Humanitarian Supply Chain Design and Management

在本提案中，我将重点讨论与人道主义供应链(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，使更多的人面临受到灾害影响的风险。必须部署卫生保健服务中心，因为灾害造成的破坏往往超出受灾社区的应对能力，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。不完全信息阻碍了救灾行动的规划和实施，导致了不确定情况下的决策。不幸的是，HSC有时会对当地经济和弱势群体产生负面影响，运筹学没有考虑到这一点。考虑到这些特殊性，将产生值得注意的科学贡献和可持续的解决办法，以减轻灾害的影响并加强发展项目。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，以设计和管理高速供应链？”为了回答这个问题，我采用了数据分析和优化相结合的一般方法框架，以支持基于证据的决策和政策制定。该方法框架将在与我的外地合作伙伴协作确定的实际问题上进行测试和验证，这些问题涉及三类重要的人道主义网络设计和管理问题：1)协作备灾网络，2)粮食援助供应链，3)紧急疏散网络。我的计划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，以促进知识和对科学的贡献。这项研究的目的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，并最终通过更好的服务水平和获得援助的机会使受益者受益。这将在业务效力(即提供足够的救济物品、更快的运输、加强业务能力)和降低成本方面实现更高效率的医疗保健服务。这意味着灾难发生后，会有更多的人得到宽慰。我目前的合作网络使我能够特权地访问数据，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，将参与这项研究的学生将获得与合作伙伴合作的经验。他们将获得研究和实践方面的专业知识，这将对他们的专业发展有很大帮助。

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.