Systems Thinking for Integrated Operations: Introducing a Systemic Approach to Operational Art for Disaster Relief

摘要

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a national debate emerged regarding the ability of the Federal Government to coordinate the actions of multiple departments and agencies. The most significant obstacle to conducting synchronized, coordinated interagency operations is the way each agency approaches problem solving. While the Hurricane Katrina response is considered by many to be an anomaly, there is ample evidence that the government's problems in Katrina were not isolated phenomena. This study proposes that much of the difficulty in dealing with other agencies lies in how each organization approaches problem solving and how they design operations based on how they understand the problem. The absence of operational art and systemic thinking led the federal response to Katrina to less than impressive results. The events of Katrina revealed a failure to focus and coordinate efforts at the tactical level, and a disconnect between national policy and implementation. Systemic Operational Design (SOD) offers a methodology that has tremendous potential for alleviating some of the obstacles to effective integrated operations, reducing tension between agencies, and improving interagency cooperation. Introducing operational art through systems thinking may bridge the gap in interagency cooperation, and would benefit interagency operations both domestically and overseas.