Title: Planning for disasters and responding to catastrophes: error of the third type in disaster policy and planning

Authors: Naim Kapucu

Addresses: Department of Public Administration, University of Central Florida, HPA II Suite 238M, Orlando, FL 32816-1395, USA

Abstract: This paper states that the public increasingly expects better public sector leadership before, during and after catastrophic disasters than it has seen in the past. The massive numbers of public, non-profit and private organisations involved in catastrophic disasters require extensive ability to have horizontal, as well as vertical, communication, coordination and decision-making capabilities. High performance in response to catastrophic disasters requires an ability to assess and adapt capacity rapidly, restore or enhance disrupted or inadequate communications, utilise uncharacteristically flexible decision making and expand coordination and trust of emergency response organisations. These requirements are superimposed on conventional bureaucratic systems that rely on relatively rigid plans, exact decision protocols and formal relationships that assume uninterrupted communications. Yet, policy makers and policy analysts frequently focus on certain aspects of disaster managements after a significant disaster and commit error of the third type. This paper suggests investing in building bottom-up community capacity in a networked environment.

Keywords: community capacity building; crisis leadership; catastrophic disasters; networks; error of the third type; disaster planning; emergency management; public policy; communication; coordination; decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2008.020985

International Journal of Public Policy, 2008 Vol.3 No.5/6, pp.313 - 327

Published online: 30 Oct 2008 *

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