Identification of information gaps in civil-military cooperation in disaster management

Abstract

The efficient management of natural and manmade disasters typically represents a major information exchange and coordination challenge, as in most countries a number of organizations are involved in all phases of the disaster management cycle. In this paper, we introduce the approach of the Austrian national project INKA, which aims at improving civil-military interoperability between the Austrian Armed Forces and the corresponding federal state level institutions through the introduction of IT-supported information exchange that is free of media discontinuities. Apart from providing a comprehensive overview of our interdisciplinary research methodology, we present a number of important early results which are based on a detailed qualitative assessment of stakeholder requirements. Finally, we provide an outlook on our next steps towards designing a valuable IT-platform for civil-military interoperability in Austria.