Problem If current trends in disasters are anything to go by, we can expect more complex disasters in the future as a population, perhaps already weakened by conflict, climate or disease, is hit by a natural disaster.  This then requires a multifaceted and complex intervention of humanitarian actors. Therefore, the adaptations increasingly require identification of themes to mitigate the complex vulnerabilities that come with these challenges like reforms, collaboration and specialization of tasks between humanitarian organizations inter alia. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to identify the underlying factors that lead to global and humanitarian challenges in order to suggest effective adaptations to address them in the preparedness phase. Methodology The paper takes a qualitative approach, adopting a phenomenological research. In depth interviews are used to identify the most outstanding themes and patterns in sync with the humanitarian challenges and adaptations identifies in the AlertNet Poll (2011) and DARA humanitarian response index (2011). The themes are used to narrate solutions to the research questions Findings The results suggest that the adaptations identified in the reports regulate humanitarian and global challenges. The humanitarian challenges effective adaptations to overcome these challenges have been identified but not limited to collaboration of humanitarian logistics actors, emphasis on preparedness and disaster risk reduction and the unification of relief and developmental policies and frameworks to ensure long term planning and assessment of disasters Conclusion The research concludes that disaster risk reduction and preparedness, humanitarian logistics reforms and collaboration in all humanitarian aspects are the most effective adaptation to the global and humanitarian challenges. If current trends in disasters are anything to go by, we can expect more complex disasters in the future as a population, perhaps already weakened by conflict, climate or disease, is hit by a natural disaster. This then requires a multifaceted and complex intervention of humanitarian actors. Therefore, the adaptations increasingly require identification of themes to mitigate the complex vulnerabilities that come with these challenges like reforms, collaboration and specialization of tasks between humanitarian organizations inter alia. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to identify the underlying factors that lead to global and humanitarian challenges in order to suggest effective adaptations to address them in the preparedness phase. Methodology The paper takes a qualitative approach, adopting a phenomenological research. In depth interviews are used to identify the most outstanding themes and patterns in sync with the humanitarian challenges and adaptations identifies in the AlertNet Poll (2011) and DARA humanitarian response index (2011). The themes are used to narrate solutions to the research questions Findings The results suggest that the adaptations identified in the reports regulate humanitarian and global challenges. The humanitarian challenges effective adaptations to overcome these challenges have been identified but not limited to collaboration of humanitarian logistics actors, emphasis on preparedness and disaster risk reduction and the unification of relief and developmental policies and frameworks to ensure long term planning and assessment of disasters Conclusion The research concludes that disaster risk reduction and preparedness, humanitarian logistics reforms and collaboration in all humanitarian aspects are the most effective adaptation to the global and humanitarian challenges.

During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, public health nurses (PHNs) were called upon to protect their communities against a deadly influenza virus. Currently, there appears to be no literature that describes the experience of Canadian PHNs responding to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. A qualitative research study was conducted and the data were analyzed by using content analysis. Thirteen nurses were interviewed from an Urban, Rural and Northern health region in Manitoba. Focus groups were conducted for the Urban and Rural nurses while Northern nurses were interviewed by telephone. Communication and dissemination of information, personal and professional challenges, personal face of the pandemic, regional support and lessons learned were themes generated from the data analysis. Communication and information flow was a major theme that impacted the overall PHNs’ response experience. Practice, administration, research and education implications and the limitations of the study are presented in the study.

During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, public health nurses (PHNs) were called upon to protect their communities against a deadly influenza virus. Currently, there appears to be no literature that describes the experience of Canadian PHNs responding to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. A qualitative research study was conducted and the data were analyzed by using content analysis. Thirteen nurses were interviewed from an Urban, Rural and Northern health region in Manitoba. Focus groups were conducted for the Urban and Rural nurses while Northern nurses were interviewed by telephone. Communication and dissemination of information, personal and professional challenges, personal face of the pandemic, regional support and lessons learned were themes generated from the data analysis. Communication and information flow was a major theme that impacted the overall PHNs’ response experience. Practice, administration, research and education implications and the limitations of the study are presented in the study.

This research explored the extent to which two hospitals in the City of Victoria are prepared for a future earthquake event. The goal is to examine the level of emergency preparedness of two tertiary care hospitals in Victoria for dealing with the potential damage caused by an earthquake in the region. The research objectives are aimed at highlighting current strengths regarding health sector emergency preparedness, reducing the vulnerability of the health sector by identifying key areas of improvement, and ultimately, increasing the capacity of the health sector to respond to the damages sustained by earthquakes. A small-scale mixed-methods approach was taken to assess hospital preparedness. A structured survey was administered to 26 key informants who were selected specifically based on their prior knowledge, experience and current roles and responsibilities pertaining to Disaster and Emergency Management in the province. A concerted effort was made to include a sample of participants from each of five target populations at the Provincial, Health Authority, and Local Health Authority levels. Data analysis included quantitative and qualitative techniques to generate simple statistics and thematic coding of the interview transcripts to identify main themes and patterns. Both quantitative and qualitative insights were used to provide a clearer picture of hospital preparedness and to foster credibility and dependability of key results. The findings and results confirm that there are excellent levels of engagement and integration between the Local Government, BC Ambulance Service and Fire Departments. There is room for improvement in regards to engaging and integrating NGOs with Hospital planning. Robust plans and protocols were found to be in place for Communication Systems, Emergency Operations Centres and Public Information and Media Relations. Hospital level respondents reported having less Emergency Management education and Training and had participated in fewer disaster exercises compared to Provincial and Local Emergency Managers. Although 76% of respondents had participated in a disaster exercise, only 5 % had responded to an earthquake. Only 23% of respondents had activated their planning in response to an earthquake. The results emphasize the immediate need for increased engagement and integration of earthquake response planning between health system stakeholders, communities and all levels of government. At the hospital level, increased attention needs to be directed to the following operational areas: Mass Casualty Planning, Resource Stockpiling, Department Level Contingency Plans, Evacuation and Relocation Protocols and Procedures, Volunteer Coordination Protocols, and Internal and External Traffic flow. Lastly, the results highlight the need for increased disaster education and training for front line acute care employees, hospital administrators and management staff. In addition to training and education, multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency exercises should be undertaken to engage all key community stakeholders and to promote a more integrated and optimal response in the event of an earthquake. / Graduate

