Training for improvisation in emergency management: opportunities and limits for information technology

Skill in improvising enables emergency management personnel to make creative decisions under time constraint, even when risks are high. It therefore complements skill in plan-following, which is particularly appropriate when the current emergency is similar to a past one. This paper develops recommendations on how to use Information Technology (IT) in the design of training programmes for improvisation in emergency management. It identifies and describes key training outcomes and techniques, and provides an assessment of how training platforms can be used to support achieving the training outcomes. It therefore provides an agenda for new training methods and guidelines on how IT may best be used in executing this agenda.