@article {bnh-6839, title = {A case study of disaster decision-making in the presence of anomalies and absence of recognition}, journal = {Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management}, year = {2020}, month = {04/2020}, abstract = {

This paper provides an insight into the complexities of decision-making during an unprecedented disaster. We used the critical decision method to explore a series of decision points that were made for a low probability yet high consequence decision that was made by the commander of the Australian Urban Search and Rescue team deployed to Fukushima in 2011. The findings identified that in a situation with no similarities to previous experiences, the commander used a process of anomaly detection to trigger a situational assessment, following this with mental simulation and consultation of his actions. In this unparalleled case study, hazard-specific expertise also supported the decision-making process. The paper offers practitioners and academia an example of high consequence decision-making in a unique situation as well as the opportunity to reflect on the models of decision-making previously identified as useful in these operational environments.

}, keywords = {crisis management, Decision making, Disaster management, hazards}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12290}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-5973.12290}, author = {Steve Curnin and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine} } @article {bnh-6537, title = {Decision making, team monitoring \& organisational learning in emergency management annual report 2018-2019}, number = {531}, year = {2020}, month = {01/2020}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This project explores aspects of teamwork, decision making and organisational learning with the aim of better supporting people working in complex strategic operations centres.\  We have adopted a human-centred design method to produce practical tools that are designed around how people use these tools in their workplace.\  As part of this process end-users are embedded into the research process. Bringing end-users into the research process creates a partnership where the researchers contribute their knowledge of literature, theory and the research process and the end-users contribute their requirements, operational knowledge and understanding of the barriers to utilisation and adoption.\  Using the human-centred design method we have created a number of practical tools that are at various stages of development.\  These tools focus on managing teams, how to make better decisions, and how to better utilise the products of research.\  For the tools that have reached (or are close to reaching) the end of their evaluation we have also developed training to support their use by end-users.\  We have seen extensive operational use by end-users of the tools we have developed, with a number of agencies amending their standard operating procedures to facilitate use of the tools. \ In addition, research from the project has formed the basis of several key publications (e.g. the Resilience Expert Advisory Group{\textquoteright}s {\textquotedblleft}A practical guide for crisis decision making.{\textquotedblright}). Into the future we will be continuing to develop new tools to support teamwork, decision making and organisational learning and expect to see further utilisation by agencies both in Australia and worldwide.

}, keywords = {Decision making, education, Emergency management, teams}, issn = {531}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Peter Hayes and Heather Stuart} } @article {bnh-7377, title = {Follow up of study participants: brain plasticity and divergent thinking}, number = {613}, year = {2020}, month = {09/2020}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Unprecedented future disasters will require those in emergency management to be creative in their thinking. The backbone of creativity is divergent thinking; cognitive thoughts that do not converge on one correct answer but diverge to a range of possible options. This Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project has explored the skills associated with divergent thinking during a series of workshops conducted with our end-user partners agencies.

This document identifies the results from a series of interviews conducted with end-user participants to understand the utilisation of the research provided in the series of workshops on divergent thinking.

Results indicate that the maturity of those agencies involved in this project regarding the utilisation of the divergent thinking research within their individual agency was in the {\textquoteleft}developing{\textquoteright} phase.

This low level of maturity can be attributed to a lack of formalised research utilisation structures within agencies that are hampered by resource and financial constraints. Compounding the ability for agencies to fully utilise research outputs are the challenges of embedding research within the entire policy cycle. To achieve this requires an ongoing collaborative partnership between agencies, research centers and academic institutions that occurs throughout the entire policy cycle, long after the initial research has been delivered.

}, keywords = {brain plasticity, divergent thinking}, issn = {613}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-7801, title = {Improving decision making, teamwork and organisational learning in emergency management {\textendash} final project report}, number = {641}, year = {2020}, month = {01/2021}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Background: Each year Australian emergency management organisations coordinate the response to thousands of emergency events. While a successful outcome is achieved in the vast majority of these events, notable and ongoing concerns are being raised as to how well some of the emergency management teams have functioned.\  Often the problems are not based on technical skills (such as the use of equipment) but on the non-technical skills, such as: communication, coordination, situation awareness, and decision making. In addition, skills such as creativity and divergent thinking may be important in helping people to manage ever more complex emergencies. This project seeks to develop simple practical tools that can help people to better manage their teamwork, improve their decision making and develop more creative solutions.\  In addition to developing these tools this project also considers how organisations utilise the outcomes of research.\  Application of research in support of organisational learning is critical not just for organisational growth, competitiveness and sustainability but also for wide-scale industry development, community and economic well-being. However, maximising organisational learning from research often falls short. As part of this project we will seek to develop a tool to help agencies to utilise research more effectively.

