Learning from crisis: The role of enquiry commissions

Helge Renå,Johan Christensen

doi:10.1111/1468-5973.12269

Helge Renå, Johan Christensen

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12269

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Abstract

AbstractThe literature on crisis learning has thus far paid little attention to the institutional channels through which governments draw lessons from crisis events. This paper examines theoretically and empirically a key institutional site for crisis learning: enquiry commissions. The theoretical argument is illustrated by analysing the enquiry commission that examined the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway. The paper argues that the work of enquiry commissions exhibits tensions that condition the subsequent opportunities of government to learn from crisis. The paper shows how the lessons drawn by the commission investigating the attacks were shaped by the commission's dual function, by the dominant professional perspectives within the group, and by the specific models of decision‐making and assessment standards that the commission adopted.

Highlights

In the aftermath of major crises such as terrorist attacks, large acci‐ dents and natural disasters, governments face a demand for answers and accountability (Boin, Stern, ’t Hart, & Sundelius, 2016; Hood, 2002)
Why is it so hard for government to learn from crisis? Whereas exist‐ ing accounts highlight the particular nature of crisis and various cog‐ nitive, political and organizational constraints, this paper has looked more closely at the specific institutions involved in governmental learning from crisis
We have focused on one particular institutional mechanism: enquiry commissions

Summary

Introduction

In the aftermath of major crises such as terrorist attacks, large acci‐ dents and natural disasters, governments face a demand for answers and accountability (Boin, Stern, ’t Hart, & Sundelius, 2016; Hood, 2002). The paper argues that the work of enquiry commissions exhibits tensions that condition the subsequent opportunities of government to learn from crisis. The argument of the paper is that enquiry commissions face a set of generic tensions in their work that affect their analysis and recom‐ mendations and condition the lessons government might draw from crisis.

Results

Conclusion