Crowdfunding is described as a facilitator for creative entrepreneurs in their gathering of funds for projects. This bachelor’s thesis  aims at finding differences in communication components found between successful and unsuccessful crowdfunding campaigns on one of the most popular platforms, Kickstarter. Through a quantitative content analysis and a rhetorical analysis of literary topoi this study suggests that there are apparent differences in usage of titles, text, visual expressions, rewards and in themes of preparation, humility as well as quality. The findings we present conclude that a campaign with a title consisting of eight words and one punctuation are more likely to succeed than other. Further it is shown that campaigns lacking in visual expressions are running a bigger risk of failure than campaigns using a video and some images. Also a correlation between the amount of rewards and the amount of backers are being shown. The study suggests that texts should include literary topoi deriving to “person”, “item” or “special themes”. A campaign that is moderate and shows signs of preparedness in “Risks & Challenges” are more likely to succeed. Apart from this, the study show a rise in the amount of already developed products being published on Kickstarter.   It should be noted that this study is not a checklist for creating a successful campaign on Kickstarter, it is an indication on what differs between a successful and an unsuccessful campaign. / Crowdfunding beskrivs som ett effektivt sätt för kreativa entrepenörer att finansiera sina projekt eller produkter. En av de större plattformarna för detta är Kickstarter. I denna undersökning studeras skillnader i kommunikativa komponenter för crowdfundingkampanjer på Kickstarter som lyckats, respektive misslyckats, nå sitt mål för finansiering. Utifrån en kvantitativ innehållsanalys och en retorisk analys av topiker menar denna undersökning att sådana skillnader finns och består i utformningen av titeln, texten, användandet av bilder, rewards och mått av förberedelse, ödmjukhet och kvalitét inför kampanjgenomförandet. Studien slår fast att en kampanj med en titel beståendes av ca 8 ord och ett skiljetecken har en högre sannolikhet att lyckas än andra. Vidare konstateras att crowdfundingkampanjer som saknar film och har få bilder löper stor risk att misslyckas. Studien menar att texter bör omfatta topiker rörande “person”, “sak” samt “speciella teman”. En kampanj som uppvisar måttfullhet och förberedelse i avsnittet som behandlar “Risks & Challenges” har en större sannolikhet att lyckas. Studien konstaterar vidare en korrelation mellan antal rewards och antal backers. Avslutningsvis konstateras att förekomsten av redan färdigutvecklade produkters ökar på kickstarter. Studien ska inte avses som en checklista för framgång, men ger goda insikter för vilka kommunikativa komponenter skiljer sig mellan lyckade och misslyckade crowdfundingkampanjer.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed April 8, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-119)

Thesis (M. S.)--City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Sawicki, David; Committee Co-Chair: Clark, Jennifer; Committee Member: Baker, Paul M.A.; Committee Member: Mitchell, Helena

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2006. / Vita. Appendices: leaves 180-190. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-197).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2006. / Vita. Appendices: leaves 180-190. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-197).

abstract: Being properly prepared is one of the keys to surviving an emergency or a disaster. In order to be prepared, people need appropriate education in preparedness, which includes elements of prevention, and planning. There is a definite need to better prepare our nation's citizens in order for them to safely respond in times of a disaster. It also seems likely that the earlier concepts and skills are learned, the easier those concepts and skills would be to remember and the more proficient one would become in implementing them. Therefore, it seems appropriate to teach emergency preparedness concepts and skills early on in the educational process. This means that significant efforts need to be directed toward learning, what impediments currently exist, what is helpful, and how preparedness concepts and skills can be taught to our children. A survey was distributed to third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers, asking them questions about emergency preparedness lessons in the classroom. Results indicated that the majority of teachers would be willing to teach emergency preparedness if the curriculum met current academic standards and they were given adequate resources to teach this subject. This study provides ideas, concepts and motivation for teachers to use in a cross-curricular approach to teaching emergency preparedness in the classroom. This is accomplished by presenting examples of newly developed curriculum/lesson plans that meet state academic standards, based on the current Community Emergency Response Team program and on children's fiction literature for the appropriate age group. A list of literature that could be used in this development is also provided in this study. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Technology 2011