Method: The tools were developed using a human-centred design approach. This approach placed the end-user very much at the heart of the development process so that the tools were effectively co-created with end-users. Embedding end-users into the research and design process has two goals, 1) to produce effective tools that are designed around the end-user and 2) to create the right context for the adoption of the tools by emergency management agencies. In this way we have brought utilisation to the centre of the project, embedding it within the research process so that utilisation informs and is informed by the research from the beginning of the project.

Research and tool development: A number of tools were developed to help people to better manage their teamwork and decision making. These tools include:

In addition to creating tools that help better manage teams and make more effective decisions, members of the project team have also developed methods to help people to act more creatively during operations (such as stretch thinking loops for team decision making). To help end-users to diagnose their capacity to utilise research a self-assessment tool was developed (known as the self-assessment research utilisation maturity matrix or RUMM). This tool can be used by practitioners to identify steps needed to move along the path towards research implementation.

Utilisation: These tools have now seen excellent utilisation by emergency management agencies in Australia and have attracted growing interest from international partners in the UK and Spain.\  The teamwork tools have been used to help manage both simulated and real-life emergencies; to conduct debriefs and after-action reviews; to design response plans; and to evaluate emergency management arrangements. The research utilisation maturity matrix (RUMM) has been used to inform future research planning, to assess existing capability in research utilisation and to inform future policy decisions.\  The tools that we have created have been included in a number of key industry publications (such as AFAC Lessons Management Handbook) and a number of agencies have changed their standard operating procedures to facilitate use of the tools.

Conclusion and next steps: This project has developed a number of products that can help people in emergency management to better manage non-technical skills, improve creativity and assess their ability to utilise the products of research.\  The next steps are to help agencies to better embed these tools so that they become part of normal everyday business.

}, keywords = {Decision making, Emergency management, organisational learning, teamwork}, issn = {641}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Peter Hastings and Heather Stuart} } @article {bnh-7440, title = {Stretch-Thinking Loops: A New Technique for Scenario Planning}, journal = {Risk, Hazards \& Crisis in Public Policy}, year = {2020}, month = {10/2020}, abstract = {

In crisis management, scenario planning is a necessity in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. Strategic planners need to be able to imagine future environments even in the most uncertain conditions. The scale of potential scenarios and associated management suggests that those involved will require innovative planning techniques. To support innovation in strategic planning, we have combined the research on creativity, divergent thinking, and creative constraints to design a method called {\textquotedblleft}Stretch-Thinking Loops.{\textquotedblright} This technique uses iterative thinking approaches that identify broad scenarios, the likely consequences, and the potential constraints, and then uses this information to identify new opportunities and innovations to support scenario planning. We report on the development of this technique in the context of crisis management and its application in a collaborative project with an Australian State Government that explored a series of post-COVID-19 recovery scenarios for a 12-month time horizon. The proposed Stretch-Thinking Loops are not just limited to crisis management but offer all organizations a structured method to enhance their capability to engage in divergent-thinking for future scenario planning.

}, keywords = {crisis management, scenario planning, stretch-thinking}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.12205}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rhc3.12205}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-6566, title = {Using the human centred design method to develop tools for non-technical skills in emergency management}, number = {532}, year = {2020}, month = {01/2020}, institution = {Bushfire \& Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Human Centred Design (HCD) is a widely used design process that seeks to ensure that products are designed to efficiently and effectively support the needs of the human user.\  At the heart of the HCD process is an iterative cycle of development and testing in conjunction with end-users.\  This places the humans who play such a central role in emergency management at the centre of the design activity.\  The BNHCRC project: team monitoring, decision making and organisational learning has used the human centred design approach to develop a number of tools that support human decision making and team management during emergencies.\  This report introduces the human centred design process and shows how it was used to develop the decision making and team management tools.

}, keywords = {Decision making, education, Emergency management, human centred design, team management}, issn = {532}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-7188, title = {Utilisation funding: South Australia stretch thinking project}, number = {597}, year = {2020}, month = {08/2020}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {MELBOURNE}, abstract = {

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project entitled {\textquotedblleft}Decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning{\textquotedblright} is focused on improving decision-making for response agencies/operations.

This utilisation project involved the research team from the University of Tasmania conducting two training workshops for a multi-jurisdictional group in South Australia and adapting aide-memoirs for decision making to support long-term recovery.

This Bushfire and Natural Hazards utilisation funding enhanced the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet and University of Tasmania program, known as {\textquoteleft}Stretching for Recovery{\textquoteright}, which involved broadening research for decision-making for long-term recovery and offering the opportunity to run an additional workshop for South Australia.

}, keywords = {south australia, stretch thinking, utilisation fundings}, issn = {597}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-6686, title = {Evaluation of pre-intervention data: divergent thinking and brain plasticity}, number = {546}, year = {2019}, month = {08/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The {\textquoteleft}new normal{\textquoteright} includes larger, more complex incidents. This suggests that
leaders will need to think outside the box and use of higher cognitive skills such
as creativity that includes divergent thinking, to respond and recover from these
incidents. Processes in creativity include thinking skills that are conducive to
taking new perspectives on problems, pivoting among different ideas, thinking
broadly, and making unusual associations.

