Assignment:
Topic: Emergency Management in Public Administration
Thread: Emergency management is playing an increasingly important role in public administration. Whether caused by severe weather, terrorism, or civil unrest, public administrators face the challenge of anticipating and effectively addressing problems that are, by their very nature, unexpected. After you read Exercise 9, from Dresang conduct your own research into major emergency management incidents that occurred in the United States during the last 50 years. Select one that you consider to have been relatively well-managed, and one that was not well-managed. Applying concepts from Exercise 9 and your own research, explain how the emergency management incidents you selected were well-managed and poorly managed. What did the public sector officials do right? What could they have done better?
Readings:
Emergency Management Research and Practice in Public Administration: Emergence, Evolution, Expansion, and Future Directions
By Louise K. Comfort and Beverly A. Cigler