Krisberedskap är ett aktuellt ämne som ur individperspektiv främst rör den egna förmågan att tillgodose sina grundläggande behov av vatten, värme, mat, kommunikation och medicin i minst 7 dygn om en kris inträffar. Detta ställer krav på individers medvetenhet och kunskap om kris och krisberedskap. Det saknas forskning på området och de studier som finns visar att medvetenheten och kunskapen är låg. Studiens syfte är att undersöka högskolestudenters oro för att en kris ska inträffa, deras kunskap och medvetenhet om kris och krisberedskap samt vilken beredskap studenter har att hantera en kris och eventuella samband mellan dessa. En kvantitativ enkätstudie genomfördes. Resultatet visar att studenternas medvetenhet och kunskap om kris och krisberedskap är låg. Studenterna har störst oro för att en terroristattack ska ske och anser det troligt att en terroristattack kan inträffa inom fem år. Generellt är dock studenternas oro för att en kris ska inträffa låg. T-test genomfördes för att undersöka eventuella samband och skillnader i krisberedskap utifrån grad av kunskap och medvetenhet. Inga signifikanta samband eller skillnader påvisades. Studiens resultat diskuteras i relation till teorierna Health belief model och Theory of planned behaviour. Då kris och krisberedskap är ett aktuellt men obeforskat ämne rekommenderas vidare studier.

Many of the technological and social systems our society has come to depend on can be classified as complex adaptive systems (CAS). These systems are made of many individual parts that self-organize to respond and adapt to changing outside and inside influences affecting the system and its actors. These CAS can be placed on a spectrum ranging from loosely- to tightly-coupled, depending on the degree of interrelatedness and interdependence between system components. This research has explored how the process of collaboration occurs in both a loosely- and tightly-coupled setting using one exemplar of each system. The loosely-coupled exemplar related to disaster risk reduction in two Canadian communities while the tightly-coupled one involved the implementation of a surgical information management system in a Canadian hospital. A list of core elements of collaboration that should be considered essential to the success of all collaborative endeavours was developed as a result: Engagement, Communication, Leadership, Role Clarity, Awareness, Time, and Technical Skills and Knowledge. Based on observing how the core elements of collaboration interacted with one another within each of these example systems, two models were created to represent their relationships. A list of considerations that collaborative tool designers should consider was also developed and the implications of these considerations were discussed. As businesses and other organizations increasingly incorporate team-based work models, they will come to depend more heavily on technology-based solutions to support collaboration. By incorporating collaborative technologies that properly support the activity of these teams—based on the specific type of complex adaptive system in which their organization exists—organizations can avoid wasting time and resources developing tools that hinder collaboration.

The presence of naturally occurring and man-made public health threats necessitate the design and implementation of mitigation strategies, such that adequate response is provided in a timely manner. Since multiple variables, such as geographic properties, resource constraints, and government mandated time-frames must be accounted for, computational methods provide the necessary tools to develop contingency response plans while respecting underlying data and assumptions. A typical response scenario involves the placement of points of dispensing (PODs) in the affected geographic region to supply vaccines or medications to the general public. Computational tools aid in the analysis of such response plans, as well as in the strategic placement of PODs, such that feasible response scenarios can be developed. Due to the sensitivity of bio-emergency response plans, geographic information, such as POD locations, must be kept confidential. The generation of synthetic geographic regions allows for the development of emergency response plans on non-sensitive data, as well as for the study of the effects of single geographic parameters. Further, synthetic representations of geographic regions allow for results to be published and evaluated by the scientific community. This dissertation presents methodology for the analysis of bio-emergency response plans, methods for plan optimization, as well as methodology for the generation of synthetic geographic regions.

