Partnerships in the recovery planning process

Lessons from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Irma

Bibliographic Data

ID15307170
AuthorsAshlyn Tom (0000-0001-9561-4846, RAND Corporation, corresponding author), Alice Kim (0000-0001-9874-6166, RAND Corporation)
Year2024
Volume33
Issue4
Pages321-334
Publication date2024-04-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDisaster Prevention and Management An International Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-3562 • E-ISSN: 1758-6100
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/dpm-09-2022-0205
OpenAlexW4394808628
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited34

Purpose To assess which partnerships were most critical during the recovery planning process following Hurricanes Maria and Irma. We discuss the roles and impact of different types of partners, barriers and facilitators to partnerships and lessons in collaboration during the development of the economic and disaster recovery plan for Puerto Rico. Design/methodology/approach The Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) was tasked with assisting the Puerto Rican government with an assessment of damages from Hurricanes Maria and Irma and the development of the Recovery Plan. During the process, a small team compiled and coded a database of meetings with non-HSOAC partners. The team was divided into sector teams that mirrored FEMA’s Recovery Support Functions. Each sector completed two surveys identifying high impact partners and their roles and contributions, as well as barriers and facilitators to partnerships. Findings A total of 1,382 engagements were recorded across all sectors over seven months. The most frequently identified high impact partners were federal and Puerto Rican governmental organizations partners. NGOs and nonprofits were noted as key partners in obtaining community perspective. Sector teams cited a lack of trust and difficulty identifying partners as barriers to partner engagement. Given the expedited nature of disaster response, establishing partnerships before disasters occur may help facilitate community input. Early networking, increased transparency and defining roles and responsibilities may increase trust and effectiveness among partnerships. Originality/value To our knowledge, this is one of the few studies that quantifies and illustrates the partnerships formed and their contributions during recovery planning, and lessons learned

Business · Damages · Disaster recovery · Government (linguistics · Homeland security · Political science · Public relations · Terrorism · Transparency (behavior · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management · Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research

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Open DOI