4
Consequence management
4.1 Consequence management approach Finding 10 The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) finds the sector values consequence management as an approach that fosters: •
consideration of the wider ramifications of an emergency event, including appropriate actions and the coordination of broader sector organisations and partners
•
a way to think about and adapt to non-traditional and unanticipated emergencies.
IGEM finds that the consequence management approach is diffusing broadly across the sector, but with different understandings and applications across and between local, regional and state tiers. Most stakeholders agreed that consequence management has or could provide value to the sector. Stakeholders reflected that consequence management encouraged broader thinking and a change of focus from the initial response to considering the wider effects of emergency events. This included considering all phases of the emergency, the range of organisations, community and industry partners to be coordinated and supported in response and recovery. Stakeholders reported the value of consequence management is to enable broad, longer-term thinking which: •
aids understanding of the cascading and compounding consequences that potentially have larger negative effects than the initial impacts
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creates a common focus on community needs
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expands the courses of actions considered during response and to aid in recovery
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identifies a broader range of organisations, community and industry partners to be coordinated in response and recovery
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identifies potentially specific individuals and groups within the affected community with different recovery needs.
One stakeholder described the value of using a consequence ‘lens’ as: It makes a massive difference to … the questions you're asking. The information you're gathering actually then starts to build much more sophisticated intelligence into the decision-making. A few stakeholders raised that a valuable aspect of consequence management was its promotion of a shift from ‘siloed’ organisation thinking to broader-sector considerations. Consequence management encourages a focus on community needs and sector collaboration to address those needs most efficiently. Throughout the review, the term ‘approach’ rather than ‘process’ has been more appropriate to apply to consequence management. Most stakeholders described consequence management as an approach that supports effective coordination and decision-making. Stakeholders highlighted the value of continuing to apply consequence management as an approach as it facilitates dynamic and adaptive thinking in all emergencies.
