Abstract
Abstract One of the main challenges in cross-border disaster management is the development and use of information systems that cater the needs of heterogeneous relief agencies, policies, activities and cultures. Drawing upon activity theory, this paper examines cross-border information systems development for disaster management. We infuse the concept of boundary objects into activity theory by the characterization of the artifacts. This allows articulating how the socio-technical objects are meshed with the process of cross-border collaboration for systems development. Our longitudinal ethnographic field study on a cross-border flood management project, VIKING, revealed how the project was empowered and developed by four key boundary objects, i.e. the governance structure of the program, two information systems (a disaster management information system and an online collaboration portal), and recurring cross-border exercises as an evaluation and feedback mechanism. The selective institutionalizations of these key boundary objects helped the participants overcome various contradictions existed in the systems development. The study results also show that both goal-oriented actions and boundary objects can affect the outcomes of long-term large-scale disaster management systems development.
Highlights
Disaster management (DM) entails a range of complex interdependent activities involving many collaborating organizations
We identified three types of boundaries objects that greatly contributed to the cross-border collaboration: 1) governance structure, 2) information systems and 3) recurring evaluation/ feedback opportunities
The selective institutionalizations of these key boundary objects helped the participants to overcome various contradictions existed in the socio-technical system of collaborative cross-border disaster management
Summary
Disaster management (DM) entails a range of complex interdependent activities involving many collaborating organizations. VIKING Alliance used its political and relational power in order to mobilize alliance partners and resources to conduct full-scale exercises, which provided the participants with chances to get acquainted with the cross-border DM structure, surrounding environments, and available ISs. ROAR had an additional objective to evaluate whether or not the newly developed DMIS (i.e., FLIWAS) were successful in meeting the requirements of the DMOs. One software developer stated that: “Even though we knew FLIWAS was not yet fully functional, we had to show our sponsors and users that FLIWAS was on a path to success, in order to build a foundation for survival of the program and prevent partners from exiting the alliance”.
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