This document identifies the empirical results from a series of workshops
conducted with end-users to identify if a method for developing creative skills
and specifically divergent thinking, led to teams being more creative in the
development of options analyses.

Results indicate that teams scored significantly higher on a creativity scale after
being taught the methods to enhance their creativity.

The improvement can be traced to improvements in the criteria of fluency (the
number of options) and elaboration (embellishment of the information
provided). Teams did not demonstrate evidence of the other two criteria for
creativity (flexibility in the use of the intelligence provided and originality).
Consideration of how to build flexibility and originality into the existing method
will drive the next iteration, which will be translated into research utilisation
products over the remaining time of the project.

}, keywords = {brain plasticity, data evaluation, divergent thinking}, issn = {546}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-6036, title = {Managing cognitive biases during disaster response: the development of an aide memoire}, journal = {Cognition, Technology \& Work}, year = {2019}, month = {05/2019}, pages = {1-13}, abstract = {

Disasters are highly complex with often extreme consequences and are often exacerbated by decision errors. Human behaviour in this domain offers a fertile ground for studying decision-making and identifying opportunities for improvement. This research sought to improve the quality of decision-making by developing an aide memoire for managing cognitive biases in emergency management. Based on the appropriate literature, 58 of Australia{\textquoteright}s leading marine spill disaster response experts identified and ranked the most important cognitive biases in a group setting. The results were translated into language relevant to emergency management practitioners and reframed into a series of questions. The identification of nine cognitive biases in the aide memoire can first be used to assess the available information, intelligence and decisions, and then used to determine the meaning of the information, intelligence and decisions. The paper discusses the applicability of the aide memoire to decision errors identified in recent man-made and natural disasters. Finally, the article addresses a criticism that research findings are often not useful to industry by suggesting how the aide memoire can be used in practice.

}, keywords = {Cognitive bias, Decision aid, decision-making, disasters, Emergency management}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-019-00564-5}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10111-019-00564-5$\#$citeas}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Owen, Christine and Christopher Bearman} } @article {bnh-7474, title = {New human capabilities in emergency and crisis management: From non-technical skills to creativity}, journal = {Australian Journal of Emergency Management}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, month = {10/2019}, abstract = {

Unprecedented future disaster events will require emergency managers to be creative in their thinking. The backbone of creativity is divergent thinking; cognitive thoughts that do not converge on one correct answer but diverge to a range of possible options. Preliminary research with emergency services organisations, not-for-profit organisations and the critical infrastructure sector identified an increase in creative output when personnel are given a set of constraints, both resources and context, in which to {\textquoteright}think divergently{\textquoteright}. Consequently, future challenges for decision-makers in emergency and crisis management is identifying when creativity is required and how to use constraints to enhance creativity when organisational cultures demand compliance. This paper provides an overview of creativity in the context of decision-making and what this means for future leaders in the sector.

}, keywords = {Decision making, disaster, emergecny managment, future, organisations}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-october-2019-new-human-capabilities-in-emergency-and-crisis-management-from-non-technical-skills-to-creativity/}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Owen, Christine and Jason Boldeman} } @article {bnh-7477, title = {Nonprofit and public sector interorganizational collaboration in disaster recovery: Lessons from the field}, journal = {Nonprofit Management \& Leadership}, volume = {30}, year = {2019}, month = {09/2019}, pages = {277-297}, abstract = {


Recent disasters have identified that interorganizational collaboration is often fraught with complexity. This article explores interorganizational collaboration in the nonprofit and public sectors during the disaster recovery efforts after a catastrophic flooding event. Based on a series of in-depth interviews with practitioners involved in the recovery following a flooding event, the findings offer insights into the barriers and mechanisms used to facilitate collaboration. In disaster recovery, collaboration is reliant on established interorganizational structures and trusting relationships. Role clarity is the link between these two characteristics, and this article posits the association between this and the concept of swift trust to facilitate collaboration. Theoretically, this article extends an existing multidimensional model of collaboration into the context of emergency management. Importantly, it also offers a tangible output for industry in the form of an aide-m{\'e}moire for collaborating in disaster recovery.

