Interorganizational Networks In Disaster Management

Networks have become an important tool for government service delivery. Disaster management systems, particularly in the United States, rely heavily on networks of partners from public, private, and nonprofit sectors. This chapter presents an overview of theory and practice of interorganizational networks in disaster management. Disaster management networks are actively used at all levels of government (local, state, national) and can develop voluntarily or by government mandate. Evaluating these networks is a challenging task because traditional performance measurement tools are not applicable to network settings. Effective communication, trust and social capital, and learning and adaptation are some fundamental factors that contribute to success of disaster management networks. Factors such as power differences between partners, mission and cultural conflicts, role ambiguity, and lack of communication plans hinder network effectiveness