Optimization of relief networks in humanitarian logistics often exemplifies the need for solutions that are feasible given a hard constraint on time. For instance, the distribution of medical countermeasures immediately following a biological disaster event must be completed within a short time-frame. When these supplies are not distributed within the maximum time allowed, the severity of the disaster is quickly exacerbated. Therefore emergency response plans that fail to facilitate the transportation of these supplies in the time allowed are simply not acceptable. As a result, all optimization solutions that fail to satisfy this criterion would be deemed infeasible. This creates a conflict with the priority optimization objective in most variants of the generic vehicle routing problem (VRP). Instead of efficiently maximizing usage of vehicle resources available to construct a feasible solution, these variants ordinarily prioritize the construction of a minimum cost set of vehicle routes. Research presented in this dissertation focuses on the design and analysis of efficient computational methods for optimizing high-consequence variants of the VRP for relief networks. The conflict between prioritizing the minimization of the number of vehicles required or the minimization of total travel time is demonstrated. The optimization of the time and capacity constraints in the context of minimizing the required vehicles are independently examined. An efficient meta-heuristic algorithm based on a continuous spatial partitioning scheme is presented for constructing a minimized set of vehicle routes in practical instances of the VRP that include critically high-cost penalties. Multiple optimization priority strategies that extend this algorithm are examined and compared in a large-scale bio-emergency case study. The algorithms designed from this research are implemented and integrated into an existing computational framework that is currently used by public health officials. These computational tools enhance an emergency response planner's ability to derive a set of vehicle routes specifically optimized for the delivery of resources to dispensing facilities in the event of a bio-emergency.

Outbreaks of novel influenza viruses are continually occurring on many places on our planet, with the ultimate and most extreme consequence being a full-scale pandemic. Modern communication technology is widely used for risk communication regarding recommended change in behavior patterns and other precautions in order to mitigate the transmission. However, the assumption and bias that modern communication technology constitutes the norm causes vulnerable groups to be at possible risk of systematic exclusion to correct and updated information. Through conducting a literature- and case analysis, the aim of this study is to identify insufficient or inadequate risk communication efforts in South Korea and Vietnam during influenza outbreaks, especially with concern of vulnerable groups. Further, to analyze how national influenza preparedness plans observe or ignore these insufficiencies. Results show that vulnerable groups are explicitly recognized in the preparedness plan of Vietnam. However, the South Korean preparedness plan show a more homogenous approach. Both South Korea and Vietnam showed a broad variety of channels used in their risk communication strategies which could be positive in terms of a broad outreach to a heterogenous population, including vulnerable groups. Four key factors that moderate the outcomes of risk communication were identified: Channels, Messages, Transparency and Trust.

In this thesis we explore the idea presented in the Swedish National Library Strategy (2019) to tie the public libraries closer to the nation’s total defense system. The purpose of the study has been to understand which problem this idea was formulated as a solution to and how the suggestion is problematized by information science professionals, using critical discourse analysis methods developed by Carol Bacchi. Our material consists of the finalized National Library Strategy, its first draft from 2018, and the referral responses by various interested parties, as well as interviews with 15 public librarians, library directors, and scholars of information science. We discuss how the psychological defense relates to the librarian’s statutory duty to facilitate citizen participation in deliberative democracy and to counteract misinformation. We also ask how the library professions might be affected by an active involvement in future civil defense efforts. Our results show that the National Library Strategy construes the idea as a security problem by portraying our society as affected by growing political tensions, rapidly spread misinformation, and chaos, making the total defense suggestion into a meaningful solution. In our interviews with information professionals, some respondents viewed the total defense as an extension of their work to advocate democracy and intellectual freedom, whereas others perceived ethical tensions and incongruity between the two missions, referring to traditional library ideals of political neutrality and independence. All respondents based their reflections of the total defense idea on the importance of deliberative democracy and the library’s prominent place in promoting it, but with differing perspectives of its relationship to the total defense system as either problematic or emblematic. Drawing on these results, we argue that a total defense mission is compatible with librarians’ professional ethics and statutory democracy advocacy, as long as libraries can continue to foster free opinion formation and unbiased information evaluation independent from state interests during wartime and times of crisis. This is a two years master's thesis in library and information science.