}, keywords = {disaster, management, nonprofit, public sector}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/nml.21389}, author = {Steve Curnin and Danielle O{\textquoteright}Hara} } @article {bnh-5258, title = {Collaboration in disasters: A cultural challenge for the utilities sector}, journal = {Utilities Policy}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {10/2018}, chapter = {78}, abstract = {

Understanding the interdependency of organizations in a disaster is necessary to facilitate collaboration. Interdependencies in the utilities sector have traditionally focused upon the technical aspects of these dependencies. This research used empirical research methods that included an observational study of utility stakeholders during a real-time disaster. The study investigated the cultural challenges associated with the socio-cultural interdependencies that stakeholders from the utilities sector encountered when working in emergency management. Participants identified that a lack of legitimacy and trust created barriers to collaboration. The paper concludes with recommendations for the industry to address the potential cultural barriers encountered in a disaster.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jup.2018.08.002}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178718300535}, author = {Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-5034, title = {Decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning in emergency management: annual project report 2017-18}, number = {420}, year = {2018}, month = {10/2018}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, abstract = {

The focus of this project is on providing simple practical tools that can help people to make better decisions and manage teams more effectively in emergency management.\  In addition to the creation of the tools themselves we are also seeking to understand how agencies can better utilise the products from research.\  The project therefore has three streams: team monitoring, decision making and organisational learning.

}, issn = {420}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Heather Stuart} } @article {bnh-5135, title = {Enhancing learning in emergency services organisational work}, journal = {Australian Journal of Public Administration}, year = {2018}, month = {01/2018}, abstract = {

The paper aims to assist emergency services organisations to learn how to learn so that managers better understand how to embed effective learning practices and systems into their organisation{\textquoteright}s culture. Learning in emergency services organisations occurs in a range of contexts. These include after-action reviews, externally led inquiries, and practice-led research projects. The paper outlines key themes from the work-related learning literature and introduces a modified experiential learning framework to ground real-world experiences. Interviews were conducted with 18 emergency services practitioners. The findings provide examples of the broad challenges that agencies need to manage to enhance and sustain learning. These include shifting value from action post an event, to reflection, focusing on the bigger picture and allowing enough time to effectively embed new practices after an emergency. No organisation can forgo learning. All experiences provide opportunities for learning to occur. A key insight for agencies interested in facilitating improvements in learning is to locate potential weak links in the learning cycle and to develop a better understanding of how to learn.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12309}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8500.12309}, author = {Owen, Christine and Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Christopher Bearman} } @article {bnh-5134, title = {Human error during the multilevel responses to three Australian bushfire disasters}, journal = {Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management}, volume = {26}, year = {2018}, month = {03/2018}, abstract = {

The scale and complexity associated with the coordinated response to natural disasters inevitably produce human errors. However, little is known about the frequency and distribution of human error at different levels of coordination during disasters. The purpose of this research was to explore this phenomenon for selected catastrophic bushfires in Australia. To accomplish this, we used the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System that has been widely applied to accidents but is untested with respect to the complexity and temporality of disasters. The results identified that decision errors made during these disasters differed depending upon the level of coordination but were associated with information uncertainty, fatigue, coordination complexities, procedural violations, and degraded personal interactions.

}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12221}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1468-5973.12221}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Christopher Bearman and Owen, Christine} } @article {bnh-5084, title = {A literature review of methods for providing enhanced operational oversight of teams in emergency management}, journal = {International Journal of Emergency Management}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {08/2018}, abstract = {

Teamwork is an important component of effective emergency management. From time to time teamwork will break down in the complex situations involved in managing emergencies. It is important for people who have operational oversight of these teams to be able to detect breakdowns quickly and effectively. However, there is typically little guidance within many agencies about how best to do this. This paper reviews the literature on team monitoring by observers in emergency management and related domains and identifies four key approaches to monitoring teams: 1) coordination, cooperation and task-related communication; 2) information flow; 3) linguistic analysis; 4) team outputs. These methods provide a number of different options that agencies involved in emergency management can use as the basis for developing enhanced operational oversight of teams.

}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJEM.2018.094237}, url = {https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=94237}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Rainbird, Sophia and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-4218, title = {Decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning in emergency management: annual project report 2016-17}, number = {345}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Strategic level emergency management is becoming ever more sophisticated as emergencies caused by natural hazards become more complex and dynamic. If we are going to expect people to operate in this increasingly complex environment we need to make sure that they have the necessary skills and tools.\  This is especially true of non-technical skills such as teamwork and decision making.\  This project aims to develop simple practical tools that help people to make better decisions and manage teams more effectively.\  As part of this work we are also interested in understanding some of the enablers and barriers to effective research utilization.\  The project therefore has three streams: team monitoring, decision making and organizational learning.

In the team monitoring stream, two teamwork checklists have been developed based on an extensive literature review and discussions with our end-user partners.\  These checklists (known as EMBAM \& TPC) have been trialed during exercises, real time operations and debriefs with encouraging results.\  Qualitative and quantitative studies have so far shown that these checklists are clear, concise and provide useful information that can be used to improve teamwork.

In the decision making stream, we have conducted three interrelated studies that examined how emergency management organisations maintain, assess, and improve the quality of their decisions. The three studies included using a critical decision method to explore strategic decision making during an international disaster, exercising teams in simulated emergency events and training focused on improving decision making skills and knowledge. The resultant qualitative and quantitative research has identified several consistent themes in terms of where participants perceive their organisations to be performing well and areas that can lead to improvements in decision-making. Further tranches of data collection have been scheduled to verify these results across 2017.

