My Two Weeks Traineeship at Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya - Case Study Example

REFLECTIVE ESSAY By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents A. Reflective Log/Diary Introduction A disaster in my view is a situation wherein the community is not able to cope. In Alexander (1993, p.4) study, a disaster has been defined as human or natural-caused event that results in extreme negative impacts on the property, people, and/or the environment, surpassing the capability of the affected community to respond. For this reason, the community seeks the help of international and governmental agencies. Basically, Turkey is amongst the countries facing the risk of natural disasters due to its climate, the topographic structure as well as geological conditions (Özdemir, 2005, p.1). Apart from the casualties attributed to natural disasters, they as well result in great economic loses with statistics indicating that the direct economic loss because of natural disasters is 1 per cent of the GDP annually (Ozmen, 2003, p.8). Still, if the indirect economic losses such as unemployment, production loss and market loss are considered, I believe the total loss will be more than the one per cent. The natural disasters that have hit Turkey created the necessity for emergency response policies in all provinces, including Konya. Moreover, I have realised that significant legal arrangements have enhanced coordination at the provincial level in case a disaster strikes. In this reflective diary I will talk about my two weeks traineeship at Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya. Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Management Structure Essentially, Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency was founded to enhance cooperation as well as coordination between every foundation and institutions charged with the responsibility to execute preparations for a disaster, as well as for controlling and monitoring the services offered. Konya is a city in Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region, and is amongst the most populated cities in the country. The emergency management organisation in Turkey consists of five levels with the largest level being the provincial level and the neighbourhood scale is the smallest. In view of this, Konya local governance is under the Ministry of Interior, and steered by the governor appointed by the same ministry (Ural, 2011). In Konya, the mayor is an elected official in charge of coordinating the response phase during disasters. In my observation, the Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster is managed by the governor who regularly holds disaster exercises together with Konya Metropolitan Municipality. Moreover, the Konya’s system for Disaster Management is extremely hierarchical and centralized with the disaster management responsibilities going from bottom to top; that is to say, from district level to province level as well as to national level relying on the magnitude of the disaster (Barisa, 2014, p.1393). In this regard, small-scale disasters are firstly handled at district level, but in case it is a major event that needs intervention from the central government, then the disaster response efforts will be coordinated by the Central Coordinating Committee for Disaster, which consists of high-level representatives or undersecretaries from numerous governmental ministries. The figure below shows the Organisational structure of Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency: Fig 1: Turkey Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Training At Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency I was supervised by Mustafa Kemal, Konya’s emergency manager who was tasked with the everyday responsibilities for disaster management activities and programs at Konya Metropolitan Municipality. Kemal was in charge of coordinating all resource prior to, during, and subsequent to a disaster in Konya Metropolitan Municipality. As my supervisor, Kemal ensured that I was able to manage activities in the four disaster management phases (Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recover). Moreover, Kemal ensured that I comprehended the potential threats that faced Konya residents, and taught me how to partake in prevention as well as mitigation activities, to plan for disaster, work successfully in disaster situations, and carry out successful recovery operations subsequent to an emergency. Disasters in the contemporary world need organisational capabilities that are highly developed, and it is the government together with its bureaucratic institutions that create organisations and regulations for disaster management (Övgün, 2013, p.55). During the training, I came to realize that managing disasters needs developed and multifaceted organisational skills, and both the local and national governments must take the leading role. As mentioned by Övgün (2013, p.55), various political systems can respond and manage disasters differently; for example, the Turkish were in the past desisted from releasing any information concerning the natural or manmade disasters, for the reason that they were afraid their political system would be considered weak. My training at Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency was divided into five phases; (i) Disaster Recovery and Mitigation, (ii) Disaster Response, (iii) Risk Assessment and Analysis, (iv) Exercise Design and Evaluation, and (v) Disaster Preparedness and Planning. In the first phase disaster recovery and mitigation, it involved examining the areas associated with the diverse issues that Konya resident could face after a disaster and afterwards it involved developing a plan that could help reduce Konya future exposure to disasters.  This phase was designed to offer trainees with the needed tools for examining the disaster area recovery needs (Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy et al., 2012, p.97).  During this training phase I was introduced to the various national guidelines associated with the process of recovery after disaster, and the roles and responsibilities of the Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency and of the non-governmental agencies. The second phase was disaster response, and this was designed to introduce the trainees in the coordination process during a disaster response (Winkler, 2008, p.11). I noted that disasters happen every day globally and locally, and in consequence, the first responders are required in the affected areas. At this stage, I was introduced to needs identification of the affected persons, made to comprehend the incident command system, different problems associated with disaster response as well as how emergency managers and first responders overcome such challenges. The third phase of the training was risk assessment and analysis, wherein I was made to understand that human activity as well as natural processes can result in hazards, which can damage the natural and built environment.  