Supporting implicit coordination between distributed teams in disaster management

Abstract

In this paper we consider disaster management as the coordination of resources in space and time, and contrast this with the Joint Operational Picture (JOP) used in military planning. The basic premise is that the processes involved in the collection and management of information could interfere with the priorities of dealing with immediate demands on 'rescuers' and their managers. Thus, we explore ways in which collaboration could be made as implicit as possible. The paper includes small-scale user trials of prototypes to highlight potential benefits and shortcomings. The paper concludes with consideration of how brokering approaches to coordination could be realized using the prototypes described in this paper. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.