The key aim of the organizational learning stream is to help emergency management staff to function more effectively in increasingly complex environments. Its overall approach is to help agencies to {\textquoteright}learn how to learn{\textquoteright}, so they understand how to embed effective learning practices and systems into their organisation{\textquoteright}s culture. The experiential learning model, which is grounded in real-world experiences rather than classroom training, is a key focus of this research. No organisation can forgo learning. All experiences provide opportunities for learning to occur. A key insight for agencies interested in facilitating improvements in learning is to locate potential weak links in the learning cycle and to develop a better understanding of how to learn.

}, issn = {345}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Rainbird, Sophia and Heather Stuart} } @conference {bnh-3886, title = {Enhancing team performance}, booktitle = {AFAC17}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, publisher = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, organization = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Sydney}, abstract = {

Effective teamwork is vital when managing emergencies.\  Emergencies can exert extreme pressures on emergency teams, their leaders and co-responders. These pressures sometimes cause breakdowns in teamwork that can lead to impaired operational response.\  This project helps to improve teamwork through better real-time identification and resolution of teamwork issues. To do this the project has developed two tools: the Emergency Management Breakdown Aide Memoire (EMBAM) and the Team Process Checklist (TPC). The tools{\textquoteright} flexibility and ease of use helps emergency managers to strengthen teamwork before, during and after emergencies. The tools can be used during training, in actual emergencies, and in after-action reviews. End-users have so far found the tools to be highly valuable.

}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Rainbird, Sophia and Owen, Christine and Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @conference {bnh-3873, title = {Identifying lessons from exercising and training for emergency management decision-making}, booktitle = {AFAC17}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, publisher = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, organization = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Sydney}, abstract = {

Decision-making is a skill that permeates every emergency event and every level of emergency and disaster management. \ The decision environment is often complex and uncertain, with challenging physiological contexts such as fatigue, and major consequence for poor decisions. This makes for a fertile ground for decision scholars, and significant opportunities to support the continual improvement of the management system. Emergency management organisations maintain, assess, and improve the quality of decisions in a number of ways. \ These include exercising teams in simulated emergency events and training focused on improving skills and knowledge.\ 

We report on a series of training and exercising related studies that specifically examined this area. \ Study One included observation and surveying participants following multiple exercises in a range of end-user organisations. \ Study Two included detailed analysis of the set of decisions made by a commander during a Search and Rescue deployment to evaluate the core skills utilised. Study Three involved a training intervention {\textendash} a one day decision- making course where participants were provided with both knowledge and tools to assist them in their decision-making.

Our results identify several consistent themes in terms of where participants perceive their organisations to be performing well, and several lessons are identified that can lead to improvements in decision-making. \ 

Finally, we describe how the BNHCRC Research project {\textquoteleft}Practical Decision- Tools for Improved Decision-making in Complex Situations{\textquoteright} is building and testing cognitive decision tools based on these results.\ 

}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Christopher Bearman and Owen, Christine} } @article {bnh-3407, title = {Addressing challenges for future strategic-level emergency management: reframing, networking and capacity building}, journal = {Disasters}, volume = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {05/2016}, pages = {306-323}, chapter = {306}, abstract = {

The mounting frequency and intensity of natural hazards, alongside growing interdependencies between social-technical and ecological systems, are placing increased pressure on emergency management. This is particularly true at the strategic level of emergency management, which involves planning for and managing non-routine, high-consequence events. Drawing on the literature, a survey, and interviews and workshops with Australia{\textquoteright}s senior emergency managers, this paper presents an analysis of five core challenges that these pressures are creating for strategic-level emergency management. It argues that emphasising {\textquoteleft}emergency management{\textquoteright} as a primary adaptation strategy is a retrograde step that ignores the importance of addressing socio-political drivers of vulnerabilities. Three key suggestions are presented that could assist the country{\textquoteright}s strategic-level emergency management in tackling these challenges: (i) reframe emergency management as a component of disaster risk reduction rather than them being one and the same; (ii) adopt a network governance approach; and (iii) further develop the capacities of strategic-level emergency managers.

