An institutional response framework to enhance disaster risk reduction: a public sector perspective

This study presents the Institutional Pressure and Response Mechanism (IPRM) framework to illustrate the complex interactions between pressures and institutional responsiveness while suggesting inter-operational network mechanisms to assist in bridging response gaps. While public sector organisations grapple with the perpetual challenge of making decisions given the ambiguous, uncertain and complex characteristics of hazards, exploring the nature of institutional pressures emanating from stakeholder expectations and demands, the mechanisms that drive institutional responses and the typology of responses that can be deployed to reduce risks is crucial.

The findings suggest that key response antecedents may include media intervention, political interest and international non-government organisation intervention. Furthermore, this paper discusses bridging mechanisms such as public-private partnerships, private-social partnerships and co-management that can be leveraged to facilitate responses for interoperability among DRR organisational field constituents in the study location with lessons learned from examples of best practice.