Sirp J. De Boer

Co‐ordinating humanitarian operations in peace support missions

Purpose – This paper seeks to contribute to a more effective co‐ordination of humanitarian operations by military and civilian organizations involved in a peace support mission in response to a complex emergency.Design/methodology/approach – The information processing view, in particular Galbraiths typology of generic mechanisms for achieving co‐ordination, is taken as the theoretical framework. This framework is subsequently applied to the co‐ordination of humanitarian operations by military and civilian organizations. Empirical data are derived from a set of expert interviews with both military and civilian respondents in The Netherlands and a four week visit to Kabul and Baghlan, a province in northern Afghanistan. During this visit 40 military respondents have been interviewed and over 60 meetings have been held with local authorities, humanitarian organizations, small entrepreneurs, refugees and local villagers. Finally, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are provided with regard to a more ef...

Inter-organisational communication in civil-military cooperation during complex emergencies: a case study in Afghanistan.

This paper seeks to contribute to an improved information management and exchange between humanitarian organisations and military agents in complex emergencies. To do so, a theoretical information management process model was developed and applied to the case of information management between International Security Assistance Force troops and humanitarian organisations such as Cordaid, DACAAR and the International Office for Migration in Kabul, Afghanistan. Based on this analysis the main shortcomings and problems in each stage of the information management process were identified. These include a lack of structured information databases, the absence of identification of information needs, and an over-classification of documents by the military. Using a logical framework analysis, six major improvement tactics were developed, including the creation of more overlap in rotations of personnel, the specification of aims and tasks regarding information management, the improvement of skills and competences of personnel involved, and the introduction of regular joint civil-military evaluations.

Critical issues facing R&D managers in China

R&D managers in China experienced significant changes in the past decade, in particular because of Government policies of economic reform and opening to the outside world. These developments have brought about a number of rather specific R&D management issues and problems. The paper addresses the main problems faced by R&D managers in China. First, the current situation of R&D management in China is discussed, as well as the future developments. The paper then presents a case study of the CISRI (Central Iron & Steel Research Institute), a large comprehensive R&D organisation in Beijing. The analysis leads to the critical issues in CISRIs R&D management. After that, a further investigation is described into the trends of Chinese R&D management. The outcomes described focus on the future of R&D management in China as well as on the integration of Western R&D management theory in China. The paper concludes with the major issues and recommendations for the further development of R&D management in China.

Construction contracting and civil–military interaction

There is a need for improved insights into the contracting process for construction projects that the military contract out to civil contractors in the specific setting of civil–military interaction (CMI) in regions that are suffering from instability and armed conflict. The core questions are: what are the key criteria for contracting out CMI projects in out‐of‐area operations, and what contracting methods are appropriate? First, we discuss possible methods and key criteria for contracting out CMI projects. Following this, a case study based in the Uruzgan province of Afghanistan explores key criteria for contracting out CMI projects. Based on this case study, the following five CMI‐related criteria have been identified: generating information on the civilian environment; contributing to building local capacity; process transparency; force acceptance and local participation; and contracting as a tool for stability. These criteria dominate more regular criteria such as cost and time. Some methods frequently used in developed economies, for example the open public tender procedure, seem less appropriate when contracting out CMI projects within a military mission. In CMI projects, contracting most closely resembles the multiple negotiated tender procedure. Future projects can use the identified range of methods and key criteria in designing an improved contracting process.

Differentiating between types of technology transfer: the technology building

In this article, the concept of the Technology Building is introduced. The Technology Building concept facilitates the reader of literature on the subject of transfer of technology to discriminate quickly between three mainstreams in the transfer of technology. The first mainstream in technology transfer, mostly present in industrialised countries, is technological development from research all the way to selling products. This can be seen as innovation at the company level. A second mainstream in technology transfer, mostly present in industrialising countries, also concerns technological development but now it is related to building up technological capabilities all the way to research in order to catch up with industrialised countries. At the company level, this process can be called exnovation in contrast to innovation. The third mainstream in technology transfer is the international transfer, which links the other two mainstreams. In this case technology is transferred between industrialised and industrialising countries. A number of examples, e.g. reverse engineering and transnational production, illustrate the usefulness of the Technology Building.

Cultural Conflict within Civil-Military Cooperation: A Case Study in Bosnia

In peace-support operations, employees of international humanitarian organisations often clash with those of the military. A lack of familiarity with each others practices and values, embedded in their respective organisational cultures, is often seen as the culprit. This article presents and illustrates a road map to manage such cultural differences between cooperating organisations. We found that the military culture, in our Bosnian case study, was seen to operate as a hierarchical culture (characterised by formalisation, stability, predictability and efficiency). The culture of international humanitarian organisations, on the other hand, was depicted as clan-type (characterised by teamwork, participation and consensus). To facilitate the creation of cultural awareness as well as respect for, and reconciliation of, cultural differences we recommend several concrete actions that could improve civil-military cooperation.

Prioritizing Humanitarian Assistance in a Complex Emergency: A Decision Method for Military Forces

The article develops a decision support model for a military commander who has to determine what humanitarian assistance will be provided in cooperation with which civil organizations in peacekeeping situations. After an investigation of the current methods decision theory was used to develop an initial decision method, consisting of consecutive steps to inventory potential humanitarian tasks, to identify attributes to evaluate these tasks, and to actually prioritize the selected tasks using an extensive scorecard. The initial decision method and its tools were reviewed in-depth in a series of expert interviews, resulting in an improved decision method.

Utilising excess minibus-taxi capacity for South African townships tours

ABSTRACT This paper proposes an option for the utilisation of excess off-peak capacity of minibus-taxis in South Africa for township tours. The minibus-taxi system typically faces steep peak loads during rush hours with excess vehicle and person capacity available during off-hours. The advantages of the proposed system Include increased direct and indirect income for township residents, higher utilisation of scarce capital goods and publicity for Industries In the periphery of mainstream tourism. The paper discusses the social and physical environment in South Africa and in particular in the townships. It analyses the changing transport sector of South Africa and then addresses six key issues in the development of an employment-focused township tour system: the market, the minibus-taxi operators, the critical stakeholders, ethics, the organisational structures and the financial feasibility. The proposed concept is used for an implementation in Ivory Park, a relatively large township north of Johannesburg.

The changing strategic roles for warehousing in an emerging economy: case study in Ukraine

The increasing globalisation of the world economy is having a profound impact on logistics. Emerging economies are experiencing rapid developments that affect their warehousing facilities. The purpose of this study is to explore the strategic roles that warehousing plays and the changes therein. Based on a literature review, a new model has been developed in which changes in the strategic warehouse role depend on three primary location drivers and on site competence. Focusing on Ukraine, an emerging economy, data were collected through a desk study, questionnaires completed by international third-party logistics companies located in Ukraine and through in-depth expert interviews. The results show that the model developed is appropriate for use in the initial determination of a warehouse location and for its further development in an emerging economy.