}, doi = {10.1111/disa.12196}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/disa.12196/abstract}, author = {Karyn Bosomworth and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-5076, title = {An assessment of the opportunities to improve strategic decision-making in emergency and disaster management}, journal = {Australian Journal of Emergency Management}, year = {2016}, month = {10/2016}, abstract = {

The management of major emergencies is strongly influenced by the decisions made during the event. Decisions guide the distribution and subsequent deployment of assets, the removal of people from harm{\textquoteright}s way, how objectives are established and a myriad of other actions. Decision-making is therefore an important skill for emergency managers that permeates every emergency event and every level of disaster management. The vast majority of decisions made during an incident are effective enough in both process and outcome, but the drive for continual improvement and the need to manage more extreme events requires decision-making to become sophisticated and to achieve even higher levels of reliability. So how well are emergency management organisations integrating acknowledged developments in the understanding of decision-making? Where are the opportunities for continual improvement? What are some of the challenges that the expert decision-maker is required to balance across an event? This paper examines key concepts that have progressed the understanding of decision-making. A review of preliminary interactions with end-users of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC (CRC) research project {\textquoteright}Practical decision tools for improved decision-making in complex situations{\textquoteright} considers how Australian and New Zealand are using this knowledge to make decisions. Opportunities for improvement and the approaches being taken to evaluate cognitive decision tools for end-users are identified.

}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-oct-2016-an-assessment-of-the-opportunities-to-improve-strategic-decision-making-in-emergency-and-disaster-management/}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin and Christopher Bearman and Owen, Christine and Rainbird, Sophia} } @article {bnh-3081, title = {Decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning in emergency management: Annual project report 2015-2016}, number = {222}, year = {2016}, month = {09/2016}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

There is evidence that incidents associated with natural hazards are becoming more complex and that strategic level emergency management is becoming an ever more sophisticated workplace environment. If we are going to expect people to operate in this environment we need to ensure that their skills and tools effectively support them. We need to develop the capability of our people to function in these increasingly complex environments now and into the future.

This project seeks to develop practical decision tools that can help people to function more effectively in complex emergency management environments. Towards this aim the project has three main research streams that seek to: provide enhanced methods of making decisions; develop methods to better monitor and modify the behavior of teams; and to identify the enablers and barriers to organisational learning so that the capabilities needed can continue to adapt and change.

In the team monitoring stream, a comprehensive literature review of methods to monitor teams from the position of operational oversight has been conducted. Based on this literature review and discussions with end users two methods (EMBAM \& TBM) have been selected and have received preliminary evaluation. This preliminary evaluation has proved to be encouraging and has led to both NSW SES and CFS proposing to use the tools operationally during the 2016-17 storm and fire seasons. This will provide further opportunities for evaluation and development.

In the decision making stream, research has identified both the context in which decisions are made (e.g. the policies \& procedures) and the informal strategies that people use to function within dynamic, pressured work environments. This work has identified opportunities for improvement and ways to bring the formal and informal elements of decision-making closer together. Decision making has also been explored in the context of organisational resilience and the REAG Resilience Health Check Tool. Based on these activities strategies and approaches to enhance decision making have been identified and will be evaluated with end-users through 2016-17.

In the organisational learning stream, interviews have revealed that strategic-level emergency managers need to assess learning through trade-offs where agency values and the complexities involved in managing incidents interact. The findings also suggest that there are sometimes complementary but often conflicting standards against which crisis management may be judged. Finally there is often a difference between assumptions about how emergencies {\textquotedblleft}ought{\textquotedblright} to be managed (espoused theories) and how they in fact are managed. The research in this stream is now focused in working closely with end users to unpack these tensions and contradictions.

Through these three streams of activity then the project is developing a range of practical tools and strategies that have the potential to enhance decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning. It seems likely that strategic emergency management will be becoming increasingly complex in the near future. The research presented here contributes to developing the capability

}, issn = {222}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Rainbird, Sophia and Stuart Matthews} } @article {bnh-4080, title = {Values and complexities in assessing strategic-level emergency management effectiveness}, journal = {Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management}, volume = {24}, year = {2016}, month = {09/2016}, pages = {181-190}, chapter = {181}, abstract = {
Emergency managers working at a strategic level play a pivotal role in managing operational needs as well the needs of political elites engaged in crisis management and\ meaning-making. Evaluating emergency performance has been widely regarded as\ problematic, in part because of various stakeholder interests and because it is so subjective. This paper explores the values of personnel working in emergency management\ at a strategic level as well as the conditions that limit their effectiveness as they\ attempt to align the needs of different stakeholders. The surveys and interviews conducted suggest that what constitutes success is both subjective and contested by different stakeholders. There is a need to establish a broader perspective on what\ constitutes success when evaluating emergency response.
}, doi = {10.1111/1468-5973.12115}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-5973.12115/abstract}, author = {Owen, Christine and Brooks, B and Christopher Bearman and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-2595, title = {Decision making, team monitoring and organisational performance: Part two decision making research stream}, number = {70}, year = {2015}, month = {08/2015}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This document forms Part two in a series of reports on decision making, team monitoring and organisational performance. It should be read in conjunction with:

All parts can be located at www.bnhcrc.com.au, under the Practical decision tools for improved decision-making in complex, time constrained and multi-team environments project page.

