Course syllabus

Introduction to Disaster Response Management
Ledning och samverkan vid samhällsstörningar

VRSN11, 7.5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2024/25
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering LTH
Decided by: PLED BI/RH
Date of Decision: 2024-04-04
Effective: 2024-05-08

General Information

Main field: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Depth of study relative to the degree requirements: Second cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Mandatory for: MKAT1
Elective for: R4, RH4
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

Contents

Field description

Disaster response management is a broad and multidisciplinary field. A key element, and a challenge, with any disaster response management effort, is to achieve direction and coordination among multiple actors. Direction refers to e.g. overall goals with mission, or the prioritization of activities. Coordination refers to the need for making things happen in the right order, avoid unnecessary duplications, or create synergies. Direction & coordination is always oriented towards meeting various needs, such as saving lives, need for evacuation, or need for stopping the cause behind the disaster. In order to generate direction and coordination a disaster response manager should understand the contextual conditions associated with disaster response management. Furthermore, she or he needs to understand how decisions typically are made. Finally, the disaster manager needs to understand the requirements for functional leadership and organizational forms.

Course components

The main components of the course consist of:

An important prerequisite for achieving the requirements in this course is to enable analyses based on theoretical understanding and practical insights. The practical insights will be made possible through lectures given by experienced practitioners from the field.

The students will also take part in table top exercises focused on practising disaster response management in fictive cases.

The course content is applicable nationally as well as internationally and suitable for those who are interested in working with issues concerning disaster response management at different levels of society. Examples of associated actors are national, regional and local authorities, health care, fire and rescue services, private companies and humanitarian organizations.

The course includes mandatory group project work, which is based on real cases. The project work is to be presented in writing, in the form of a report. Last, the students will be examined through a written examination.

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: Approved written group assignment, and approved written individual examination.

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.

Modules
Code: 0119. Name: Written Examination.
Credits: 5.0. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5). Assessment: Approved examination trough individual written examination The module includes: Written examination
Code: 0219. Name: Written Home Assignment.
Credits: 2.5. Grading scale: UG - (U, G). Assessment: Group assignment with written report, approved individual report. The module includes: Group assignment with written report, individual report.

Admission

Admission requirements:

The number of participants is limited to: 40
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.
Kursen överlappar följande kurser: VRSN10

Reading list

Contact

Course coordinator: Tove Frykmer, tove.frykmer@risk.lth.se
Course administrator: Linnéa Ekman, linnea.ekman@ebd.lth.se

Further information

In group assignments and seminars, active participation is required. 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.