the affected population is a matter of ethics and dignity of those needs to be considered as a central focus to the discussion. The paper also discusses how the humanitarian system as a set of technology, tools & practises focusses on efficiency, and overshadows the issues of care by objectifying and turning the affected population into mere numbers. We discuss that technology and organisations are inter-twined and such a discussion of technology cannot be contemplated without considering the traditional institutional practises as a whole.
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Rui Chen, Raghav H. Rao, Raj Sharman, Shambhu J Upadhyaya, & Catherine Cook-Cottone. (2010). Examination of emergency response from knowledge and psychology perspectives. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This research-in-progress examines the roles of technology and human systems in supporting emergency response management through the dual perspectives of knowledge and psychology. Task critical knowledge is linked to organizational effectiveness in delivering business value and psychological factors characterize the unique challenges of an emergency context. This exploratory research is among the first to develop a theoretical model based on these two important yet understudied theoretical aspects. The article contributes to the research development in emergency response information systems and sheds light on the organizational response management practice.
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Tina Comes, Frank Schätter, & Frank Schultmann. (2013). Building robust supply networks for effective and efficient disaster response. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 230–240). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: The effective and efficient distribution of relief goods is a key challenge in disaster management. Typically, adhoc supply networks (SNs) need to be built, in which various actors with different interests collaborate. Although information is sparse and highly uncertain, time for SN design is short, and important strategic decisions (e.g., location of facilities), whose revision requires investing substantial time, effort and resources, must be made promptly. This paper presents an iterative approach for the design of robust SNs that combines (i) an optimisation model to identify promising alternatives to be analysed in detail, (ii) a scenario-based approach to analyse the weaknesses of these alternatives and generate alternative solutions for comparison and benchmarking, and (iii) a decision support module for detailed comparisons and consensus building. By following the iterative approach, successively robust SNs are created to enable effective and efficient disaster response. We illustrate our approach by an example from the Haiti 2010 earthquake.
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David Paulus, Kenny Meesters, Gerdien de Vries, & Bartel Van de Walle. (2019). The reciprocity of data integration in disaster risk analysis. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: Humanitarian organizations are increasingly challenged by the amount of data available to drive their decisions. Useful data can come from many sources, exists in different formats, and merging it into a basis for analysis and planning often exceeds organizations? capacities and resources. At the same time, affected communities? participation in decision making processes is often hindered by a lack of information and data literacy capacities within the communities. We describe a participatory disaster risk analysis project in the central Philippines where the community and a humanitarian NGO worked towards a joint understanding of disaster risks and coping capacities through data integration and IT-supported analysis. We present findings from workshops, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, showing the reciprocal effects of the collaborative work. While the community valued the systematically gathered and structured evidence that supported their own risk perceptions and advocacy efforts, the humanitarian NGO revisited established work practices for data collection for analysis and planning.
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Jean-François Gagnon, François Couderc, Martin Rivest, Simon Banbury, & Sébastien Tremblay. (2013). Using SYnRGY to support design and validation studies of emergency management solutions. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 512–516). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Emergency management situations are highly complex and require the collaboration of multiple parties for adequate responses to incidents. The design and validation of effective emergency response systems is critical in order to improve the overall effectiveness of teams tasked to manage emergency situations. We report ongoing work whose objective is to increase the efficiency of emergency response solutions through iterative cycles of human in-the-loop simulation, modeling, and adaptation. Ultimately, this cycle could either be achieved offline for complex adaptation (e.g., development of a novel interface), or online to provide timely and accurate decision support during an emergency management event. The method is made possible by achieving a high degree of realism and experimental control through the use of an innovative emergency management simulation platform called SYnRGY.,Emergency Management, Emergency Response Systems, Simulation, System Design, Validation.
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Andreas Meissner, Zhou Wang, Wolfgang Putz, & Jan Grimmer. (2006). MIKoBOS-a mobile information and communication system for emergency response. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 92–101). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: The role of communication and information provision in coping with natural and man-made disasters and emergency situations is becoming increasingly important. In this paper we present an integrated mobile information and communication system, MIKoBOS, for emergency response operations that enables reliable data communication within the emergency site as well as between the site and the headquarters. It provides the responsible personnel involved in the emergency operation at different levels with anytime-anywhere access to relevant information. Compared to traditional voice-dominated approaches, the proposed system can greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of communication and coordination during disaster relief operations. Promising experimental performance results are provided for use with a number of terrestrial and satellite networks.
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Nicoletta Baroutsi. (2018). A Practitioners Guide for C2 Evaluations: Quantitative Measurements of Performance and Effectiveness. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 170–189). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Quantitative evaluations are valuable in the strive for improvements and asserting quality. However, the field of Command & Control (C2) evaluations are hard to navigate, and it is difficult to find the correct measurement for a specific situation. A comprehensive Scoping Study was made concerning measurements of C2 performance and effectiveness. A lack of an existing appropriate framework for discussing C2 evaluations led to the development of the Crisis Response Management (CRM) Matrix. This is an analysis tool that assigns measurements into categories, and each category display unique strengths, weaknesses and trends. The analysis yielded results proving to be too rich for a single article, thusly, this is the first of two articles covering the results. In this article, the Practitioners Guide focus on results valuable for someone interested in evaluating C2. Each evaluation has specific requirements that, for best result, ought to be reflected in the chosen measurement.
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Martin Smits, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2006). A framework to evaluate how management games improve knowledge management effectiveness. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 605–614). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Knowledge-intensive organizations realize that 'knowledge' is a strategic resource that gives them sustainable competitive advantage and helps them achieve long-term organizational goals. These organizations use knowledge management (KM) to encourage the creation and sharing of knowledge resulting in improvements in productivity, innovation, competitiveness, and relationships among people. This paper investigates what role management games play in knowledge-intensive organizations and how they can be used to improve KM effectiveness. We present a theoretical framework that allows answering the following question: 'How can management games be used to improve the effectiveness of KM in knowledge-intensive organizations'.
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Marcel Van Berlo, Richelle Van Rijk, & Eric F. T. Buiël. (2005). A PC-based virtual environment for training team decision-making in high-risk situations. In B. C. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2005 – 2nd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 195–200). Brussels: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Live team training of firefighters has several disadvantages. Firstly, it is costly because many team members and training staff are involved. Secondly, not all team members have the same competency level, and some individuals may just not be ready to train in a team context. Thirdly, live training in high-risk situations is difficult and dangerous. Consequently, critical situations can not be trained adequately. Following a scenario-based and a rapid prototyping approach, we are designing and developing a pc-based virtual training environment to train individual firefighters in making decisions in a team context operating in high-risk situations. This individual training program can better prepare the firefighters for live training, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of these team-training exercises. In this paper we describe the training-method, we outline how this is technologically implemented and discuss how we are planning to test the prototype.
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