This research stream investigates strategic decision-making during emergency events.\  It has a specific focus on how coordination occurs at regional and state levels of emergency management (EM), although does not exclude the interactions between these levels and the IMT.\  The research will apply the following sequence:

  1. To understand and interpret decision-making processes in emergency management in Australia and New Zealand (outlined in this report);
  1. Identify opportunities to improve decision-making (outlined in this report) and,
  1. To test heuristics (cognitive rules of thumb) and other strategies to improve decision making in controlled environments to assess their validity and reliability (future research activity).

To support these objectives, this section of the report is structured in the following way. First we examine the literature relevant to this specific {\textquoteleft}class{\textquoteright} of decisions made at Regional and State levels, noting that more than one type of decision-making process is applied. We then look at different decision models that are used in EM and critique them with respect to the literature.\  We then explore some of the limitations of these models and identify the opportunities for enhancement. Finally, we propose a strategy for the next stage of the research project. We suggest using a human-centred design process and an assessment of end-user organisation{\textquoteright}s maturity to appropriately tailor a tool to the organisation.\  Embedded within the design process will be the testing protocol to assess validity and reliability of the tool.\ 

}, issn = {70}, author = {Brooks, B and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-2594, title = {Decision making, team monitoring and organisational performance: Part One Executive Summary}, number = {69}, year = {2015}, month = {08/2015}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This research report is an interim report for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project Practical Decision Tools for Improved Decision-Making in Complex Situations. The project plan for this research includes three main research streams: Decision making, team monitoring and organisational performance. The initial work in the project has identified that the three research streams in the project are best treated as interrelated but distinct bodies of work.

For ease, these have been published as separate documents.

All parts can be located at www.bnhcrc.com.au, under the Practical decision tools for improved decision-making in complex, time constrained and multi-team environments project page.

Each of the research streams has been coordinated by one of the principal researchers in the project and each research stream is thus considered discretely in this report.\  While we have chosen to present the research streams individually here there is a large degree of interrelation between the streams, particularly between the team monitoring and organisational performance streams; and both are informed by the decision-making tranche of work. The interdependence of these streams will be emphasized in later phases of the research project.\ \ 

}, issn = {69}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Keith Fitzgerald and Grunwald, J and Rainbird, Sophia} } @article {bnh-2314, title = {Practical decision tools for improved decision-making in complex, time-constrained and multi-team environments: Annual project report 2014-2015}, number = {126}, year = {2015}, month = {10/2015}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This annual report presents information about the Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC funded project: Cognitive Decision Strategies, which is concerned with decision making, team monitoring and organisational performance in emergency management.\ 

As the incidents associated with natural hazards increase in complexity, duration, and the number of agencies involved, there is likely to be an increased frequency of degraded operational situations, breakdowns within and between teams and the occurrence of errors. These problems will play out within the context of a decreasing tolerance in the community and their political representatives to emergency management coordination failure.\  The current project has three main research streams that aim to: Provide enhanced methods of making decisions in complex situations; develop methods to better monitor teams to detect breakdowns and disconnects that can impair operational performance; and to develop enhanced methods for agencies to evaluate and learn from their operational performance.

Towards this end the research team have visited 18 agencies in Australia and New Zealand to collect data and discuss the issues around decision making, team monitoring and to identify how agencies currently assess and learn from reviewing their organisational performance.\  The team has discussed the research and/or collected data with: chief officers, deputy chief officers, principle rural fire officers (NZ), state coordination personnel, regional coordination personnel, and incident management team personnel.\  These personnel represented urban fire brigades, rural fire agencies, land management agencies, state emergency services, council officers with responsibility for search and rescue, the Red Cross and the National Rural Fire Authority (New Zealand).\ \  In addition, we have conducted a number of research studies and observations, including: Literature reviews, semi-structured interviews with senior staff, observations of real-life and simulated events and an online survey.

This has provided the team with information about current practice in decision making, team monitoring and learning from evaluating organisational performance across Australia and New Zealand.\  Comparing current practice to the research literature provides opportunities to develop enhanced methods of developing decision making, monitoring teams and assessing organisational performance.\  For example, using skill-based training to enhance peripheral vision \& memory in decision making, developing breakdown indicators that can indicate a malfunctioning team for team monitoring, and unpacking the values and challenged that enable and constrain learning from reviews of organisational performance.\  These strategies and methods will be investigated, developed and evaluated through close consultation with end-users in the next stages of the project.

}, issn = {126}, author = {Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin and Keith Fitzgerald and Grunwald, J and Rainbird, Sophia} } @article {bnh-3408, title = {Role Clarity, Swift Trust and Multi-Agency Coordination}, journal = {Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management}, volume = {23}, year = {2015}, month = {03/2015}, pages = {29-35}, chapter = {29}, abstract = {

The purpose of this paper was to further the understanding of swift trust in temporary organizations by examining the role swift trust plays in emergency management coordination and how role clarity acts as an enabler within temporary organizational configurations. A qualitative interview study was conducted with 32 liaison officers working in three strategic-level emergency operations centres in Australia. Role clarity was identified as an important factor in the successful formation of emergency management temporary organizations by emergency services and critical infrastructure liaison officers working in multi-agency arrangements. By providing role clarity, liaison officers may enable collaborative working practices among organizations involved in emergency management and thus facilitate multi-agency coordination. The function of role clarity in the context of swift trust is largely overlooked in emergency management. Therefore, this study has contributed to the knowledge of swift trust by empirically verifying the impact of role clarity by liaison officers working in the research setting.

