1. 1 Intersection of Behavior and Technology: Information Flow Impediments in Katrina Jamison M. Day, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Operations Management Researcher, Supply Chain Research Center Dept. of Decision and Information Sciences Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston jmday@uh.edu

2. Successful Event Management It is often perception, rather than actual performance, that determines success  How might this impact technology and behavior? 2

3. Question: How often do we attempt to navigate in one city by using a map from another?  For example: driving in Houston, TX while using a map of Chicago, IL? How often do we attempt to coordinate large groups of diverse organizations by giving one person the responsibility and accountability for collective performance? 3

4. New Environments Require New Maps 4 HierarchiesDynamic NetworksMatrix/Hybrid Increasing Environmental Complexity Organizational Configuration

5. The Shape of Things to Come 5 Increased Uncertainty Faster Pace of Change  Evolving Topology  Evolving Behaviors Specialization & Interdependency Diverse Sub-Communities  Multi-Scale  Overlapping Collective disaster response efforts embody this context extremely well Perhaps if we can foster effective and efficient coordination in this context, it will provide a map for achieving the same in others

6. Multi-Scale & Overlapping Communities DIVERSITY OF: Capabilities Capacities Responsibilities Objectives Priorities Policies Regulations Forecasts Procedures Problem Framings Metrics Information Requirements Technologies

7. Diverse Behaviors: Disaster Relief Participants DemandSupply / ReliefControl Individuals Disaster-affected individuals seeking the well-being and a renewed foundation for independent living for self, family, and friends Individual volunteers wishing to support disaster relief efforts by committing their personal resources such as time, money, and abilities. Elected officials and other social citizens that interact with the chain-of- control and hold a primary objective of ensuring the overall relief efforts within some jurisdiction are effective and efficient. Profit Organizations Organizations experiencing disruption of continuity seek to resume profitable operations. Organizations providing relief functions with the objective to either quickly resume profitable operations or to sell their product in the relief efforts. Rare: Relief effort progress and a motive for profitability could present a conflict-of-interest. Non-Profit Organizations Organizations without a profit mandate that seek to resume operations to continue fulfilling their mission. Organizations without a profit mandate that provide relief functions to contribute to fulfilling their mission. Associations or cooperatives such as local, state, and national VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) that seek to coordinate relief efforts. Government Agencies Government agencies that require some form of assistance in resuming their mandated operations following the disaster. Governmental agencies providing relief functions to affected individuals and organizations. Government agencies such as Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) that establish a chain-of control to coordinate relief efforts and stabilize economic foundations. 7

8. 8 An Example Supply Chain Network

9. Definition: Supply Chain Management 9 Flows Functions Objectives Manage the Inter-Organizational Flows of: Resources Money Information To Achieve Objectives of: Right Product Right Place Right Time Right Price Through Functions of: Procurement Production Sales Distribution

10. 10 Information Flow Theoretical Assumptions 1. Information exists and can be collected by entities 2. Information can be processed and applied by entities to improve coordination of their resource transactions 3. Information can be shared between entities 4. Improving information flows can lead to improved resource flows Information Flow Activities Collection Processing Sharing Resource Flow Coordination (for literature surveys, see: Sahin & Robinson, 2002; Chen, 2003)

11. 11 Some Recent Research Extreme Case Study of Katrina Relief Efforts (as set forth by: Yin, 2002) 1. Examine Information Flow Activities and Their Impact on Resource Flow  Data Collection  Information Processing  Information Sharing 2. Identify Impediments to Information Flow Activities

12. Information Flow Impediments Summary 12 ImpedimentDefinitionActivities Impacted InaccessibilityInability to obtain data or information that is known or assumed to exist Collection, Sharing Inconsistent FormatsMultiple sources of similar data or information cannot be compared or aggregated because of their different content configurations Processing Inadequate Stream (Shortage/Overload) Too little or too much data/information available to an organization Processing Low Information PriorityNot placing appropriate precedence on information flow activities Collection, Processing, Sharing Source Identification Difficulty An organization not knowing where to get wanted data or information Collection, Sharing Storage Media Misalignment Characteristics of the chosen recording or storage media inherently inhibit efficient information flow activities Collection, Processing, Sharing UnreliabilityAn organization’s low level of confidence in data or information it possesses Processing UnwillingnessOne organization will not transfer data or information to another organization Sharing

13. 13 Collection Processing Sharing Source Identification Inaccessibility Inadequate Stream Inconsistent Formats Unreliability Unwillingness Low Priority Storage Medium Misalignment Resource Flow Coordination Impediments and Info Flow Activity Impact

14. Behavior and Technology Each of these impediments is impacted by both behavioral and technological factors. 14

15. Questions What kind of new “map” (cyberinfrastructure) do we need? How can technology encourage diverse organizations to behave in ways that foster coordination both within and between various sub- communities? 15

16. Inter-Org Information Flow – Behavior & Tech 16 Processing Sharing Collection

17. Integrating Technologies & Standards 17 Processing Sharing Collection TECHNOLOGIES: CAP EDXL-DE EDXL-RM EDXL-RIM EDXL-HAVE SOA RM NIEM IPAWS CAIRNS BIM What’s Missing?

