Emergency management collaboration: A review and new collaboration cycle

Area of Science:

• Emergency Management
• Collaboration Science
• Public Administration

Background:

• Collaborations are crucial in emergency management for effective response and recovery.
• Existing models may not fully capture the dynamic and cyclical nature of these partnerships.
• Understanding collaboration dynamics is essential for optimizing inter-agency and inter-governmental efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the nature of collaborations within the emergency management field.
• To propose a novel cyclical framework for understanding collaboration formation, function, and evolution.
• To enhance the understanding of collaborative processes at local, state, and federal levels in the United States.

Main Methods:

• Extensive literature review of collaborative processes in emergency management.
• Analysis of existing research to identify stages of collaborative relationships.
• Development of a new conceptual framework based on identified patterns.

Main Results:

• A new cyclical framework for emergency management collaborations is proposed.
• This framework visualizes collaboration as a trust-building and outcome cycle.
• The cycle comprises four repeating phases: initiation, inclusion, execution, and evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed cyclical framework supports continuous learning and adaptation in collaborations.
• It offers an improved visualization for managing and resetting emergency management partnerships.
• This model can enhance preparedness, response, and recovery efforts through better collaboration management.