Decision-Making in Crisis Situations

8 Some Perspectives Moving Forward

8.1. Introduction

The most severe part of a crisis is the most difficult phase for decision makers to face because the environment is dynamic and unstable, forcing crisis units to operate in degraded conditions. The fragilities that can appear within a crisis unit expose it to several types of disturbances. The rush of events, the massive arrival of information, sometimes incomplete or contradictory, and the need to report in a public way on the actions taken are just a few examples. These factors can thus destabilize the members of a crisis unit. Faced with emergency decision-making, they must nevertheless continue to carry out their missions and implement appropriate measures and means to protect the people, property and environment affected by the event.

In order to better understand the difficulties that reduce its effectiveness, it is necessary to understand the composition and functioning of a strategic crisis unit. A crisis unit goes beyond the status of a simple “group” described as an ephemeral organization. The crisis unit’s strong organizational integration requires a high capacity to adapt to an unknown situation, while its members assume various roles and responsibilities that are finely structured and hierarchical. The members of a crisis unit are mobilized according to the skills and knowledge they possess to achieve their missions. While the need to carry out the tasks assigned to them is essential today, it is also necessary ...