Course syllabus

Beredskap och planering
Preparedness and Planning

VBRN40, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2023/24
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering, LTH
Decided by: PLED BI/RH
Date of Decision: 2023-04-20

General Information

Main field: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
Compulsory for: MKAT1
Elective for: BI4, RH4, R4, BR4
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

• prepare the students so that they are able to work to develop an effective preparedness for disasters in various contexts.
• provide a foundation for students interested in research to be used as a base for their research on risk reduction and preparedness issues.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the prerequisites and challenges for effective disaster preparedness.
• demonstrate understanding of the complementary nature of preparedness planning and contingency planning.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• demonstrate the ability to plan and evaluate an effective preparedness to manage needs that arise from and the consequences of future disasters, both as response and recovery.
• demonstrate the ability to present and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in speech and writing to different audiences in both national and international contexts.
• demonstrate the ability to work constructively in a team and communicate effectively with people from other disciplines.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• demonstrate the ability to reflect on societal and ethical issues concerning preparedness and planning for disasters.
• demonstrate ability to reflect on the own needs for further knowledge and for ongoing improvement of competence.

Contents

In order to facilitate students meeting the aim and objectives, a variety of learning activities are used in the course.

• Cases/scenario descriptions, where people who have been involved in the management of real-life disasters give an account of their experiences and the complexity of issues managed during an after a disaster.
• Lectures where important aspects of preparedness work are introduced and discussed, e.g. people’s needs and behaviour in disaster situations; risk, vulnerability, and needs assessments as input to preparedness planning; preparedness and contingency planning processes; early warning systems; simulation exercises; and coordination systems/processes.
• Literature seminars designed to make the students engage actively in the course literature and debate different views on central aspects, e.g. preparedness ideals vs reality constraints.
• Exercises to deepen understanding of and skills in utilising major preparedness tools such as contingency planning and simulation exercises. These exercises are conducted as supervised projects where the students in groups first develop a contingency plan for a certain hazard in a certain context. Thereafter the groups exchange plans and develops and conducts a simulation exercise to test planning assumptions etc.
• Project assignment where the students (in groups) practice teamwork while addressing a topic central to preparedness and planning. The students choose a topic for the assignment after consultation with course management. The assignment is conducted as a supervised project where the students, after researching the chosen topic, designs and conducts a learning activity for the rest of the class. The learning activity is also recorded in a written session plan.

 

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U,3,4,5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: Written individual course paper and approved group project. The group project shall be reported both orally and in writing.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Parts
Code: 0114. Name: Preparedness and Planning.
Credits: 7,5. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: Individual Paper
Code: 0214. Name: Group Assignment.
Credits: 0. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Written report and oral presentation.

Admission

Admission requirements:

• Admitted to the Master's Programme in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation or to the Programme Risk Management and Safety Engineering or have a minimum of 150 hp from a five-year engineering programme or from the Fire Safety Engineering Programme at LTH.

The number of participants is limited to: 50
Selection: Completed university credits within the program. Within programs where the course is given as a compulsory course students are guaranteed admission. Thereafter priority is given to students enrolled in programs that include the course in the curriculum.
The course overlaps following course/s: VBR225

Reading list

• Abrahamsson M. et al: Analytical input to emergency preparedness planning at the municipal level – a case study. 2007. In Proceedings of Disaster Recovery and Relief: Current and Future Approaches (TIEMS 2007), Trogir, Croatia.
• Alexander, D.: Towards the development of a standard in emergency planning. Emerald., 2005. Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 14, no 2.
• Allen, K.M.: Community-based disaster preparedness and climate adaptation: local capacity-building in the Philippines. Wiley, 2006. Disasters, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 81-101.
• Choularton, R.: Contingency planning and humanitarian action: A review of practice. London: Overseas Development Institute., 2007. Humanitarian Practice Network Paper No. 59.
• Coppola, D. P.: Introduction to international disaster management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann (Elsevier)., 2007.
• Enander, A.: Human needs and behaviour in the event of emergencies and social crises. Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Karlstad., 2010. In Fredholm, L. & Göransson A-L (Eds) Emergency Response Management in Today’s Complex Society.
• Basher, R.: Global early warning systems for natural hazards: systematic and people centred., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 364. Royal Society of London, 2006. Pp. 2167-2182.
• IFRC: Contingency planning guide. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, Switzerland., 2012.
• Meyer, R. J.: Why we under-prepare for hazards. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press., 2006. In R. J. Daniels, D. F. Kettl, & H. Kunreuther (Eds.), On risk and disaster: Lessons from hurricane katrina. (pp. 153-74).
• McConnell, A. & Drennan, L. : Mission Impossible? Planning and Preparing for Crisis. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK., 2006. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 14, no 2.
• Perry, R.W. & Lindell, M.K.: Preparedness for Emergency Response: Guidelines for the Emergency Planning. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK., 2003. Disasters, vol. 27, no 4.
• Wachtendorf, T. & Kendra, J. M.: Improvising Disaster in the City of Jazz: Organizational Response to Hurricane Katrina., Understanding Katrina – Perspectives from the Social Sciences. Social Science Research Council. Brooklyn, NY., 2006.

Contact and other information

Course coordinator: Marcus Abrahamsson, marcus.abrahamsson@risk.lth.se
Course administrator: Linnéa Ekman, linnea.ekman@ebd.lth.se
Further information: Active participation in group work is mandatory. Each group member must be able to present and answer for the contents of the joint report. A student who does not meet the demands of active participation, or disregard their obligations, can be replaced to another group or failed by the examiner.