RAPID: Networks In Transition from Response to Recovery following the Haiti Earthquake, 1/12/2010

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This Grant for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) will document the transition process between disaster response operations and sustainable recovery following the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti through direct field observation, content analysis of newspaper and official situation reports, as well as expert interviews with key managers from different organizations engaged in disaster operations. We will identify the critical points of decision among organizations that mark the transition from response to recovery, and incorporate these points into a conceptual model that may be used to inform decision processes in other communities exposed to recurring risk. Without timely transition to recovery, a disaster-stricken community risks escalating failures in performance of key functions, such as communication, transportation, electrical power, water, gas, and sewage distribution systems. These technical functions underlie the provision of basic services in health, housing, education, commercial activity, and environmental restoration essential to renewal of the affected community. Response and recovery operations following the Haiti Earthquake present an unusual opportunity to observe the evolution of a complex, adaptive system in real time. It provides an actual context for researchers to document the interactions and trace the information flow among organizations participating in disaster response, local organizations from the disaster-affected community, and still other organizations providing support from the wider global community. These interactions are rarely tracked in a systematic manner, but they are central to the longer-term economic, social, and technical development of a disaster-resilient community. The analyses of these interactions will reveal gaps and strengths in the flow of information and resources that are exchanged among organizations during the initial response phase following the event. The decisions and actions made during response operations create the basis for transition to the recovery and reconstruction phases, but are rarely documented. Tools of network analysis and computational simulation of organizational strategies for change will enable a more systematic exploration of these operations and offer fresh insight into the complex decision processes involved in disaster response, recovery, and reconstruction. Results from this initial study will serve as the basis for developing a more detailed model of disaster reduction in other risk-prone regions. Findings from this project will contribute to a global effort in developing a viable model of disaster risk reduction for nations exposed to seismic or other hazards. The proposed research also creates an opportunity for younger researchers to participate in reconnaissance following extreme events. This interdisciplinary team includes two advanced doctoral students in public policy, as well as a researcher trained in public health and law. Further, we are collaborating with a minority geophysicist from an undergraduate college who welcomes the opportunity to engage in research with an interdisciplinary team. The findings will demonstrate how an action system shifts from the urgent goal of life safety in disaster response to a more nuanced set of often conflicting goals for economic, social, and political development during recovery. This rapid response study will offer insights into the longer term processes of recovery and sustainable development of communities exposed to recurring hazards and risk.