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Volume 13, Issue 4 (Winter 2024)
Disaster Prev. Manag. Know. 2024, 13(4): 408-433 |
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Samadi Foroushani M, Nasiri Mahini Z. Analysis of the Cooperation Network of Psycho-social Recovery Activists in Disasters Based on the National Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Program of Iran's Disaster Management. Disaster Prev. Manag. Know. 2024; 13 (4) :408-433
URL: http://dpmk.ir/article-1-643-en.html
URL: http://dpmk.ir/article-1-643-en.html
1- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Eyvanekey, Eyvanekey, Iran and Researcher, Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Social Work, Social Sciences Faculty, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. Psychosocial Recovery Consultant, Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Social Work, Social Sciences Faculty, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. Psychosocial Recovery Consultant, Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Disaster management, Network analysis, Cooperation, Reconstruction and rehabilitation, Recovery
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Introduction
In 2022, the Emergency Event Database (EM-DAT) recorded 387 hazards and natural disasters worldwide, resulting in 30,704 deaths and affecting 185 million people. Disaster management involves organizing and managing resources and responsibilities to address all humanitarian aspects of emergencies—particularly preparedness, response, and recovery—to lessen the impacts of disasters (Payab et al., 2023). Following emergency responses aimed at saving lives, protecting assets, and meeting the needs of affected individuals, initial recovery commences concurrently with response operations. These initial recovery efforts across various dimensions extend beyond the response phase into long-term recovery, encompassing reconstruction and rehabilitation (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 2011).
Reconstruction and rehabilitation focus on two main phases: initial recovery, which involves managing destruction and debris, temporary resettlement, early economic activity revival, and infrastructure restoration; and long-term recovery, which includes planning and programs for human settlements, housing recovery, reconstruction of non-residential areas, infrastructure rebuilding, psychosocial rehabilitation, and environmental restoration. Given the underrepresentation of the psychosocial dimension in crisis management literature (Dückers et al., 2017), this research emphasizes the psychosocial rehabilitation of disaster-impacted communities. Psychosocial rehabilitation encompasses the processes and measures undertaken post-disaster to empower and enhance the resilience of the affected community or society, enabling them to resume normal life (Iran’s National Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Program, 2021).
To mitigate the destructive impact of crises, considered wicked problems, expertise and coordination among various actors and organizations are required. Additionally, challenges often extend beyond organizational boundaries, policy-making, and administrative levels. They typically involve complex, multi-level actors, multi-sector involvement, uncertain knowledge, and ambiguous goals. There is a need to enhance the governance system and develop capacities with a focus on integrated management and interdepartmental coordination. Consequently, this study analyzed the cooperation network for Recovery rehabilitation of disasters to assess the distribution of legal power among actors using the methodology of social network analysis. It also provided policy recommendations to improve the cooperation network for psychosocial rehabilitation of disasters based on laws, showcasing the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program of Iran’s crisis management.
Methods
Employing the critical paradigm framework, this research applies social network analysis to evaluate the cooperation system as a tool for analyzing complex communication networks. This facilitates future cooperation among actors and offers a novel approach for analyzing the cooperation system. The study included measures before and after the occurrence of a disaster, comprising a total of 228 cases and 27 responsible actors and collaborators from the psycho-social recovery department under the long-term recovery chapter of the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program (clause c, article 4 of Iran’s crisis management law). Following the extraction of program rules, responsible and cooperating actors were identified. Based on the frequency of collaboration between organizations and institutions, the cooperation network matrix was inputted for analysis. The cooperation network of responsible and cooperative actors was analyzed using Ucinet software based on indicators such as degree centrality, betweenness centrality, cohesion, density, and geodesic distance. The network was visualized using NetDraw software. Figure 1 illustrates the cooperation network of psycho-social recovery activists of accidents and disasters based on the degree centrality index.
