Wednesday, December 5, 2018

How Civilian Authorities And Private Enterprises Cooperate During A Crisis

By Amy Butler


During the early times, man always had to bear the suddenness of unforeseen fortuitous event. Storms, volcanic eruptions and other calamitous occurrences brought about by the force of nature were always disastrous and have a very adverse effect on humans. No more is this more greatly than in present times as the world condition has deteriorated because of human activities. Business is not exempted from this phenomenon and top executives are safer in the environment with the help of Crisis Management services.

Leaders from all over the world in present times are faced with the challenge of emerging crises coming from unexpected sources. This can cut across national borders and can trigger an economic meltdown. Recent studies give emphasis on the fact that these are interrelated vulnerabilities which have a global effect. Financial crises in recent decades have raised awareness of its impact on the economy, political, and social spectrum.

Present day dangers require the participation of the citizenry beyond the services provided by emergency response teams. Communication and coordination must be efficiently managed for a successful operational result. Disaster response agencies are set up by governments for quick and immediate response during financial or natural calumnies. The agencies are tasks with providing the appropriate response at these times.

Very recent crises have posed a challenge to risk managers and governments brought about by unpredictable circumstances and the breakdown in communication. Examples of these include the bird flu epidemic, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and hurricane Katrina. The worst case was the tsunami that hit Japan and caused damage to the nuclear plant.

The occurrences mentioned in the previous paragraph deeply differs from events in the past. First, they were unprecedented in scale, erasing cities and entire towns. Second, these had no comparable examples from the past. Third, these came in deadly combinations like the tsunami and earthquake. The last and most ominous is that it affected several countries.

The calamitous events having been mentioned have governments and risk managers arrive at the conclusion that more deadly and costly natural disasters are bound to happen in the twenty first century. Modern societies have not only become more interconnected and complex but also more exposed and vulnerable to new emerging threats that can happen and spread very quickly across boundaries.

In addition to the above, the role of national authorities is now changing towards more participation from the citizenry and media outlets. While risk reduction management will retain their usual responsibility, the increased role of the private sector and the decentralization of mitigating measures have reduced the capability of civilian authorities. They have to initiate straightforward actions that can prevent risks in critical sectors for a well functioning society.

Drastic situations require drastic measures. The current setting is that now the world is very complex and this is a challenge for crises managers more so at the level of private and government agencies. Current events demand that governments have to be adaptable in their tools, equipment, structures, and procedures to solve the damaging effects. At present they are confronted with the things found below.

First is having to deal with the unpredictable unknown. Second is addressing other nations, international organizations, and government administration. The third is the reduction of governmental agency capacity resulting from privatization. Fourth is the participation of new organizations that have different procedure and agenda. Fifth is the constant eye of the public and the media.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment