Research Focus

Optimizing operations

Post-disaster operations have relatively short-term duration (months), high urgency and high uncertainty. Development operations have relatively long-term duration (years), low urgency and low uncertainty. While post-disaster operations aim to maximize the level of service offered to beneficiaries subject to budget and capacity constraints, development operations aim to minimize cost subject to an acceptable level of service. Humanitarian organizations often implement post-disaster and development operations simultaneously. We combine post-disaster with development research to analyze their mix using the disaster-management-cycle framework. This framework includes response and rehabilitation (post-disaster operations), and mitigation and preparedness (development operations).

Operations management and armed conflict

Armed conflicts impose additional challenges compared to humanitarian operations for disaster response.These challenges include the safety of the humanitarian workers and the mobility of victims who often become internally displaced persons or refugees. We follow an interdisciplinary approach to understand the complexity of armed conflicts and their implications for humanitarian operations.

Global supply chain management and decentralization

International humanitarian organizations (IHOs) manage global supply chains that face unique challenges in terms of access to beneficiaries, speed of response, equity, and cost of aid distribution. IHOs often locate their headquarters in developed countries (close to donors). IHOs’ field programs operate in remote regions all over the world (close to beneficiaries) and often collaborate with local organizations (implementing partners). Headquarters, field programs, and implementing partners may have different incentives that are difficult to align. We study global humanitarian supply chains that are run by decentralized IHOs with the support of local implementing partners.

Donations and volunteer management

Donors are the main source of funding for humanitarian operations. Donors may give cash, in-kind items, and time (volunteering). Cash donors prefer the autonomy to earmark their donations. Humanitarian organizations allow earmarking, but earmarking imposes constraints on the organizations’ supply chains. Donors may also give in-kind donations that create logistics challenges. Volunteers donate their time and expect a fulfilling experience from volunteering. They are not subject to contracts, which makes them different from employees who are compensated through salary. We study the behavior of donors and volunteers as a critical component of humanitarian operations.

Humanitarian information management

Before disasters happen, information supports mitigation and preparedness. During post-disaster operations, information is the basis for needs assessments that determine demand and deployments to deliver aid to beneficiaries. Information helps humanitarian organizations and other stakeholders, such as academics, to evaluate the impact of humanitarian operations. We explore the vital role of information for planning, monitoring, and evaluation of humanitarian operations and disaster management.