Results
The analysis of the degree centrality index for recovery rehabilitation activists in accidents and disasters revealed that the country’s Welfare Organization (ORG 02) and the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (ORG 03) have the highest degree of centrality in the network, significantly surpassing others. Following them, the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 04), the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare (ORG 05), and the country’s Crisis Management Organization (ORG 01) also show high centrality. In contrast, many key actors, such as non-governmental organizations (ORG 23), the Judiciary (ORG 06), the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade (ORG 07), the General Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 18), and the Iranian Statistics Center (ORG 15) display very weak degree centrality in the cooperation network. Subsequently, actors like the municipality (ORG 24), the Ministry of Interior (ORG 20), the Ministry of Education (ORG 12), the social service center (ORG 08), and academic centers (ORG 13) exhibit a weak degree of centrality. The betweenness centrality analysis indicates that the Welfare Organization (ORG 02) holds the most influence, followed by the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare (ORG 05), the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (ORG 03), the Crisis Management Organization (ORG 01), and the Red Crescent Society (ORG 04), each with intermediate power. According to the density index, the cooperation network among the actors lacks sufficient cohesion, and the network appears somewhat fragmented. The geodesic distance index highlights that the proximity between the Welfare Organization (ORG 02) and certain actors, such as private sector counseling centers (ORG 27), private sector social work clinics (ORG 26), forensic medicine (ORG 14), the Iran Statistics Center (ORG 15), and the Judiciary (ORG 25), facilitates rapid exchange and circulation of cooperation information among network actors. Conversely, entities like the Municipality (ORG 24), the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (ORG 09), the Social Service Center (ORG 08), non-governmental organizations (ORG 23), the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade (ORG 19), the General Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 17), the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad (ORG 22), and the Social Security Organization (ORG 16) may experience delays in cooperation due to their geographical distance within the network and low legal power.
Conclusion
The findings reveal the planners’ attitudes towards psycho-social recovery measures post-accident, highlighting several challenges within the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program. These challenges pertain to the principles of prompt intervention in physical-psychological and social rehabilitation, accessibility processes for temporary accommodation and housing recovery, attention to economic rehabilitation, and services for vulnerable population groups. Additionally, the network analysis results show an imbalance in power distribution within the network, with power predominantly concentrated in the Welfare Organization and the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. Based on these findings, there is a need to expand network cooperation with actors such as the media, banks, investment funds, public governing institutions, and other key entities. Furthermore, strengthening the legal power in the decision-making processes of non-governmental organizations, programs, budgets, municipalities, universities and research centers, the Ministry of Education, the Social Security Organization, social service centers, and the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade could enhance the cooperation network.
Given the inadequate cohesion of the psycho-social recovery activists’ cooperation network and the unbalanced distribution of legal power among activists in the current structure, optimal implementation of psycho-social support services in accidents and disasters cannot be guaranteed. This research applies complex communication network analysis, demonstrating its effectiveness through the study of the psycho-social recovery activists’ cooperation network in accidents and disasters.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
All ethical principles were observed in this study.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Authors' contributions
Conceptualization, methodology, and writing the original draft: Marzieh Samadi Forushani; Data analysis, Review and editing: All authors.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the support of Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization (TDMMO).
In 2022, the Emergency Event Database (EM-DAT) recorded 387 hazards and natural disasters worldwide, resulting in 30,704 deaths and affecting 185 million people. Disaster management involves organizing and managing resources and responsibilities to address all humanitarian aspects of emergencies—particularly preparedness, response, and recovery—to lessen the impacts of disasters (Payab et al., 2023). Following emergency responses aimed at saving lives, protecting assets, and meeting the needs of affected individuals, initial recovery commences concurrently with response operations. These initial recovery efforts across various dimensions extend beyond the response phase into long-term recovery, encompassing reconstruction and rehabilitation (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 2011).
Reconstruction and rehabilitation focus on two main phases: initial recovery, which involves managing destruction and debris, temporary resettlement, early economic activity revival, and infrastructure restoration; and long-term recovery, which includes planning and programs for human settlements, housing recovery, reconstruction of non-residential areas, infrastructure rebuilding, psychosocial rehabilitation, and environmental restoration. Given the underrepresentation of the psychosocial dimension in crisis management literature (Dückers et al., 2017), this research emphasizes the psychosocial rehabilitation of disaster-impacted communities. Psychosocial rehabilitation encompasses the processes and measures undertaken post-disaster to empower and enhance the resilience of the affected community or society, enabling them to resume normal life (Iran’s National Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Program, 2021).
To mitigate the destructive impact of crises, considered wicked problems, expertise and coordination among various actors and organizations are required. Additionally, challenges often extend beyond organizational boundaries, policy-making, and administrative levels. They typically involve complex, multi-level actors, multi-sector involvement, uncertain knowledge, and ambiguous goals. There is a need to enhance the governance system and develop capacities with a focus on integrated management and interdepartmental coordination. Consequently, this study analyzed the cooperation network for Recovery rehabilitation of disasters to assess the distribution of legal power among actors using the methodology of social network analysis. It also provided policy recommendations to improve the cooperation network for psychosocial rehabilitation of disasters based on laws, showcasing the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program of Iran’s crisis management.
