Factors influencing the selection of decision support systems for emergency management : an analysis of empirical use and user preferences

Abstract

The term Decision Support System (DSS) refers to any tool used to guide decision-makers by supporting critical decisions made in the field. This research focuses on determining specific user needs for DSSs used in the planning, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery from extreme events in the context of emergency management at the county, state, and local level. The extreme events that emergency managers deal with are infrequent and have the potential for disastrous impacts. This thesis will explore user preferences in the use of DSSs with a special emphasis on the three dimensions of training, planning, and an actual event. The challenge in assessing such systems is the difference in perceived utility to the end user and the one-size-does-not-fit-all reality of such systems. While validation is possible, to some degree, in the creation of DSSs by working closely with the end user, their requirements and needs are not static. This research seeks to identify which aspects of any given DSS are useful and those that are not, in an attempt to set forth an applicable methodology that can be used by system designers in matching user needs with appropriate tools and ultimately deploying DSSs that will be effective and valuable to emergency managers and other decision makers serving in a similar capacity.