Crisis information management: From technological potential to societal impact

Every day we are making decisions, both in our personal and professional lives. These decisions range from choices regarding our mode of transport to our daily grocery shopping, and from investment decisions to choices about marketing strategies. Today, for each of these decisions, we can rely on a wide range of information sources and tools to aid us in these decision-making processes. Spurred on by technical developments and economic incentives, information has become a common commodity in our society. When confronted with a crisis, we find ourselves in an unexpected and unknown situation in which quick action is needed to remedy the situation or prevent escalation. In such cases, information plays a vital role, for example, in assessing our options and reducing uncertainty. Information allows decision makers to assess the situation, evaluate alternatives, and coordinate efforts between different stakeholders, for example. The phrase “information saves lives,” commonly uttered in crisis responses, exemplifies this importance. Nevertheless, existing approaches to getting information may no longer be sufficient, reliable, or even accessible. A crisis therefore requires all stakeholders, from formal responders to affected citizens, to quickly re-design their information flows using an effective organization of people, technology, processes, and sources.