Humanitarian Supply Chain Design and Management

在本提案中，我将重点关注与人道主义供应链（HSC）设计和管理相关的决策中出现的应用问题。气候变化和政治冲突的影响，加上人口增长，正使更多的人面临受到灾害影响的风险。必须部署hsc，因为灾害造成的损害往往超出受影响社区的应对能力，因此需要大量的国家和国际援助来支持有需要的人。后勤问题是人道主义部门面临的最重要问题的核心。由于资料不全，救灾行动的规划和执行受到阻碍，导致在不确定的情况下作出决策。不幸的是，hsc有时会对当地经济和弱势群体产生负面影响，这在运筹学中没有考虑到。考虑到这些特殊性，将带来显著的科学贡献和减轻灾害影响和加强发展项目的可持续解决办法。我的研究项目的主要研究问题是“如何分析不完全信息和解决不确定性来设计和管理hsc”。为了回答这个问题，我应用了一个综合数据分析和优化的一般方法框架来支持基于证据的决策和政策制定。方法框架将在现实生活问题上进行测试和验证，这些问题是与我的实地合作伙伴合作确定的，涉及三类重要的人道主义网络设计和管理问题：1)协作准备网络，2)粮食援助供应链，以及3)紧急疏散网络。我的研究项目旨在解决实际的复杂问题，并开发创新的方法方法，以促进知识和科学的发展。这项研究的目标之一是提供最先进的工具和良好做法，可用于加拿大各地和其他地方的人道主义部门。这项研究将使决策者受益，并最终通过提高服务水平和获得援助的途径使受益者受益。这将使人道主义服务中心在业务效率（即提供足够的救济物品、更快的运输、加强业务能力）和降低成本方面更有效率。这意味着灾难过后会有更多的人得到救济。我目前的合作网络使我能够有特权访问数据，了解实践中遇到的挑战，并为开发的解决方法提供验证领域。最后，参与这项研究的学生将获得与合作伙伴合作的经验。他们将在研究和实践中获得专业知识，这将对他们的专业发展有很大的帮助。

In this proposal, I focus on applied problems arising in decision making related to humanitarian supply chain (HSC) design and management. Effects of climate change and political conflicts, combined with population growth, are putting more people at risk of being impacted by disasters. HSCs have to be deployed because the damages caused by disasters are often beyond the coping capacity of the affected communities, therefore substantial national and international aid is required to support people in need. Logistics problems lie at the heart of the most important issues faced in the humanitarian sector. Planning and executing relief operations is hindered by incomplete information, leading to decision making under uncertainty. Unfortunately, HSCs sometimes have negative consequences on local economies and vulnerable populations, which is not accounted for in operations research. Taking these particularities into account will lead to both noteworthy scientific contributions and sustainable solutions to mitigate the impacts of disasters and strengthen development projects. The main research question of my research program is "how to analyze imperfect information and address uncertainty to design and manage HSCs?". To answer this question, I apply a general methodological framework combining data analysis and optimization to support evidence-based decision and policy making. The methodological framework will be tested and validated on real--life problems, identified in collaboration with my field partners, related to three important classes of humanitarian network design and management problems: 1) collaborative preparedness networks, 2) food aid supply chains, and 3) emergency evacuation networks. The research projects of my program aim to tackle practical complex problems and to develop innovative methodological approaches that will advance knowledge and contribute to science. One of the objectives of this research is to provide state-of-the-art tools and good practices that can be used in the humanitarian sector all over Canada and elsewhere. This research will benefit decision makers, and ultimately the beneficiaries through better service level and access to aid. It will allow for more efficient HSCs both in terms of operations effectiveness (i.e., adequate relief items availability, faster transportation, strengthen operational capacity) and cost reduction. This implies that more people will be relieved after a disaster. My current network of collaborations allows me to have a privileged access to the data, knowledge of the challenges encountered in practice and a validation field for the developed solving approaches. Finally, students that will participate in this research will gain experience in collaborating with partners. They will acquire expertise in both research and practice that will be of great assistance in their professional development.