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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In the aftermath of a disaster, relief agencies rush to assist the affected population. However, lack of coordination between these agencies often results in poor resource management, which undermines efficacy and efficiency. This report facilitates inter-agency collaboration, particularly between military and non-military entities, by conducting a case study of one non-government organization involved in disaster relief. With the second-highest revenue among major non-government organizations in the United States, the Salvation Army in America—and, by extension, its international arm, the Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO)—is an ideal candidate for evaluation. This report evaluates SAWSO's disaster response capabilities by analyzing its organizational history, operational competencies, and financial resources. The results of this report offer a foundation for military and other humanitarian relief agencies to pursue collaborative efforts and increase the overall efficiency and efficacy of future disaster response operations. This report's findings indicate that SAWSO is a highly efficient organization from a financial standpoint, and that it offers a variety of relief capabilities that vary by region, with the provision of shelter, settlement, and non-food items among its strongest and most consistent competencies. / Outstanding Thesis / Captain, United States Marine Corps

To prevent loss of lives during seasonal disasters, relief agencies distribute critical supplies and provide lifesaving services to the affected populations. Despite agencies' efforts, frequently occuring disasters increase the cost of relief operations. The purpose of our study is to minimize the cost of relief operations, considering that such disasters cause random demand. To achieve this, we have formulated a series of models, which are distinct from the current studies in three ways. First, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first ones to capture both perishable and durable products together. Second, we have aggregated multiple products in a different way than current studies do. This unique aggregation requires less data than that of other types of aggregation. Finally, our models are compatible with the practical data generated by FEMA. Our models offer insights on the impacts of various parameters on optimum cost and order size. The analyses of correlation of demand and quality of information offer interesting insights; for instance, under certain cases, the quality of information does not influence cost. Our study has considered both risk averse and risk neutral approaches and provided insights. The insights obtained from our models are expected to help agencies reduce the cost of operations by choosing cost effective suppliers.

Background: Nowadays, humanitarian relief organizations are more and more present in people’s lives due to the number of recorded natural disasters increasing over the last 30 years. Although there are several actors involved in humanitarian aid, the need to integrate logistics service providers into humanitarian relief operations has been recognized. Howev- er, the literature lacks particular attention concerning the coordination roles and objectives between humanitarian relief organizations and LSPs during disaster relief operations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between UNICEF and its LSP(s) during disaster relief operations. More specifically, this study aims to understand the elements that drive, facilitate, constrain and affect the relationship UNICEF has with its LSPs. Method: A qualitative, exploratory research approach was used, using a real-context case study as the research design. The empirical data was collected through in-depth semi- structured interviews with four respondents representing both UNICEF and its LSPs. Conclusion: The researchers present a revised version of the conceptual framework used to conduct this research. One additional component was added to the list of compo- nents affecting the effectiveness of a relationship. In addition, some other influencers were discussed. This conceptual framework can be used to formulate an effective relationship between two humanitarian actors within disaster relief operations. Finally, forming a rela- tionship between UNICEF and its LSPs is nothing new. Recommendations for future re- search include investigating implementation efforts once a relationship is built, in order to improve disaster relief operations and save more lives.

Current trends have seen a rise in the frequency and severity of disasters on a global scale, with disasters in recent years having some of the most devastating impacts ever seen on the societies they affect. As a result, there are increasing pressures on the Formal Humanitarian Sector (FHS) and their resources, resulting in a growing need to examine the logistical processes essential to humanitarian operations. Existing research within the humanitarian logistics (HL) domain has highlighted a plethora of challenges relating to the efficient and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by disasters. Through a systematic literature review, it was discovered that current research predominantly focuses on the activities of humanitarian organisations (HOs); overlooking the social and logistical capacity already present within affected communities. In order to address the gap left by HO-centric HL research, this investigation approaches the challenges of efficient and effective humanitarian assistance from a novel perspective. Drawing upon the notion of Collaborative Aid Networks (CANs), this research explores the role of communities as drivers of HL processes, and of their own relief and recovery. In a field in which empirical data is lacking, this enquiry utilises a constructivist grounded theory methodology in order to gather empirical insights from post-earthquake Nepal. Interviews and observations were conducted over a period of seven weeks, with data being continuously analysed and refined throughout this process. The findings from this research culminated in the development of a theoretical framework which illustrates the interrelationships between CAN characteristics and their outcomes on HL. This study contributes to the emerging debates concerning community participation in disaster contexts, and provides revelatory insights regarding CANs’ unique attributes and competencies, which enable them to positively impact disaster affected communities. In levying CAN support, the FHS could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their HL operations, whilst improving collaboration and communication between the FHS and the community; in turn supporting the legitimacy and downward accountability of FHS programmes.

Natural and man-made disasters are becoming more frequent in many countries throughout the world. Countries with inadequate infrastructure and poorly planned emergency logistics are subject to such events which may lead to the destruction of a community and/or may prevent e cient and successful recovery. Despite the progress that disaster planning, mitigation and new management systems have made, the need for disaster relief continues everlasting. Extensive research is on-going to improve the various phases in the disaster operations life cycle. However, the impact of disaster will not diminish and improved disaster relief planning and management should be addressed intensely. This dissertation addresses various possible mathematical models comprising stochastic and deterministic models, to provide generic means to address the damage and consequences associated with disaster events. The models are applied to countries such as Somalia and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which have been prone to catastrophic events and poverty consequences. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Industrial and Systems Engineering / unrestricted

