Abstract: This report concerns information management in teams designated for crisis and disaster response operations in an international context. The overall research focus is (a) to deepen the understanding of information needs and information support that emerges in large scale crises and disaster, and (b) to identify knowledge for improved capacity for gathering, interpreting and disseminating information for command and control in crisis and disaster response. The presented research builds upon a single case, the Swedish Response Team (in Swedish: Stödstyrkan), and includes a qualitative analysis of three missions conducted by the team: (i) two real missions (the 2004 Thailand Tsunami and the 2006 Middle East Civil War), and (ii) one simulated mission (the California Wild Fires).The main findings are that flexibility and adaptability were common practice in the studied missions. The ability to take on new roles or to switch between different roles has been identified as a prerequisite and a critical capacity needed to perform tasks and operations and subsequently to successfully accomplish the missions. At the same time, role improvisation had an impact on information management and communication between units and individuals on the responding teams. Three critical areas with respect to role improvisation and information management have been identified in the two studied mission: (1) coordination of expertise and skills upon arrival to the area of operations, (2) performance of roles outside the teams field of competence, and (3) management of roles over time. These areas were further studied in the simulated mission. The analysis of the simulated mission identified a number of factors with positive as well as negative impact on role improvisation and information management.The presented research has resulted in a number of findings providing new insights in C2 and information management in crisis and disaster response. The most essential findings are to what extent the studied response teams used role improvisation and how important this was in order to meet the demands on adaptability and flexibility they faced. The experience from this research suggests that crisis and disaster response teams may use specific team processes in their C2 work in order to effectively utilize role improvisation. As a result they have different training needs than traditional C2 teams. They also need additional techniques to support their team processes and information management. This research has also made a methodological contribution in terms of how adaptive behavior and role improvisation can be studied. This includes the usage of a phenomenological approach, scenario-based real-time role-playing simulation and episodic analysis.
Trnka, J., Rankin, A., Jungert, E., Lundberg, J., Granlund, R., Granlund, H., Johansson, B. (2009). Information Support in Modern Crisis and Disaster Response Operations. Projektrapport till Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap