"Disasters bring matters to a head""

Helena Hermansson researches collaboration and leadership in crises. She argues that collaboration is often seen as a universal solution in crisis and disaster management but emphasizes the importance of considering the task, context, and political-administrative context when working with collaboration.

Helena Hermansson, a senior lecturer in leadership and command & control at the Swedish Defence University, has long been interested in collaboration, leadership, and crisis management. She wrote her dissertation on how collaboration functions in a crisis by examining how various actors in Turkey managed two earthquakes that occurred in the southeastern parts of the country in 2011.

"I interviewed different actors at the national, regional, and local levels, down to neighborhood elders. I also spoke with volunteer organizations to find out how they viewed the collaboration. I wanted to know what didn't work and what made collaboration easier."

In this particular case, several circumstances complicated the work.

"The earthquakes occurred in an area traditionally populated by Kurds, so there were both historical and political tensions. Collaboration is difficult under normal circumstances, but even more so in such a context."

Collaboration as the holy grail of crisis management

For Helena Hermansson, the work became theoretically interesting, especially since established truths about collaboration turned out to be incorrect when put to the test.

"Collaboration is seen a bit like a holy grail in disaster and crisis management. There's often a thought that 'if we just solve this collaboration issue,' the management of the disaster or crisis will be much better. But in my study, I saw that in some cases, things went better when collaboration was avoided."

This was especially true for rescue operations, where the Turkish state wanted to collaborate with all volunteer organizations and in some cases control in which areas they could work.

"And that was mainly in areas that politically supported the government. Fortunately, some volunteer organizations avoided subordination. Then help arrived faster and reached more people when they did not need to coordinate."

Context matters

Helena Hermansson, however, notes that this was a rather unique case but emphasizes that one always needs to consider the task, context, and political-administrative context when working with collaboration.

"It's something that's often forgotten. People look at collaboration as if it exists in a little bubble, but the collaborating actors are part of an existing system. It greatly influences how collaboration unfolds or what obstacles arise."

For example, the UN's international guidelines for disaster risk reduction emphasize decentralization, which Turkey has also followed.

"After a major earthquake in 1999, they adapted their methods to the international guidelines, but since the disaster management system is embedded in a larger political-administrative whole, it became locked. And after a few years, the system became even more centralized than before. Perhaps it would have been better to let the original centralized system work until maturity and capacity regarding disaster management issues had developed locally?"

Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science

Helena Hermansson has been connected to the Center of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science since her doctoral studies, an interdisciplinary research center aiming to promote disaster risk reduction and help societies better prevent and manage natural disasters and risks.

"The research in the field is highly relevant now as more countries will be affected by natural disasters more frequently due to climate changes. Therefore, it feels so meaningful to study disasters in countries that are frequently affected. Most countries where natural disasters occur often have a system more similar to, for example, Turkey than to Sweden."

"I wondered where it came from and remembered when I was 22 years old and working at a hotel on Orust. One day, the owner handed me a large set of keys and announced that I would be responsible for the facility for a few days while he was away."

That night, Orust was hit by one of the worst downpours in memory. Roads and bridges were washed away, and basements were flooded.

"The hotel's basement where I worked was also flooded, and when I called the rescue service to get a pump, there was no help available; they were overwhelmed. I remember feeling that this weather event somehow exposed the flaws in the system. Disasters really bring matters to a head and expose things that are hidden beneath the surface."

Civil-military cooperation

She has also volunteered with the Red Cross for many years, and her interest in disaster management and preparedness has been a part of much of her adult life. Today, she still researches collaboration but focuses on civil-military collaboration.

"I'm looking at the collaboration between civilian and military actors in light of the buildup of the Swedish total defense. It's an interesting area with many different types of actors with varying mandates, tasks, roles, and expectations that is also very relevant right now."

Josefin Svensson