Aligning IT Initiatives with Emergency Management Objectives

Today’s society is exposed to numerous disasters and large-scale emergencies. Information Technology (IT) can help to prevent and mitigate the effects of threatening situations if applied appropriately. However, organizations in the domain of Emergency Management feel overwhelmed by the complexity of IT. They are often unable to estimate the value and risk involved in information system and associated technologies. Thus, they are either reluctant to utilize IT, or they use inappropriate solutions. As a result, IT and Emergency Management processes are misaligned. This thesis is investigating the benefits of strategic IT alignment in the domain of Emergency Management in order to foster the utilization of IT and realize value from it. The research has identified current IT alignment barriers and the special requirements of this domain. Emergency management has in contrast to industry to deal with unpredictable situations, multi organizational collaborations, and fast changing responsibilities and processes. Thus, thi