I en tid av minskande tilltro till objektiv sanning och expertis blir konsten att övertala och kontrollera information avgörande i samhällsdebatten och en utmaning för demokratin. Inom den retoriska traditionen gör man dock en etisk distinktion mellan påverkan med den ömsesidiga nyttan som mål (argumentation) respektive påverkan med syfte att manipulera (propaganda). Retoriken utger sig också ha potential att vitalisera det demokratiska samtalet. Det finns i dagsläget begränsad forskning om hur samhället kan arbeta mot informationspåverkan och forskningen är tämligen frikopplad från den retoriska traditionen. Samtidigt finns ett retoriskt intresse för beredskapsretorik och för politisk retorik som med moderna medier når oss i det privata. Mot denna bakgrund kommer denna uppsats att studera kampanjen Bli inte lurad framtagen av Myndigheten för psykologiskt försvar, som är en beredskapskampanj om att möta informationspåverkan. För att synliggöra retoriken som präglar denna folkbildningskampanj används en retorisk analysmetod. Genom analysen och den teoretiska bakgrunden i klassisk retorik och modern visuell retorik kunde argumentationen, det publika tilltalet och den ickeverbala kommunikationen synliggöras. Argumentationen som analysen synliggör är informativ och söker vinna tillit genom ett starkt pathos som uppmålar en hotfull situation och genom ett starkt ethos som framställer myndigheten som folklig, men argumenterar mindre utifrån logos, utan underminerar motståndarnas trovärdighet. Det publika tilltalet som analysen synliggör framhäver medborgarnas demokratiska ansvar och hävdar rationalitet och social sammanhållning som gemensamma värderingar. Medborgarna uppmuntras både till källkritik och källtillit med anspelningar på samvetet och solidaritet. Den ickeverbala kommunikation som synliggörs i analysen förtydligar känslor och attityder i symboliska illustrationer samt kopplar problematiken till vardagliga upplevelser. Illustrationer och layout skapar en viss distans till problematiken och förmedlar trygghet. Att kampanjen på hemsidan presenteras i samarbete med magikerna Brynolf och Ljung skapar intresse, men kan förstärka en ogrundad misstänksamhet mot främmande perspektiv av rädsla att bli lurad. / In an era of decreased trust towards objective truth and expertise the art of convincing and controlling information becomes paramount to the public debate and to the democracy. Within the rhetorical tradition there is an ethical distinction between influence towards the common good (argumentation) and influence with the intent to manipulate (propaganda). The rhetorical tradition also claims potential to invigorate the democratic discourse. There is today limited research on how society can counter information influence and the research is quite disconnected from the rhetorical tradition. Meanwhile there is a rhetorical interest in emergency preparedness and for political rhetoric that through modern media reach us in our privet life. Against this background this essay will study the campaign Don’t be fooled, created by the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency, which is an emergency preparedness campaign about countering information influence. To make visible the rhetoric that marks this popular education campaign a rhetorical method of analysis is applied. Through the analysis and the theoretical framework of classical rhetoric and modern visual rhetoric the argumentation, the public appeal and the nonverbal communication could be made visible. The argumentation that the analysis show is informative and seeks to gain trust through a strong pathos which describes a threatening situation and through a strong ethos that depicts the agency as affable, though argue less from logos, but undermine the credibility of the opponent. The public appeal that the analysis show holds up the citizens democratic responsibility and claim rationality and social cohesion as common values. The citizens are encouraged to both source criticism and source trust with reference to the conscience and solidarity. The nonverbal communication that the analysis shows illustrates feelings and attitudes through symbolic illustrations and connect the problems to everyday situations. Illustrations and layout create somewhat of a distance to the problems and mediate safety. The choice to present the campaign through the website with the magicians Brynolf and Ljung creates interest but can also reinforce an ill-founded suspicion towards different perspectives by fear to be fooled.

Den här uppsatsen avser undersöka hur Försvarsmaktens roll inom den civila krisberedskapen uppfattas av de civila aktörerna som ingår i krisberedskapsorganisationen (kommuner, landsting, bevakningsansvariga myndigheter, samt länsstyrelser) samt vilken formell roll Försvarsmakten ska spela, utifrån hur myndigheten styrts politiskt genom undersökning av Försvarsbeslutet 2015 samt efterföljande regleringsbrev och direktiv, under perioden 2015 - 2017. Uppsatsen avser endast undersöka Försvarsmaktens stöd till civila (icke-beväpnade) insatser, och således är ex. stöd till Polisen i samband med terrorismbekämpning inte undersökt. / This bachelor thesis examines the role of the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) in civilian crisis management. The Swedish crisis management system is based upon the principle of responsibility (Ansvarsprincipen), which means that an actor responsible for a certain function of society during a normal state also is responsible for maintaining this function during disturbance or crisis. This gives each actor a clear role to plays in times of crisis. The SAF has no clear peacetime role within the frame of national defense except for maintaining readiness to face an armed assault or violation of Swedish territory by foreign powers. The SAF is also supposed to give support to other parts of society when needed, but this support is to be given within already existing abilities and resources. The task is also non-dimensional, which means the SAF is not expected to organize itself primarily for this task.  The analysis will focus only on the role of the SAF, and not on the roles of other actors within civilian crisis management, and only on unarmed operations. A consequence of this demarcation is that the SAF's role within anti-terrorist operations will be left out. Demarcation in time is the period of 2015 - 2017.