From discussions to games: Facilitating interactions between experts from aviation and humanitarian aid

This paper concentrates on methods to facilitate interaction and exchange knowledge between different expert groups. The specific case examined is on expert groups from the aviation and humanitarian context. Both are highly complex, multidisciplinary systems where stakeholders work under high time pressure and uncertainty and in a complex decision-making environment. Especially during a sudden on-set (natural) disaster, stakeholders from the humanitarian field and airport management need to work closely together to guarantee the most efficient way of handling issues like overwhelmed customs officials, unsolicited aid donations and unsafe or unprepared warehouses. While several approaches are available, the question still remains: which method works best to create a mutual understanding between these two worlds. To answer it, three different approaches have been examined: (1) discussion rounds with experts (2) gaming-related method and (3) simulation game. The set-ups as well as the results will be described and pros and cons of each method discussed.