18. Is Perfect Information The Answer? By solving our current problems, will we just be creating new ones? 18

19. 19 Jamison M. Day, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Operations Management Researcher, Supply Chain Research Center Dept. of Decision and Information Sciences Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston jmday@uh.edu

20. 20 Confirmation of Phenomenon: An Illustration Quotes from a Red Cross Senior Director of Emergency Services Data Collection Activity  “During disaster assessment, when we actually go in and record what [houses] are destroyed and what is damaged after disaster, there’s a form to fill out […] On this form you record if it’s destroyed, major, or minor, what kind of damage. They call it a street sheet, one sheet per street.” Information Processing Activity  “[…] and then you bring all those sheets back and they have to be consolidated into a larger sheet so we know what kind of disaster it is.” Information Sharing Activity  “Whenever there’s a disaster anywhere in the state, they’ll initiate conference calls. Two a day, usually at 10 and 3. […] You have local decision makers, majors, judges, etc. […] It’s all about information sharing.”

21. 21 Inaccessibility Definition:  Inability to obtain data or information that is known or assumed to exist Illustration:  The following quote describes Louisiana correctional facilities’ inability to provide data about the inmates that were sent out of harm’s way via bus after the New Orleans levees broke.  “They had no records of who they sent to us, because the computer systems all went under water.” (Administrative Coordinator for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Data Collection  Information Sharing

22. 22 Inconsistent Formats Definition:  Multiple sources of similar data or information can not be compared or aggregated because of their different content configurations Illustration:  in the midst of Katrina relief efforts, Hurricane Rita spurred an evacuation from the Houston area and some media sources were reporting that hundreds were dying of heat exhaustion on the evacuation routes.  “Because of [media reports], we mobilized various county and city resources to go up and down the lines of cars handing out water. According to the Red Cross, all needs were being met. The police were telling us ‘it’s hot but no one’s dying’. The medical services said they transported 40 people.” (Administrative Coordinator, Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Information Processing

23. 23 Inadequate Stream Shortage/Overload Definition:  There is too little or too much data and information available to an entity. Illustration:  “The information that we really lacked was the information about what was happening outside of Houston. […] We had no idea how many more busses… where they were coming from. We had no control over that. Now it’s kind of frustrating cause you don’t know how to plan.“ (Senior Director Emergency Services, American Red Cross) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Information Processing

24. 24 Low Information Priority Definition:  Not placing appropriate precedence on information flow activities. Illustration:  “It’s not that we don’t want to share [information], but finding the time. […] I do not have time to share. Is it important to [help others] capture information or provide help? […] For 15 days, there was no time. You were exhausted. It just didn’t happen.” (Community Recovery Manager, American Red Cross) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Data Collection  Information Processing  Information Sharing

25. 25 Source Identification Difficulty Definition:  Not knowing where to get the data or information that is needed. Illustration:  “We would find people sheltered even after Katrina had passed 4 or 5 weeks later that we didn’t know about […] I actually took two trained volunteers that helped on a daily basis and I put them out in the community with one of our response teams to go church to church […] to find out if there are people sheltered in this community.” (Community Recovery Manager, American Red Cross) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Data Collection  Information Sharing

26. 26 Storage Media Misalignment Definition:  Characteristics of the chosen recording or storage media inherently inhibit efficient information flow activities. Illustration:  Consider the following problems encountered by the Red Cross as they managed registration on paper at the Reliant Center mega-shelters in conjunction with Harris County OHSEM.  “They kept stacking them up and then they had to stack the papers. ‘How many people ya’ll got’ was the question. ‘Well, we have this many on this sheet. How many we got on this piece of paper?’” (Administrative Coordinator for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Data Collection  Information Processing  Information Sharing

27. 27 Unreliability Definition:  A low level of confidence in data or information it possesses. Illustration:  Interfaith Ministries, for example, was approached by many congregations in hopes that they could provide the most current and reliable information.  “We had a lot of people having us to be the resource, but we didn’t have the database to really say I feel confident enough for you to go. […] And that ticked a lot of people off, because you didn’t know for sure, knowing that it wasn’t reliable and timely.” (Manager, Office of Disaster Preparedness, Interfaith Ministries) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Information Processing

28. 28 Unwillingness Definition:  An entity will not transfer data or information to another entity. Illustration:  “So, we had our [Department of Public Safety] contact the Louisiana state troopers to see if we could get a copy of their sexual offender list. Well, it didn’t happen, state law, they couldn’t give it to anybody […] It’s not like in Texas where you put their names and all up.[…] So, what we did is, we hacked into their system and downloaded the list. […] Now we wanted to combine this information with the registration information that the Red Cross had captured electronically already by that time. Well, the Red Cross told us we can’t get that information. […] it is their policy, it said, at a national level; so no problem…we hacked their system as well, and did a quick cross reference.” (Administrative Coordinator for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) Information Flow Activities Impacted:  Information Sharing