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Introduction to the AFAC National Operational Guidelines on decision making
Making effective operational decisions in incident and emergency management (IEM) can be incredibly challenging. Incidents and emergencies regularly present situations characterised by ambiguity, complexity, dynamism and time constraints. Extreme events with cascading sets of issues that cause large scale losses are also occurring with increasing regularity. IEM decision making can be subject to intense scrutiny after the event and many post-event inquiries and Royal Commissions have highlighted issues with sub-optimal decisions. In this talk we introduce the AFAC National Operational Guidelines on Decision Making. The guidelines include a model of expert decision making for IEM (the IEM-DM model) based on more than 70 years of peer-reviewed empirical research in cognitive psychology. The IEM-DM model, developed through a Natural Hazards Research Australia (NHRA) funded research project, explains the process of decision making based on the science of how the brain works. The model also provides an overarching framework to understand other models of decision making that are in use in IEM. Some of these other models are discussed and it is shown how they are complemented by the IEM-DM model. The guidelines also include a handbook of decision making and simple ‘plug and play’ Figures and Statements that agencies can use to enhance their operational doctrine on decision making. Together the guidelines aim to improve the alignment and consistency of how organisations in the sector approach operational decision making; create more consistent doctrine and training resources; and support a common language to describe, discuss and review decision making practices. This serves to better support people working in IEM, reduces the opportunity for error, and improves inter-operability between agencies and services. This ultimately leads to enhanced operational effectiveness and better outcomes for both agencies and the communities they serve.
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