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The dynamics of power in disaster response networks
Boersma, F.K.; Ferguson, J.; Groenewegen, P.; Wolbers, J.J. 2021
The dynamics of power in disaster response networks
Article / Letter to editor
open access
A major challenge for disaster scholars and policymakers is to understand the power dimension in response networks, particularly relating to collaboration and coordination. We propose a conceptual... Show moreA major challenge for disaster scholars and policymakers is to understand the power dimension in response networks, particularly relating to collaboration and coordination. We propose a conceptual framework to study interests and negotiations in and between various civic and professional, response networks drawing on the concepts of “programming” and “switching” proposed by Manuel Castells in his work on the network society. Programming in disaster response refers to the ability to constitute response networks and to program/reprogram them in terms of the goals assigned to the network. Switching is the ability to connect different networks by sharing common goals and combining resources. We employ these concepts to understand how the US Federal Emergency Management Agency organized its response in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Our conceptual framework can be used both by disaster scholars and policymakers to understand how networked power is constructed and utilized. Show less
From reactive to proactive use of social media in emergency response: A critical discussion of the Twitcident Project
Boersma, F.K.; Diks, D.; Ferguson, J.; Wolbers, J. 2019
From reactive to proactive use of social media in emergency response: A critical discussion of the Twitcident Project
Part of book or chapter of book
open access
This chapter examines the introduction and implementation of the pilot project Twitcident in an emergency response room setting. Twitcident is a web-based system for filtering, searching and... Show moreThis chapter examines the introduction and implementation of the pilot project Twitcident in an emergency response room setting. Twitcident is a web-based system for filtering, searching and analyzing data on real-world incidents or crises. Social media data is seen as important for emergency response opera- tions: it can be used as an ‘early warning monitoring system’ to detect social unrest, and for improving common operational pictures (COPs). This chapter shows that the expectations on the functioning of the tool were not fully met: first it was hard for the response room professionals to make sense of the data and second, the management did not develop a proper project planning. The recommendations are twofold. On the one hand, the professionals who work with Twitcident must invest in developing new information management routines. On the other hand, the response room management needs to create a much more inclusive project learning strategy. Show less
Platform Governance of Self-Organized Initiatives in Response to Disasters
Boersma, K.; Ferguson, J.; Groenewegen, P.; Mulder, F.; Schmidt, A.J.; Wolbers, J. 2019
Platform Governance of Self-Organized Initiatives in Response to Disasters
Part of book or chapter of book
open access
Platformsturing van zelforganisatie tijdens rampen
Boersma, F.K.; Ferguson, J.; Groenewegen, P.; Mulder, F.; Schmidt, A.; Wolbers, J. 2018
Platformsturing van zelforganisatie tijdens rampen
Article / Letter to editor
open access
2018-12-31T00:00:00Z
    During a disaster or crisis, the response capacity of the government is put under extreme pressure. At the same time, citizens are often resilient in times of crisis and are increasingly capable of...

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    During a disaster or crisis, the response capacity of the government is put under extreme pressure. At the same time, citizens are often resilient in times of crisis and are increasingly capable of organizing themselves. Social media and online platforms have increased the possibilities for self-organization through improved connectivity. In practice, we see that governments struggle to deal with this form of self-organization, while it also offers a unique opportunity to increase the response capacity. The smart use of citizens’ initiatives offers opportunities and can increase the effectiveness of the government’s action. This article focuses on the following question: what role do online platforms play in smartly guiding the self-organization of citizens during crises and disasters? We answer the question on the basis of two examples: the role of online platforms in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Nepal in 2015, and the coordination of the reception of refugees during the crisis in the Netherlands in the winter of 2015-2016.

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Are you Ready2Help? Conceptualizing the management of online and onsite volunteer convergence
Schmidt, A.; Wolbers, J.; Ferguson, J.; Boersma, K. 2018
Are you Ready2Help? Conceptualizing the management of online and onsite volunteer convergence
Article / Letter to editor
open access
Citizens have often been found to converge on disaster sites. Such personal conver- gence is increasingly supported by online informational convergence. The adoption of online platforms represents... Show moreCitizens have often been found to converge on disaster sites. Such personal conver- gence is increasingly supported by online informational convergence. The adoption of online platforms represents an opportunity for response organizations to manage these two different manifestations of citizen convergence. We analyse one such platform, “Ready2Help”, developed by the Red Cross in The Netherlands. Our research demonstrates that by utilizing platforms, response organizations are able to transcend the boundaries between different types of organized behaviour during disaster. We extend the original conceptualization of organized behaviour, as previ- ously described by the Disaster Research Center, explaining how the development of new platforms channels convergence of citizens and information. As such, plat- forms provide an interface between established, expanding, extending, and emer- gent forms of organized behaviour. These developments change the landscape of organized behaviour in times of disaster. Show less
WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization Sixty-seventh report
Cichutek, K.; Epstein, J.; Griffiths, E.; Hindawi, S.; Jivapaisarnpong, T.; Klein, H.; ... ; WHO Expert Comm Biological 2017
WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization Sixty-seventh report
Article / Letter to editor
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