The resurgence and increased use of the total defense concept in the political landscape of Sweden comes in a time of global geopolitical uncertainties and multifaceted security crises. Despite its stated importance, how the private sector should be incorporated into this structure remains somewhat unclear. As such, the aim of this thesis was to analyze the interconnection between organizational and human behavior from the perspective of public-private cooperation in today’s Swedish total defense. To achieve this aim, six interviews were conducted with representatives from government agencies and business organizations in the civil preparedness sector of food supply and drinking water. The study sought to identify key factors defining this public-private relationship, use a theoretical framework based on rationalist organizational and social-psychological perspectives, and discern what combined impact they have on contemporary inter-organizational crisis cooperation.  The analysis indicates that the preparedness sector of food supply and drinking water is inherently robust, with a great deal of trust between individual agencies and private actors. However, there is a needfor greater organizational clarity and clear expectations, while a general lack of personnel and resources means that the risk of economic loss often takes precedence over further investments in civil preparedness. Furthermore, the establishment of the preparedness sector entailed a greater capacity for coordinating inter-organizational preparedness efforts but may have created an uncertain hierarchy with informational blind spots. Also, it is argued that government agencies have clearer expectations and goals within the total defense in general due to their identity in crisis and preparedness being firmly established, something that private actors lack

This thesis examines civil defense in the United States under the Nixon, Carter and Reagan administrations. Throughout the late Cold War period civil defense policy planners employed a philosophy of dual-use. The Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DCPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) instructed the American public to plan for a nuclear attack as well as natural disasters. Civil defense directors implemented crisis relocation plans for Americans that lived in designated high-risk areas. In an imminent nuclear attack, Americans in high-risk areas would temporarily relocate to host communities in low-risk areas of the county. This study is a blend of both civil defense policy and the reactions to nuclear war through the prism of popular culture in the late Cold War period.

Most countries in the Global North have enjoyed relative food security over the past decades, but recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted how global food supply chains are fragile and susceptible to be affected by a range of disturbances. In Sweden, a revived interest for civil defense planning has led to a policy shift with new government instructions to plan for food security in the event of a crisis or war. The increased interests for food security have raised questions around domestic agricultural vulnerability and the possible implications of import-dependence in Sweden, as well as how vulnerability can best be mitigated. This thesis presents a discussion on how ́food security ́ is problematized within Swedish crisis and contingency policy to explore how proposed policy solutions are embedded in political, material, and moral values. Using the theoretical framework “What ́s the problem represented to be?” (WPR) highlights how Swedish crisis policies are imbued with neoliberal governmentality and a reliance on market forces to promote food security. The thesis concludes that the continued priority of ́productivism ́ and a view of agricultural sector as normal part of the market, has imposed terms of reference upon which crisis and contingency policy can provide practical solutions designed to ensure food security during a crisis or war.

Recent developments in Sweden’s security policy have prompted the rearmament of the total defence. The total defence comprises both military and civil defence. The civil defence, in conjunction with crisis preparedmess, forms Sweden’s civil preparedness. However, the civil preparedness has been assessed as inadequate in meeting the requirements arising from recent developments in external security policy. Additionally, Sweden’s imminent NATO membership imposes further requirements on civil preparedness. The operational activities within civil preparedness are predominantly carried out by private entities, necessitating private-public collaboration. Nevertheless, existing regulations and competing interests pose substantial obstacles to sustained and iterative collaboration. This thesis employs a comparative nested case study, analysing two sectors of operations coordinated by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority. These sectors demonstrate varying degrees of collaboration in civil preparedness. By utilizing Emerson & Nabatchi’s (2015) collaborative governance theory, this thesis identifies that drivers prompting collaboration play a significant role. Specifically, legal and policy frameworks are assessed to be the most crucial factor. The cases exhibit unique characteristics, thereby providing a reasonable test the of collaborative governance theory’s eligibility. This thesis acknowledges certain limitations in the theoretical assumptions due to technological advancements. Consequently, further assessment of the theory is encouraged, as it may require refinement to adequately address new forms of incentives for collaboration resulting from emerging threats.

