Research leader

Dr Paul Barnes
Dr Paul Barnes Research Leader

Research team

End User representatives

Heather Stuart
Heather Stuart End-User
Brendan Moon End-User
Julie Molloy End-User
Alen Slijepcevic
David Nichols
David Nichols End-User
Darren Davies End-User
Andrea Heath
Andrea Heath End-User
John Cawcutt
John Cawcutt End-User
Scott Turner End-User
Iain MacKenzie
Iain MacKenzie End-User
Phil Robeson End-User
Roy Thompson End-User
Adam Lawson End-User
Pat Jones End-User

This study examined the in-depth lessons from historical emergencies and disasters by engaging with state and federal response agencies, as well as those supporting response and recovery, and local government.  The project examined options for defining agile and sustained skills sets across the full cycle of disaster management.

This study also enhanced planning mechanisms for the delivery of effective disaster response and efficient recovery strategies for future emergencies. The combination of capability gap analysis and scenario-based futures-based thinking allows for the formation of scaled descriptions of capability along a continuum of increasing effectiveness, adaptability and sophistication to contribute to strengthening community resilience. 

This knowledge is critical because within the context of modern disaster situations, institutions would be unlikely to face single incidents but rather a series of systemic failures, often appearing concurrently. Emergent complexities in linked systems make crises difficult to anticipate and consequences difficult to plan for.  Furthermore, under emergency conditions the pressure on senior decision-makers to ‘make-sense’ of multiple lines of information (for both crisis and consequence modes) is significant. 

Capability needs for emergency and disaster management organisations
25 Aug 2014
Understanding future capability needs for response and recovery agencies and allied government agencies, with...
Network Centric Emergency Management: Options for Filling a Strategic Void in Interoperability Thinking
18 Aug 2015
The Problem: Traditional emergency management approaches are linear and siloed and not agile enough to meet...