How can post-disaster decision-making be improved?

1. practice How can post-disaster decision-making be improved? Victoria Maynard Programme Research and Development vmaynard@habitatforhumanity.org.uk policy theory

2. Theory-policy-practice practice SM12b • What is recovery? What is resilience? How to measure either of them? • Do we need more evidence? Or better use of the evidence we already have? • Do our problems lie in decision-making? Or in the challenges of implementing decisions? SM13a • What do we mean by recovery? How to measure it? SM13b • How are decisions made? And how could decision-making processes be improved? decision- making policy theory ‘a process of interaction and decision-making among a variety of groups and institutions’ (Mileti, 1999)

3. Decision-making “The key characteristic that distinguishes post-disaster conditions from normal times is time compression” (Olshansky et. al, 2012).

4. Digital Humanitarian Network, 2013

5. Humanitarian organisations Borton, 2002 Evidence-based or eminence-based?

6. Government money decisions • Recovery and reconstruction “invariably involve (a) large amounts of money and (b) decisions about that money. That combination is politics” (Olson, 2000). • “government officials are confronted with the need to not only manage the situation but also explainit” (Olson, 2000). • Disasters as ‘critical junctures’ (Olson & Gawronski, 2010). • “’Accidents’ do not really overload political systems. ‘Emergencies’ might... ‘Disasters’ certainly do overload political systems, and ‘catastrophes’ can bring down regimes” (Olson, 2000). politics management explanations capabilities competence compassion correctness credibility anticipation

7. Research questions Causes • Which individuals, groups and organisations make decisions about shelter and settlements after disasters? What is their relationship? • What kinds of decisions do they make? When? Where? • Why are these decisions made? What factors influence the decision-making process? • What effect do these decisions have on the actions of 1) affected communities or 2) assisting individuals, groups or organisations? Which decisions are most important? Why? Characteristics decision-making Consequences

8. Research questions ? • Which individuals, groups and organisations make decisions about shelter and settlements after disasters? What is their relationship? • What kinds of decisions do they make? When? Where? • Why are these decisions made? What factors influence the decision-making process? • What effect do these decisions have on the actions of 1) affected communities or 2) assisting individuals, groups or organisations? Which decisions are most important? Why? How can post-disaster decision-making be improved?

9. ? @vcmaynard www.resilienturbanism.org vmaynard@habitatforhumanity.org.uk How can post-disaster decision-making be improved?

10. Darcy et al (2013) The Use of Evidence in Humanitarian Decision Making Digital Humanitarian Network (2013) Decision-Makers Needs Community Olshansky et al (2012) Disaster and recovery: Processes compressed in time Olson(2000) Toward a politics of disaster: Losses, values, agendas, and blame Olson & Gawronski (2010) From disaster event to political crisis: A “5C+ A” framework for analysis Borton (2002) Improving Performance Through Improved Learning, Learning and Knowledge Management Chang (2010) Urban disaster recovery: a measurement framework and its application to the 1995 Kobe earthquake