@article {bnh-3407, title = {Addressing challenges for future strategic-level emergency management: reframing, networking and capacity building}, journal = {Disasters}, volume = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {05/2016}, pages = {306-323}, chapter = {306}, abstract = {

The mounting frequency and intensity of natural hazards, alongside growing interdependencies between social-technical and ecological systems, are placing increased pressure on emergency management. This is particularly true at the strategic level of emergency management, which involves planning for and managing non-routine, high-consequence events. Drawing on the literature, a survey, and interviews and workshops with Australia{\textquoteright}s senior emergency managers, this paper presents an analysis of five core challenges that these pressures are creating for strategic-level emergency management. It argues that emphasising {\textquoteleft}emergency management{\textquoteright} as a primary adaptation strategy is a retrograde step that ignores the importance of addressing socio-political drivers of vulnerabilities. Three key suggestions are presented that could assist the country{\textquoteright}s strategic-level emergency management in tackling these challenges: (i) reframe emergency management as a component of disaster risk reduction rather than them being one and the same; (ii) adopt a network governance approach; and (iii) further develop the capacities of strategic-level emergency managers.

}, doi = {10.1111/disa.12196}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/disa.12196/abstract}, author = {Karyn Bosomworth and Owen, Christine and Steve Curnin} } @article {bnh-1809, title = {The role of social science in the governance and management of wildland fire}, journal = {international Journal of Wildland Fire}, volume = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {03/2015}, pages = {151-152}, chapter = {151}, abstract = {

Global social-economic and environmental changes are increasing the challenges of wildfire risk management. Addressing these challenges requires perspectives beyond knowledge of the bio-physical dynamics of fire. This Special Section provides some such perspectives, including safety, children{\textquoteright}s understanding of the risk, indigenous knowledge of fire, and {\textquoteleft}shared responsibility{\textquoteright}. Each paper highlights important challenges and ideas for fire management.