}, doi = {10.1111/1468-5973.12072}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-5973.12072/abstract}, author = {Steve Curnin and Owen, Christine and Paton, Douglas and Cain Trist and David Parsons} } @mastersthesis {bnh-6626, title = {Spanning boundaries to support effective multi-agency coordination in emergency management}, year = {2015}, month = {02/2015}, school = {University of Tasmania}, abstract = {

Modern disasters are frequently beyond the management capability of any one organization and repeatedly necessitate an approach requiring multiple organizations such as those witnessed following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and the Haiti earthquake in 2010. An increased susceptibility of societies impacted by natural and man-made hazards consequently requires a coordinated response from public and private organizations in an effort to mitigate the risk to the affected communities. Failure to enact an adequate response to manage the consequences of disastrous events has the potential to create widespread death and injury to an already vulnerable global population.


This doctoral thesis by publication draws attention to the specialist workers involved in emergency management arrangements, commonly called liaison officers, from organizations involved in multi-agency coordination efforts. Liaison officers are required to span organizational boundaries to provide linkages between organizations engaged in emergency management events. Consequently, they are deemed fundamental to the success of any multi-agency coordination approach. However, the work of liaison officers is problematic as they are invariably confronted by a myriad of social, organizational and technological complexities. The unique nature of multi-agency coordination in emergency management is generally highlighted by coordination failure and continues to be inadequately addressed in practice and in research.


The principal aim of the research was to explore the work of liaison officers involved in multi-agency arrangements and suggest a framework for improving multi-agency coordination in emergency management. The research was thus embedded in human factors drawing on theories that also provided a contextual understanding of dynamic socio-cultural environments. In so doing the research explicitly drew upon the methodology of core-task analysis which is a conceptual modelling approach for the analysis of empirical qualitative data that is typically suited to high reliability environments.


The qualitative data used in this research was collected from a series of individual interviews, observational studies and focus group interviews conducted with liaison officers from public and private organizations across three Australian states. The findings are presented in five scientific research papers. Three of the papers have been published in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals. The final two papers have been submitted for publication and are currently under review.


The contributions of this research have enhanced knowledge development and provided insights that can be utilised in evidence-based practice in emergency management. The theoretical contribution provided an insight into the work of liaison officers in the context of emergency management arrangements. The methodological contribution permitted the application of core-task analysis to the domain of emergency management where it had not previously been applied. Finally, facets of this research have recently been implemented by industry into operational doctrine and organizational learning processes.

}, keywords = {Emergency management, liaison officer, multi agency coordination}, url = {https://eprints.utas.edu.au/22781/}, author = {Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-1839, title = {A theoretical framework for negotiating the path of emergency management multi-agency coordination}, journal = {Applied Ergonomics}, volume = {47}, year = {2015}, month = {03/2015}, pages = {300-307}, chapter = {300}, abstract = {

Multi-agency coordination represents a significant challenge in emergency management. The need for liaison officers working in strategic level emergency operations centres to play organizational boundary spanning roles within multi-agency coordination arrangements that are enacted in complex and dynamic emergency response scenarios creates significant research and practical challenges. The aim of the paper is to address a gap in the literature regarding the concept of multi-agency coordination from a human-environment interaction perspective. We present a theoretical framework for facilitating multi-agency coordination in emergency management that is grounded in human factors and ergonomics using the methodology of core-task analysis. As a result we believe the framework will enable liaison officers to cope more efficiently within the work domain. In addition, we provide suggestions for extending the theory of core-task analysis to an alternate high reliability environment.

}, keywords = {Boundary spanning; Emergency management; Multi-organizational core-task analysis}, doi = {doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2014.10.014}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25480001}, author = {Steve Curnin and Owen, Christine and Paton, Douglas and Brooks, B} } @article {BF-4215, title = {A case study comparing aspects of state level incident management approaches}, year = {2012}, abstract = {

This section provides an overview of the types of state level arrangements typically in place during emergency events. The case examples are from the states of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland. In the event of a significant emergency (either predicted or in play), a State Emergency Management Team or Committee is formed comprising of multiple agencies for both the response and recovery phases. The fire service agencies are a member of State Emergency Management Team and take the role of the combat agency during major bushfires. State emergency management plans in different jurisdictions describe the arrangements for multi-agency coordination to support combat agency response. State arrangements also make provision for rescue, recovery and the relief of communities affected by emergency events

}, author = {Bhandari, R and Steve Curnin} }