Methods
Employing the critical paradigm framework, this research applies social network analysis to evaluate the cooperation system as a tool for analyzing complex communication networks. This facilitates future cooperation among actors and offers a novel approach for analyzing the cooperation system. The study included measures before and after the occurrence of a disaster, comprising a total of 228 cases and 27 responsible actors and collaborators from the psycho-social recovery department under the long-term recovery chapter of the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program (clause c, article 4 of Iran’s crisis management law). Following the extraction of program rules, responsible and cooperating actors were identified. Based on the frequency of collaboration between organizations and institutions, the cooperation network matrix was inputted for analysis. The cooperation network of responsible and cooperative actors was analyzed using Ucinet software based on indicators such as degree centrality, betweenness centrality, cohesion, density, and geodesic distance. The network was visualized using NetDraw software. Figure 1 illustrates the cooperation network of psycho-social recovery activists of accidents and disasters based on the degree centrality index.
Results
The analysis of the degree centrality index for recovery rehabilitation activists in accidents and disasters revealed that the country’s Welfare Organization (ORG 02) and the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (ORG 03) have the highest degree of centrality in the network, significantly surpassing others. Following them, the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 04), the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare (ORG 05), and the country’s Crisis Management Organization (ORG 01) also show high centrality. In contrast, many key actors, such as non-governmental organizations (ORG 23), the Judiciary (ORG 06), the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade (ORG 07), the General Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 18), and the Iranian Statistics Center (ORG 15) display very weak degree centrality in the cooperation network. Subsequently, actors like the municipality (ORG 24), the Ministry of Interior (ORG 20), the Ministry of Education (ORG 12), the social service center (ORG 08), and academic centers (ORG 13) exhibit a weak degree of centrality. The betweenness centrality analysis indicates that the Welfare Organization (ORG 02) holds the most influence, followed by the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare (ORG 05), the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (ORG 03), the Crisis Management Organization (ORG 01), and the Red Crescent Society (ORG 04), each with intermediate power. According to the density index, the cooperation network among the actors lacks sufficient cohesion, and the network appears somewhat fragmented. The geodesic distance index highlights that the proximity between the Welfare Organization (ORG 02) and certain actors, such as private sector counseling centers (ORG 27), private sector social work clinics (ORG 26), forensic medicine (ORG 14), the Iran Statistics Center (ORG 15), and the Judiciary (ORG 25), facilitates rapid exchange and circulation of cooperation information among network actors. Conversely, entities like the Municipality (ORG 24), the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (ORG 09), the Social Service Center (ORG 08), non-governmental organizations (ORG 23), the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade (ORG 19), the General Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (ORG 17), the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad (ORG 22), and the Social Security Organization (ORG 16) may experience delays in cooperation due to their geographical distance within the network and low legal power.
Conclusion
The findings reveal the planners’ attitudes towards psycho-social recovery measures post-accident, highlighting several challenges within the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program. These challenges pertain to the principles of prompt intervention in physical-psychological and social rehabilitation, accessibility processes for temporary accommodation and housing recovery, attention to economic rehabilitation, and services for vulnerable population groups. Additionally, the network analysis results show an imbalance in power distribution within the network, with power predominantly concentrated in the Welfare Organization and the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. Based on these findings, there is a need to expand network cooperation with actors such as the media, banks, investment funds, public governing institutions, and other key entities. Furthermore, strengthening the legal power in the decision-making processes of non-governmental organizations, programs, budgets, municipalities, universities and research centers, the Ministry of Education, the Social Security Organization, social service centers, and the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade could enhance the cooperation network.
Given the inadequate cohesion of the psycho-social recovery activists’ cooperation network and the unbalanced distribution of legal power among activists in the current structure, optimal implementation of psycho-social support services in accidents and disasters cannot be guaranteed. This research applies complex communication network analysis, demonstrating its effectiveness through the study of the psycho-social recovery activists’ cooperation network in accidents and disasters.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
All ethical principles were observed in this study.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Authors' contributions
Conceptualization, methodology, and writing the original draft: Marzieh Samadi Forushani; Data analysis, Review and editing: All authors.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the support of Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization (TDMMO).
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
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Received: 2023/12/6 | Accepted: 2024/01/16 | ePublished: 2024/02/29
Received: 2023/12/6 | Accepted: 2024/01/16 | ePublished: 2024/02/29
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