LEC 5 - Lecture Flashcards
What are transboundary crises?
Transboundary crises are events that affect multiple jurisdictions and undermine the critical functioning of various policy sectors and critical infrastructures. They can also escalate rapidly and morph along the way.
What are the three dimensions that describe the transboundary nature of a crisis?
The three dimensions are political boundaries (crossing territorial or national borders, vertically and horizontally), functional boundaries (threatening multiple life-saving systems, functions, or infrastructure), and time boundaries (having deep roots but effects felt years later).
How does collaborative crisis management differ from routine emergency response?
Most fires, floods, and extreme weather are considered routine work, not crises. A situation becomes a crisis if it involves profound uncertainty, combined with urgency and (perceived) threat. Transboundary crises typically qualify as highly uncertain situations.
What are some underlying drivers that make societies more susceptible to transboundary crises?
Underlying drivers include the fact that societies are more vulnerable to small disturbances, the nature of threat agents is rapidly changing, and regulation and allocation of responsibility often lag behind technological vulnerabilities and interconnectedness.
Give some examples of how COVID-19 illustrated the characteristics of a transboundary crisis.
COVID-19 demonstrated several characteristics:
* Political Boundaries: Its spread was global, crossing numerous national borders.
* Functional Boundaries: It impacted healthcare, the economy (supply chain collapse, factory shutdowns), and social systems.
* Time Boundaries: The long-term effects include economic fallout, shifts in governance, and ongoing healthcare challenges.
According to Parker et al. (2020), what is the definition of collaborative crisis management?
It is the “collective efforts of multiple autonomous actors working across organizational boundaries, levels of authority, and sectors to prepare for, respond to, and learn from risks and extreme events that disrupt our modern society.”
What are some key characteristics of networks in the context of crisis management?
Networks in crisis management typically involve:
* Multiple interdependent actors
* No hierarchy, a dominant principal is lacking
* Diffuse authority among network partners.
What are some of the expected attributes of network partners?
Network partners can (and should) be expected to have different institutional loyalties, different preferences, and different interests.
Distinguish between an ‘actor’, a ‘stakeholder’, and a ‘network partner’.
- Actor: Any individual, group, or entity that takes action or plays a role in a given context/system.
- Stakeholder: Any group or individual who can affect or be affected by the achievement of an organisation’s objectives.
- Network Partner: An actor that is part of a system working toward shared or complementary goals, implying a more formalised or strategic collaboration than a stakeholder.
What are some main challenges in collaborative crisis management?
Main challenges include:
* Routine partners over initiation of collaboration
* The ‘principle of disaster subsidiarity’ or the ‘upscaling dilemma’
* Difficulties in goal attainment and lack of shared situational awareness
* Difficulties in adaptation
* Inter-organisational tensions over collaboration.
How do crises affect the likelihood of blame and credit-claiming in networks?
Crises increase the likelihood of blaming and credit-claiming because the stakes are high and there is intense public scrutiny.
Name three potential negative consequences of blame avoidance in collaborative networks.
The risks of blame avoidance include declining trust, reduced cooperation, and inefficient responses.
Give an example of blame shifting during Hurricane Katrina.
During Hurricane Katrina, the State of Louisiana (governor Blanco) blamed FEMA, while FEMA (Brown) blamed the state of Louisiana for ill-preparedness.
What is ‘solo action’ as a response during a crisis, and what was an example from Hurricane Katrina?
‘Solo action’ involves reducing coordination with other actors. During Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Coast Guard largely refused to coordinate with FEMA.
What is ‘jurisdiction claiming’ in the context of crisis response?
‘Jurisdiction claiming’ involves asserting or highlighting one’s own authority and responsibility, potentially to gain credit. General Honore and the National Guard received significant credit for their actions during Hurricane Katrina, even though they arrived relatively late.