}, doi = {10.1071/WF15030}, url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114/paper/WF15030.htm}, author = {Karyn Bosomworth and John Handmer and RP Thornton} } @article {BF-4218, title = {Discussion paper synopsis: challenges for strategic emergency management}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Who is this paper for? This discussion paper is aimed at decision-makers, policy-developers and stakeholders who need to ensure that the strategic emergency management sector is able to meet future challenges which includes supporting communities to better prepare for, manage and recover well from emergency events. What is this paper about? The discussion paper has emerged from research undertaken through the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre examining what enables and constrains effective performance at the strategic level of emergency management. This synopsis contains the highlights. The full paper is available at http://www.bushfirecrc.com/publications/citation/bf-4217. Emergency events that are unprecedented in intensity and geographic spread and have significant impacts on communities are called {\textquotedblleft}out of scale events{\textquotedblright}. In major out-of-scale emergency events there are a range of emergency management activities performed by people working at operational, tactical and strategic emergency management levels. At an operational level, first responders are working directly on the front line of the fire or incident ground. At a tactical level local incident management teams work at supporting front line responders in containing and mitigating the event {\textendash} this includes enabling communities to make good decisions. At a strategic level (which may be regional state or national) there is a focus on two elements: oversight of incident management operations and consequence management for longer term recovery.}, author = {Owen, Christine and Karyn Bosomworth and Brooks, B} } @proceedings {BF-4365, title = {Politics, Policies and Paradigms: Challenges of Change in Future Emergency Management}, year = {2013}, url = {http://www.bushfirecrc.com/resources/research-report/politics-policies-and-paradigms-challenges-change-future-emergency-managem}, author = {Owen, Christine and Karyn Bosomworth and Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B and Fogarty, Liam and Geoff Conway} } @article {BF-4217, title = {Strategic emergency management in Australia and New Zealand - discussion paper on implications of research}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The research conducted as part of the Organising for Effective Emergency Management project has been discussed with senior emergency management leaders to identify and discuss industry implications. Through this process seven challenges facing senior emergency management leaders have been identified. The purpose of this paper is to outline the challenges discussed and to raise questions for supporting strategic levels of emergency management in the future. Increases in the frequency, duration and magnitude of emergency events have placed significant challenges on the emergency services sector. Emergency events that are unprecedented in intensity and geographic spread and have significant impacts on communities are called {\textquotedblleft}out of scale events{\textquotedblright}. In such events there are a range of emergency management activities performed by people working at operational, tactical and strategic levels. At an operational level, first responders are working directly on the front line of the fire or incident ground. At a tactical level, local incident management teams work at supporting front line responders in containing and mitigating the event and in enabling communities to make good decisions. At a strategic level (which may be regional state or national) there is a focus on two elements: oversight of incident management operations and consequence management for longer term recovery. Emergency managers operating at strategic (regional, state, national) levels face an increasingly complex set of future challenges that must be addressed. Strategic level emergency management is engaged in high-consequence, non-routine and out-of-scale emergency events. At this level there is high political engagement; longer term concerns for direct and indirect consequences on economical and societal well-being. The emphasis at a strategic emergency management level is on: (i) oversight of incident management operations and (ii) consequence management. Influencing these challenges are drivers such as climate change as well as other social, political and economic factors. The first five challenges discussed pertain to the contextual drivers influencing the emergency management sector and the last two are enablers internal to the sector. The challenges are: 1. Increased uncertainty, complexity and convergence 2. Disaster Risk Reduction and policy disconnects 3. Expectations and {\textquoteleft}resilience{\textquoteright} of communities 4. Social media, networking, and emergence 5. The political-operational nexus 6. Evaluating emergency management response effectiveness 7. Development and Capability The discussion paper will be used to continue consultation with key stakeholders on the research utilisation options that can be proposed to build a resilient emergency services sector to manage these future challenges. }, author = {Owen, Christine and Karyn Bosomworth and Christopher Bearman and Brooks, B} } @proceedings {BF-3759, title = {Exploring the capacity to adapt to climate change in the fire management sector of Victoria, Australia}, year = {2012}, pages = {138}, publisher = {IAWF}, abstract = {Like most policy sectors, climate change adaptation in wildland fire management will involve more than a tweaking of existing planning and management approaches. It requires a learning capacity to enable adaptation and possibly transformation of policies, programs, and governance. Such adaptive governance requires reflection upon underlying policy frames and informal institutions that structure a sector{\textquoteright}s governance, policies and programs, and therefore its adaptive capacity. This paper discussed research that explored underlying frames and informal institutions of the fire management sector}, url = {http://www.iawfonline.org/pdf/3rd\%20Human\%20Dimensions\%20Conference\%20Proceedings\%20-\%20FINAL.pdf}, author = {Karyn Bosomworth and John Handmer and Dovers, Steve} } @article {BF-3336, title = {Visions of Sharing Responsibility for Disaster Resilience - Account of a multi-stakeholder workshop}, year = {2012}, month = {March 2012}, institution = {RMIT}, abstract = {This one-day workshop examined the idea and practice of sharing responsibility for disaster resilience. The idea of {\textquoteleft}shared responsibility{\textquoteright} is shaping emergency management thinking in Australia. It has gained significant policy traction following the Victorian 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission and the release of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. Similar ideas have been circulating in other sectors for some time. Yet it is not clear what the idea really means or what its implications are for policy and practice. The workshop, held on Thursday 29th March 2012, aimed to address two general questions: {\textbullet} First, the idea: what does the idea of {\textquoteleft}shared responsibility{\textquoteright} mean, and what are its implications? {\textbullet} Second, the practice: is it a useful policy concept, and if yes what needs to be done to implement it, and what could undermine it? The workshop was hosted by RMIT{\textquoteright}s Centre for Risk and Community Safety (CRaCS) in the School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences. It was organised on behalf of the Bushfire CRC and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility{\textquoteright}s (NCCARF) Emergency Management Network. Carbon credits were purchased to offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the event. This public account of the workshop has been prepared so that others who were unable to attend the workshop can also see the range of issues and perspectives that were voiced at the workshop.}, author = {Karyn Bosomworth and Adriana Keating and Tarn Kruger and Briony Towers} }