Kriser avlöser varandra i världen. Klimatförändringar leder till extrema väderfenomen såsom långvarig torka men också översvämningar och stormar, pandemier som lamslår stora delar av världen samt krig både i mellanöstern men också i Sveriges omedelbara närhet. Omvärldssituationen gör att kris- och krigsberedskap återigen är ett aktuellt ämne som prioriteras högt av den svenska regeringen. Syftet med denna studie är att konkretisera och medvetandegöra svenska fastighetsägares ansvar under kris och krig samt att presentera åtgärdsförslag för svenska fastighetsägare att vidta för att effektivt höja beredskapen i sina organisationer. Studien är avgränsad till att avhandla bostadsbolag men många av de slutsatser och åtgärder som presenteras går att tillämpa också på annat fastighetsbestånd. Studien är av kvalitativ sort där den teoretiska referensramen bygger på ett kanadensisk ramverk/ process  för “emergency management”, den lagstadgade ansvarsfördelningen, skyddsrummet och fastighetsägaren ur ett försörjningsperspektiv samt tidigare och nuvarande beredskapsarbete i Sverige. Insamlingen har skett med semistrukturerade intervjuer som följt fyra huvudteman: Sveriges civila beredskap, offentliga- och privata organisationers ansvar, beredskapsarbete i fastighetsbranschen samt framtida beredskapsarbete. Den teoretiska referensramen bygger på den lagstadgade ansvarsfördelningen, skyddsrummet och fastighetsägaren ur ett försörjningsperspektiv samt tidigare och nuvarande beredskapsarbete i Sverige. Slutsatsen i studien är att fastighetsbolag har få krav kopplade till hanteringen av kris- och krigsberedskap. I Sverige tar det offentliga en central roll i hanteringen av uppkomna situationer men man efterlyser samtidigt ett större ansvarstagande från näringslivet, något som näringslivet just nu håller på att göra men man ser hellre ett större ansvarstagande genom ekonomiska incitament hellre än utökade lagstadgade krav eftersom beredskap anses vara en statlig angelägenhet, slutligen presenteras ett åtgärdsförslag. / Crises follow one another in the world. Climate change leads to extreme weather phenomena such as droughts, but also floods and storms, pandemics that paralyze large parts of the world, as well as wars both in the Middle East and in Sweden's geographical proximity. The international situation makes crisis- and wartime preparedness once again a relevant topic that is highly prioritized by the Swedish government. The purpose of this study is to concretize and raise awareness of the responsibility of Swedish property owners during crises and wartime, as well as to present proposals for measures that Swedish property owners can take to effectively enhance preparedness in their organizations. The study is limited to discussing housing companies, but many of the conclusions and actions presented can also be applied to other real estate portfolios. The study is of a qualitative nature, with the theoretical framework based on a canadian process of emergency management, the statutory allocation of responsibilities, sheltering, and the property owner from a supply perspective, as well as previous and current preparedness efforts in Sweden. Data collection has been conducted through semi-structured interviews following four main themes: Sweden's civilian preparedness, the responsibilities of public and private organizations, preparedness efforts in the real estate industry, and future preparedness work. The conclusion of the study is that property owners have few requirements related to the handling of crisis and wartime preparedness. In Sweden, the public sector plays a central role in managing emerging situations, but at the same time, there is a call for greater responsibility from the business sector, something that the business sector is currently addressing, but would prefer to see a greater sense of responsibility through economic incentives rather than expanded statutory requirements, as preparedness is considered a matter for the state. Finally, a proposal for measures is presented.

How do the strategic documents of the Republic of Lithuania contribute to the efforts of its institutions and organisations to build societal resilience to threats? Although the need for overall preparedness is recognised, the division of responsibilities remains unclear and fragmented. This thesis identifies the gaps between policy and its implementation by examining the strategic documents and expert opinions. The results show that the policies are summarising, visionary and directional. This leads to a lack of clarity for the institutions or to haphazard initiatives. By explaining the relationship between policy expectations and the actual willingness of the public to contribute to the defence of the state, this study contributes to the study of warfare. It also provides theoretical and empirical data for building and strengthening societal resilience in Lithuania. Promoting active dialogue, strengthening coordination between institutions and non-governmental organisations can strengthen societal resilience and thus promote better prepared national defence. / Hur bidrar Republiken Litauens strategiska dokument till dess institutioners och organisationers ansträngningar att bygga samhällelig resiliens mot hot? Även om behovet av allmän beredskap erkänns, förblir ansvarsfördelningen oklar och fragmenterad. Denna avhandling identifierar klyftorna mellan politik och dess genomförande genom att undersöka de strategiska dokumenten och expertutlåtanden. Resultaten visar att policyn är sammanfattande, visionär och riktgivande. Detta leder till en brist på tydlighet för institutionerna eller till slumpmässiga initiativ. Genom att förklara sambandet mellan policyförväntningar och allmänhetens faktiska vilja att bidra till statens försvar, bidrar denna studie till krigsvetenskap. Den tillhandahåller också teoretiska och empiriska data för att bygga och stärka samhällelig resiliens i Litauen. Att främja aktiv dialog och stärka samordningen mellan institutioner och icke-statliga organisationer kan stärka samhällelig resiliens och därigenom främja en bättre förberedd nationellt försvar.