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Yes / Social media usage in evacuations and emergency management represents a rapidly expanding field of study. Our paper thus provides quantitative insight into a serious practical problem. Within this context a behavioural approach is key. We discuss when facilitators should consider model-based interventions amid further implications for disaster communication and emergency management. We model the behaviour of individual people by deriving optimal contrarian strategies. We formulate a Bayesian algorithm which enables the optimal evacuation to be conducted sequentially under worsening conditions. / Supported by EPSRC (IDEAS Factory - Game theory and adaptive networks for smart evacuations, EP/I005765/1)

Desastres são eventos complexos que exigem esforços de múltiplos atores para assistirem suas vítimas em tempo hábil a minimizar as perdas de vidas e os custos sociais e materiais da região afetada. Esta dependência de ação entre diferentes atores cria entre eles uma relação de interdependência no que tange o sucesso da operação de resposta. Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o problema da coordenação das atividades logísticas em uma operação humanitária utilizando Dinâmica de Sistemas como ferramenta de simulação e análise para verificar como os incentivos e impedimentos à coordenação interagem dinamicamente no ambiente humanitário e como sua estrutura de causa e efeito resulta em comportamentos com impactos e intensidades diferentes daqueles desejados pelos atores envolvidos. Assim, o objetivo específico deste trabalho é desenvolver um modelo de simulação que auxilie na compreensão do problema além de utilizá-lo para sugerir ferramentas que favoreçam o direcionamento do comportamento do sistema às metas de efetividade da ajuda humanitária exigidas pelos múltiplos atores envolvidos nesta. O desenvolvimento do trabalho segue uma estrutura multidisciplinar, buscando o necessário rigor do entendimento do problema tanto na análise da literatura quanto na formulação do modelo e sua utilização. / Disasters are complex events which require efforts from multiple actors to assist their victims on a timely manner to minimize life losses and social cost at the affected region. This action dependence between different actors rise an interdependence relation among them related to the response operation success. This work aims to analyse the problem of coordination of logistics activities in a humanitarian operation using System Dynamics as a simulation and analysis tool in order to verify how the drives and impediments to coordination dynamically interact in a humanitarian context and how its structure of cause and effect results in behaviors with different impact and intensity from those desired by involved actors. Therefore, the specific goal of this work is to develop a simulation model that support the problem understanding and apply it to suggest tools with potential to drive the system behavior towards the effectiveness goals required by the multiple actors in this environment. The development follows a cross-sectorial structure, willing to apply the necessary comprehension of the problem both in the literature review and in the model formulation and application.

O número de desastres vem aumentando a cada ano e a quantidade de pessoas afetadas por estes é cada vez maior. A convergência de materiais, que é o afluxo de grande quantidade de material ao local do desastre, é observada em muitos eventos e tem grande impacto sobre operações humanitárias; em especial, nos processos de logística humanitária, como transporte, processamento e distribuição de itens necessários no auxílio às vítimas. Devido a diversos efeitos negativos da convergência - por exemplo, o emprego de recursos humanos em tarefas não essenciais e a maior demora para distribuição de material prioritário -, é necessário estudar os fatores que a influenciam e, também, como suas consequências afetam o sistema em que se insere. Desta forma, utilizou-se o método de dinâmica de sistemas para desenvolver um modelo que permita, pela análise de diversos cenários, alcançar uma melhor compreensão sobre o fenômeno. O modelo, além de permitir testar políticas abordadas na literatura, também proporciona uma simulação para o preparo em desastres reais e, no âmbito acadêmico, é o primeiro modelo de convergência de materiais a integrar tanto variáveis quantitativas quanto qualitativas e propiciar uma análise de forma dinâmica no tempo. A partir do cenário base, o caso das inundações em São Luiz do Paraitinga em 2010, foram simulados 13 cenários com o objetivo de identificar quais políticas aumentariam a quantidade de material prioritário distribuído para suprir as necessidades das vítimas. No cenário base foram encontrados gargalos no transporte e na distribuição de materiais e a análise de sensibilidade ficou restrita a uma política, limitando a generalização do trabalho. Na implementação de políticas uma a uma, observa-se que a não admissão de material não prioritário atinge os melhores resultados, seguida pela política de realocação de recursos humanos para processamento de material prioritário. Já no caso de políticas mistas, o controle de admissão com uma maior disponibilidade de recursos é o cenário que mais se sobressai no auxílio às vítimas. / The number of disasters is increasing each year and the amount of people affected by them is also getting bigger. Material convergence, which is the influx of large amounts of material to the disaster site, is observed in many events and has a large impact on humanitarian operations; in particular in humanitarian logistics processes, such as transportation, processing and distribution of necessary items to assist victims. Due to various negative effects of the convergence - for example, the use of human resources in non-core tasks and the longer delay for priority material distribution - it is necessary to study the factors that influence it and how its consequences affect the system. In this way, the method of system dynamics was used to develop a model that allows, through the analysis of several scenarios, to reach a better understanding about the phenomenon. The model, besides allowing to test policies approached in the literature, also provides a simulation for the preparation in real disasters and, in the academic scope, it is the first model of material convergence to integrate both quantitative and qualitative variables and to provide a dynamic analysis. Based on the baseline scenario, the case of the floods in São Luiz do Paraitinga in 2010, 13 scenarios were simulated to identify which policies would increase the amount of priority material distributed to meet the needs of the victims. Analyzing the base scenario there were found bottlenecks both in the transportation and the distribution of material and, as the sensitivity analysis was restricted to only one policy, the generalization of the presented work has been limited. In implementing policies one by one, it is observed that the non-admission of non-priority material achieves the best results, followed by the policy of reallocating human resources to processing priority material. In the case of mixed policies, admission control with greater availability of resources is the most prominent scenario in assisting victims.