Redefining Readiness: Terrorism Planning Through the Eyes of the Public

Explores the American public's reactions to two specific kinds of terrorist attacks -- a smallpox outbreak and the explosion of a dirty bomb -- as well as their perceptions about terrorism preparedness planning activities

The motivations for the adoption of management innovation by local governments and its performance effects

This article analyses the economic, political and institutional antecedents and performance effects of the adoption of shared Senior Management Teams (SMTs) – a management innovation (MI) that occurs when a team of senior managers oversees two or more public organizations. Findings from statistical analysis of 201 English local governments and interviews with organizational leaders reveal that shared SMTs are adopted to develop organisational capacity in resource‐challenged, politically risk‐averse governments, and in response to coercive and mimetic institutional pressures. Importantly, sharing SMTs may reduce rather than enhance efficiency and effectiveness due to redundancy costs and the political transaction costs associated with diverting resources away from a high‐performing partner to support their lower‐performing counterpart

Creating partnership synergy: the critical role of community stakeholders. J Health Hum Serv Adm 2003;26:119–39

ABSTRACT While there are compelling reasons for professionals in health and human services administration to collaborate with other stakeholders in the community, the experience with such partnerships thus far has generated more frustration than results. Recent research on partnership synergy-a key indicator of a successful collaboration processsuggests that many of these partnerships are inadvertently compromising their own success by the way they involve community stakeholders. Applying research findings to current practice, this article shows how the ability of a partnership to understand and address complex problems-and sustain interventions over time-is related to who is involved in the partnership, how community stakeholders are involved, and the leadership and management of the partnership. The article addresses key challenges that health and human services administrators face when they seek to optimize the role of community stakeholders in partnership

Engaging the Community in Decision Making: Case Studies Tracking Participation, Voice and Influence

In recent years, the rapidly growing field of community participation has promised to give people formerly excluded from decision making an influential voice about issues that affect their lives. Inclusive processes implemented in the United States and internationally have certainly given community members new opportunities to participate and be involved, but how effective are these processes in promoting the voice and influence of the people who have historically been excluded the most--the poorest, least educated, and most marginalized residents in communities? Of the various participants who have "a seat at the table," whose voices are influential, whose aren't, and why? This book summarizes how five community partnerships, working with a team of researchers, attempted to answer these critical questions. Investigating 10 cases--two from each community partnership--the study tracks the ideas of everyone involved and reveals how and why the ideas of marginalized and ordinary residents were far less likely to be influential than those of people with more clout, resources, or acknowledged expertise. Finally, the authors explain how and why these influence inequities can be overcome, providing readers with practical, evidence-based tools to help them do so. The book should be helpful to readers involved in any form of active community participation, from participatory research to civic engagement, deliberative democracy, and community initiatives. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here

With The Public's Knowledge, We Can Make Sheltering In Place Possible: Redefining Readiness

In different kinds of emergencies, people need to be able to protect themselves in different ways. One such protective strategy involves "sheltering in place," which means staying inside whatever building you happen to be in at the time of the emergency or, if you are outside, going into an undamaged building nearby and staying there for a period that may last hours to several days. Officials will instruct people in a danger zone to shelter in place if an explosion or chemical spill releases toxic dust, fumes, radiation, or chemicals outside. Community residents may want to protect themselves this way if an emergency like an electrical blackout or snowstorm makes it very difficult or unsafe for them to go anywhere else. Depending on when the emergency occurs, many of the people who need to shelter in place may be somewhere other than their homes - for example, at work, school, or shopping — apart from other household members.In 2004, the Redefining Readiness study found that many people will not be able to shelter in place in an emergency. Exploring how the American public would handle a "dirty bomb" explosion, the study found that only three-fifths (59%) of the population would stay inside a building other than their own home for as long as officials told them. This is cause for concern because people who do not shelter in place will endanger themselves and others. When they go outside, they will expose themselves to toxic dust and radiation, and when they open the door to leave, they will put others in the building at risk by letting dust and radiation inside. If people with critical responsibilities leave their work places, the people who remain will lack needed support in handling the emergency and, in some cases, needed care as well (such as care for children in a day care center or for dependent residents in a nursing home). If a lot of people in the danger zone do not shelter in place, they will crowd the streets and roads when they leave their buildings, making it more difficult for first responders to get to the scene of the explosion