Crisisplan organized a discussion on future Dutch crisis management

On Wednesday April 3rd, Crisisplan organized an interactive event regarding the future of Dutch crisis management. Over 50 crisis professionals, all experts in their fields of expertise (e.g. police, safety regions, critical infrastructure), attended the event and participated in the discussion. The event was held in the headquarters of the Dutch calamity hospital.

Arjen Boin provided the kick-off by introducing the overarching theme, as published in a recent article with Werner Overdijk. In this publication, they argue that the information flow from the operation towards the strategic level is an important bottleneck during crises.

Martijn Reeser from the municipality of The Hague explained how their Security Team developed a strategic checklist together with Crisisplan. This checklist provides guidance and focus in supporting the strategic level. The checklist method helps to efficiently request operational information to facilitate strategic decision making.

The complexity of crises was discussed in a presentation by Jacco Rodermond from the Safety Region Drenthe. Also, the distinction between a crisis and a disaster was elaborated on.

During the discussion with the participants, it became apparent that the current role of the information manager isn’t clearly defined and future-proof. Participants stated that a common approach to manage crises is still unavailable in the Netherlands. The day ended with a tour through the calamity hospital.

This special event provides food for thought about future crisis management. Crisisplan and the participating professionals gladly continue this discussion.