The Digital Responder #1: Rethinking the Tiered Preparedness & Response Wheel: Digital as the New Disruptor
Putting My Neck Out: Questioning the Hallowed Ground of the TPR Wheel
In a single day, over $1 trillion was wiped from the stock market, a seismic event triggered by the emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup that introduced an advanced, cost-efficient AI model. This technological leap sent shockwaves through the AI sector. Nvidia, Broadcom, and Microsoft all saw substantial declines, underscoring the disruptive power of digital transformation.
This event serves as a stark reminder: technology is evolving faster than we anticipate.
With that in mind, I’m going to stick my neck out and challenge something that has been treated as sacred - the Tiered Preparedness & Response (TPR) Wheel, established in the excellent Good Practice Guide by Ipieca and IOGP . It has served us well, but like all good models, it must evolve to remain relevant.
The existing TPR Wheel has not yet fully embraced digital transformation. It continues to treat "visualisation", it's only nod towards digital, as a tertiary function, placed in the cul-de-sac of SMV under Surveillance, Modelling, and Visualisation (SMV), failing to recognise that digital is beginning to form the foundation that will underpin every aspect of response preparedness and response.
So, I’m questioning its validity in its current form. The world is changing, and our frameworks must change with it.
Why the Current TPR Wheel is Becoming Outdated
The existing TPR Wheel places visualisation within SMV, treating it as a supporting function rather than a fundamental enabler. This presents three key issues:
1. “Visualisation” Is a Legacy Term That Will Soon No Longer Fit
The original intention of "visualisation" was to refer to geospatial tools like Common Operating Pictures (COPs). However, digital capabilities are beginning to extend far beyond COPs, and will soon encompass:
The term “visualisation” will soon no longer capture the full scope of digital’s impact.
2. Digital is Not Just a Spoke - It is Becoming the Framework That Will Connect Everything
The industry is transitioning beyond isolated tools toward an integrated digital ecosystem. Digital transformation is not merely a function of SMV - it is poised to become an enabler across the entire preparedness and response cycle.
Treating digital as a spoke diminishes its role, rather than acknowledging that it is beginning to reshape how response operations are designed and executed.
3. The Rise of AI, Robotics, and Automation Will Change the Game
The future of spill response will be AI-assisted, far more autonomous, and data-driven. This isn’t just an evolution of SMV—it is an industry-wide transformation that is only beginning. If we keep digital buried within a spoke, we risk falling behind rather than preparing for what is coming.
A New Model: Digital as the Enabling Ring
Instead of placing digital under SMV, I would propose:
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Why This Change Matters
1. From Static Visualisation to Intelligent Decision Support
Traditional visualisation (maps, dashboards) has focused on seeing data. The future will be about interpreting, predicting, and automating response actions based on data.
2. The Shift from Manual to AI-Assisted and Automated Processes is Just Beginning
AI and automation are starting to reshape response workflows:
3. Integrating Robotics, Remote Operations, and Digital Command Structures Will Soon Become Standard
Digital is beginning to extend beyond software into physical response operations, and will include:
4. Recognising Digital Professionals as Core.
Conclusion: The TPR Wheel Must Evolve
The DeepSeek market disruption is yet another wake-up call to our response community. Those who fail to adapt to rapid technological evolution will find themselves disrupted.
In oil spill response, the biggest disruptor won't be another clean-up tool - it’ll be the shift to a digital-first framework. And yet, the TPR Wheel still barely recognises digital as an auxiliary function, rather than a core enabler of response capabilities.
By reimagining the TPR Wheel, we take steps to future-proof our industry, ensuring it remains agile, efficient, and ready for the next generation of oil spill response.
The views expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily represent the formal viewpoint of the organisation I work for.
Senior Data & GIS Specialist at ITOPF | CGeog (GIS)
2 周Very interesting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Head of HR, IT and Global Resourcing/Travel --OSRL.
1 个月Interesting
Marine Pollution Control Coordinator
1 个月Interesting view Liam! As you know I love using tech almost as much as you do. However, I feel digital might be better placed at the heart of the wheel with IMS. I say this because, that is where I see it adding the most value and where it can then make impacts on the other segments indirectly. I remember how the e-EOC evolved around the COVID period. It was just great being able to see almost everything in one place. Not sure how we would have gone remote without Teams. But for now the bulk of offshore containment and recovery is being done more or less the same way it has been done for years, particularly across the vast majority of our industry. I’m not sure how soon we can digitalise that. My understanding of the move to this current TPR wheel was to help decision makers better understand where their ‘strengths’ for the different response techniques laid. It was also to encourage them to mobilise resources from any resource tier when required, and not wait till it became a ‘tier 3’ spill before mobilising tier 3 resources. I like the bit about digital professionals, their role will becoming more and more relevant as we spend more time in the digital world. Happy to hear more thoughts from others on this.
Oil Spill Responder @ Oil Spill Response Limited
1 个月Interesting article Liam, and well-raised points that are important to consider for the future. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail as they say!