Why Emergency Management Programs Fail

A question started to be on the top of my list recently after spending the past 15 years of my career in emergency and risk management. I have worked with a range of organizations spanning industries, size and geography, still the story of emergency management chaos I encounter tend to be fairly similar. Many of the employees and senior management in these organizations say stuff like: “we have to be practical not theoretical when it comes to managing emergencies, we need to focus on our core business, we are not national emergency responders and so on”. These issues tend to be consistent regardless of EM scope in the organization. 

Organizational Issues

1.    Lack of understanding

A Key reason that managing and planning for emergencies fails is lack of understanding of the aims and the objectives of emergency management programs. For example, many high risk organizations would emphasis on emergency response to HSE emergencies thinking that they address emergency management as a whole. The danger of this approach is that organizations do not merely understand the magnitude of emergency management cycle and responding to incidents is one component of this cycle. Therefore, the organization has false sense of security presuming that they got EM addressed. 

2.    Lack of leadership and support 

One of the most common reasons emergency management efforts fails is that they do not possess the appropriate level of support from leadership. Although EM could be listed as one of the top management agenda items, still words do not translate into actions. This doesn’t just mean lack of funding or prioritization, though this is critical. In order for emergency management planning to succeed, they need active support from leadership with executive modeling and reinforcing the behavior changes that must occur for emergency management efforts to truly work. Leadership support is also critical to remove project blockers resistors throughout the organization and across departments.

3.    Desire to protect the status quo and avoid change

This becomes clear with middle management personnel across the organizations. Emergency planning is one of these activities that goes beyond department boundaries and requires collaborations and coordination in order to succeed. These activities normally require introducing additional responsibilities, creating posts and analyzing departmental business flow. This might make some middle managers uncomfortable and start to protect the status quo. Introducing change always requires brave leadership to champion behavioral enhancements.  

4.    "Turf" battles

This is very common reason that usually slow down the emergency planning process because it influences the heart of planning process. Middle management personnel focus their energy and efforts to challenge any change in their sections regardless of the long term aims and objectives. For example, section heads would challenge the need for internal emergency management audits and inspections to ensure the program is effectively working. This claim is grounded in the fact that these middle management personnel feels threatened by external staff checking on them. Moreover, they challenge include emergency planning as a task in their sections claiming that it is corporate or HSE division responsibilities. 

Individual Issues

5.    Lack of competency 

Another common reason why emergency planning fails, number of emergency management posts are filled with incompetent emergency planning staff. This is evident even in some high risk organizations. This has short and long term effect and can be contributed to management lack of understanding of the aims and activities involved to ensure adequate emergency management program. For example, management might believe that emergency planning post is a role that can be filled with HSE staff. Contrary to this belief, emergency planning requires different sets of skills including operational and enterprise risk management experience, excellent communication, training and stakeholder management skills.

6.    Ignoring all warnings

Some organizations do not see the obvious by not investing on adequate analysis and investigation of their incidents. These early warnings signs shows as result of real incidents or come up after emergency exercises and drills. Unfortunately many of these organizations do not realize the gaps until it is too late and loss of life and property occur. 

7.    Move with crowd syndrome

This become evident during meetings and across departmental discussions impacting emergency planning activities and tasks. A meeting attendee would claim “other departments or organizations do it this way” why re-invent the wheel?. Emergency planners must resist this “move with the crowed attitude”. This attitude normally tries to avoid real and section specific activities that would benefit the department and the organization as a whole.  

8.    Analysis paralysis 

Actually, this is my top observed reason why some time emergency planning fails. it is used regularly by management members namely middle managers. This technique is used by to delay emergency planning decisions or even not to take any relevant actions. This is evident by overanalyzing many of the details and scenarios for emergencies which can be painted as over-complicated. This approach is obvious during all emergency management program cycles including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. 

9.    Faulty assumptions

I have noticed this during emergency exercises and drills for some organizations, emergency planners would assume that all employees, emergency responders and even the public would know what to do in case of emergency or "emergency response will work naturally". Those people usually uses the line” do not over complicate the procedure, things will be ok”. Again those type of people tries to avoid doing real emergency planning, training, educating, setting emergency policies and procedures

10.    Lack of risk awareness 

lack of adequate risk awareness is common reason why emergency management efforts fail in some organizations. Staff and middle managers must be aware of the different risks and hazards that might impact them during work activities. This is critical to mitigate these risks and adequately respond to an emergency that might occur in order to protect lives, environment and property.

11.    "Government will protect us at the end syndrome” 

This is common among medium to small size organizations. in reality, national emergency responders can do little if you do not plan properly before they get there. Seconds counts in emergency situations. Collaboration and coordination are key success factors to partner with national emergency response agencies.

Summary

To plan effectively for emergencies, organizations must replace assumptions with facts, anticipate the future, adapt to the present and learn from the past. Do not tolerate organizational politics and protecting the status quo. Continuous education, training and coaching must top organizational priorities when it comes to emergency planning. If companies cannot learn to successfully plan for emergencies, then organizations should anticipate more disasters in emergency response