Extending CRC research to the Queensland infrastructure sector

Decision making research from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC is benefiting those outside the traditional emergency management sector, with the research team from the Improving decision making in complex, multi-team environments project conducting a workshop in Brisbane this week with the Queensland infrastructure sector.

The workshop, conducted by A/Prof Ben Brooks and Dr Steve Curnin from the University of Tasmania, explored the second phase of research - investigating the role of creativity in complex decision making. This phase will develop practical tools to assist emergency management leaders to 'think outside the box' when making high consequence decisions. 

Similar workshops have previously been conducted with the Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania SES in 2018, and another multi-agency workshop is scheduled for May with Fire & Rescue NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW SES and the NSW Police. Phase one of the research investigated strategic decision making and at the end of this phase, end-users asked the research team what they could learn from other sectors regarding creativity in decision making. Consequently, A/Prof Books and Dr Curnin have extended their research beyond the emergency services to also include the not-for-profit sector. Late last year they conducted a workshop with the Australian Red Cross. 

At the infrastructure workshop in Brisbane, A/Prof Books and Dr Curnin conducted their research with agencies from the Queensland infrastructure sector that included participants representing Urban Utilities, Seqwater, Powerlink, SunWater, the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, the Qld Department of Transport and Main Roads, and the Qld Department of Housing and Public Works. Collecting data from a multitude of different sectors will allow the research team to explore if creativity in decision making differs across agencies.

District Officer Andrew McGuiness from the Tasmania Fire Service articulated the importance of this approach.

"We have to think beyond what AFAC agencies are doing in the decision making space and look what other sectors are doing so they can learn from us, and importantly, we can learn from them."