This course emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of emergency response managers in the different phases of crises response. The students learn about operational patterns and leadership within emergency response action especially at tactical and operational level. Team leadership skills to ensure good coordination, communication and control is highlighted. In this course, we elaborate on special challenges related to joint and complex operations, and emergency response in challenging contexts that may call for improvisation and innovative skills. This course is connected to table top and simulation-based training in NORDLAB and participation in Exercise Nord, the full-scale exercise arranged yearly by Nord University.

Costs for semester registration and course litterature apply.

Knowledge

Students

• Have advanced knowledge about central theories within preparedness and management in emergency response
• Have knowledge about team organizing
• Have specific knowledge about the different managerial roles, responsibilities and mechanisms for coordination, communication and control in emergency response
• Have advanced knowledge about management and decision-support systems for emergency preparedness actors
• Have specific knowledge of challenges related to high complexity environments

Skills

Students

• Are able to collaborate with and govern operations that involve  several emergency preparedness actors, both civil and military, volunteers and professional
• Are able to recognize different roles in emergency preparedness organizations and allocate tasks according to context
• Have skills in evaluating different mechanisms and tools for coordination and control
• Are able to analyze challenges related to task-force management in different environments
• Are able to develop the capabilities for improvisation and innovation under uncertainty

General competences

Students

• Are able to acquire research-based knowledge of management at strategic, operational and tactical level in emergency preparedness organizations
• Are able reflect on the management approaches of relevance to an emergency response organization
• Are able to discuss the academic topics within the course based on theory and experience from own practice

Mandatory

Current admission requirements for Master in preparedness and emergency management

Lectures, work in groups, self-study and exercises in simulator lab.

English language

Evaluation using mid-term and final surveys. Students are also encouraged to participate in the central quality surveys.

Take-home examination (individual), 2 weeks, grading scale A-E, Beste A, Ikke bestått F

The reading list can be found in Leganto