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Agility and Discipline: Critical Success Factors for Disaster Response

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  • John R. Harrald

    (George Washington University (GWU) Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, GWU School of Engineering and Applied Science)

Abstract

For more than thirty years, the U.S. emergency management community has been increasing its ability to structure, control, and manage a large response. The result of this evolution is a National Response System based on the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System that is perceived to have failed in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Over the same period, social scientists and other disaster researchers have been documenting and describing the nonstructural factors such as improvisation, adaptability, and creativity that are critical to coordination, collaboration, and communication and to successful problem solving. This article argues that these two streams of thought are not in opposition, but form orthogonal dimensions of discipline and agility that must both be achieved. The critical success factors that must be met to prepare for and respond to an extreme event are described, and an organizational typology is developed.

Suggested Citation

  • John R. Harrald, 2006. "Agility and Discipline: Critical Success Factors for Disaster Response," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 604(1), pages 256-272, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:604:y:2006:i:1:p:256-272
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716205285404
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bullen, Christine V. & Rockart, John F., 1981. "A primer on critical success factors," Working papers 1220-81. Report (Alfred P, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
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    Cited by:

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