New guide for decision making in a crisis

Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research has informed a new guide released by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs. Decision making during a crisis: a practical guide was an initiative of the Australian Government Resilience Expert Advisory Group, and was formally launched at a masterclass on decision making during a crisis at the University of Tasmania in October. The masterclass, conducted by CRC researcher Dr Steve Curnin, was attended by 40 people with a responsibility for crisis management arrangements in Tasmanian critical infrastructure.

The guide identifies six characteristics of the strategic decision making process to assist stakeholders within the business community to better understand and apply the principles of decision making during a crisis. Dr Curnin led its development as a member of the Resilience Expert Advisory Group, drawing on CRC research conducted with A/Prof Ben Brooks as part of the Improving decision-making in complex multi-team environments project.

The guide provides a self-audit tool that allows an organisation to reflect on its decision making capability under crisis conditions, and is available on the Australian Government Organisational Resilience website.