I have always seen in the mainstream media how hazards have resulted in damages equal to billions of dollars, and so I believe this stage of training was very imperative. During this phase, I was introduced to the basics of hazards evaluation and risk assessments, where I was taught the economics and theory of risk attributed to disasters. The focus at this stage was the types as well as the nature of risk and evaluating the potential loss related to different exposures. During the training my supervisor told me that the vulnerability assessment concept was the key to successful hazard mitigation.  It was during this stage that I was introduced to different methodologies for performing the risk vulnerability assessment process essential for disaster mitigation.   In the fourth phase of the training, I was taught the exercise design and evaluation, whereby I was made to understand the crucial role played by exercise in preparing Konya disaster personnel as well as first responders for possible disasters and crises.  During the fourth phase of training I was introduced to the essentials of disaster management exercise design as well as evaluation and I also learned how to utilize the wide-ranging exercise program so as to improve on the Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recover (Tweedy, 2013, p.164). My supervisor allowed me to design an exercise, make out the logistics essential for the exercise, as well as create an evaluation plan. The last stage of training was disaster preparedness and planning. Turkey has without a doubt experienced numerous disasters since its existence, and the consequences have been devastating. This created the need for disaster management planning not just at the national level, but also down at the local government levels.  During the training, it came to my attention that people working with, managing, or otherwise interfacing indirectly or directly with disaster services and operations should possess a firm basis for comprehending, examining, and integrating conceivable emergency conditions as well as gathered information. During the last phase of the training, I was introduced to the practice as well as principals of disaster preparedness and planning, wherein I reviewed comprehensive valuations of present Konya disaster plans (Alexander, 2002, p.95). I learned the planning process so as to include resource and hazards assessments, planning and preparedness methodology, vulnerability analysis, as well as considerations for public policy. Conclusion In conclusion, my training at Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency taught me that the imperative facet of contemporary disaster management is coordinating the public agencies active in emergency management. Without a doubt, my training on risk and disaster management enabled me to understand that preparedness for disaster can help reduce the magnitude of damage caused by the disasters. I believe that, by increasing the awareness of people living in Konya and other parts of Turkey, solidarity and support will be achieved. As argued above, Turkey akin to other countries has reformed its crisis management system to a centralized structure. However, I think the system which offers the government more control over coordination, resource allocation as well as the responsibility sharing with a number of national organisations is resulting in a coordination problem. So, the higher authority requirement is imperative for coordination of government agencies as well as other organisations in disaster management. B. Context of the Work Placement Introduction Given that earthquakes are the key and most damaging disasters in Turkey, Unlu et al. (2010, p.158) posits that crisis management is regularly seen as a measure of the earthquake response management. Turkey location according to Ekici and Ekici (2009, p.131) is in the Alpine-Himalayan earthquake belt in the eastern Mediterranean sector, statistics from the Ministry of Public Works indicate that more than 70 per cent of the Turkey populations are living in the first- as well as second-degree seismic hazard zone (Ganapati, 2008, p.284). Furthermore, 69% of the dams as well as 76% of industries in turkey are situated in high degree seismic zones. Since 1902, a staggering 131 earthquakes have been recorded, and 60% of these earthquakes took place between 1902 and 1999, and sadly over 20,000 people have lost their lives in the earthquakes that took place between 1992 and 1999 (Gökdemir, 2011, p.1). For that reason, the protection of property as well as human lives has become an agenda for the public organisations such as Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency and government. In this report I seek to discuss the context of the Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency. Background of the Company Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency is a public organisation created to capacitate the people of Konya in managing disaster as well as the business risk and live in a sustainable and safe environment.  In essence, the organisation endeavours to manage disaster by creating systems as well as procedures for cope with disaster. In essence, the company is tasked with training first responders and personal in disaster management best practice as well as assists Konya industries and companies to become understand the imperatives of emergency planning (Kuterdem, 2010, p.25). When disaster strikes Turkey, Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency is there with the needed resources, professionalism as well as the skill so as to help in the disaster recovery operation. The company vision is to contribute considerably towards a prosperous and safe Konya City through individuals’ development so for making a meaningful contribution in reducing risks attributed to disasters. Furthermore, the company response service throughout the year and has a network of strategically located operational units as well as offices for serving the Konya people and also those in other parts of Turkey. Reasons for its Creation The main reason Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency was created is to provide disaster recovery services for Konya residents, considering that Turkey is exposed to natural disasters. The organisation serves within the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency body, and is tasked with four stages of disaster management “prevention, preparedness, disaster response, and recovery (AFAD, 2014).” Moreover, the organisation was created to undertake the following task: to implement the needed measures so as to realize adequate services at Konya on and emergency subjects and civil defines. The organisation is also tasked with preparing provincial disaster plans in coordination with national government plans, and implementing as well as monitoring disaster response plans when a disaster strikes (Kuterdem, 2010, p.25). Furthermore, the organisation was created to determine risk and hazard at the provincial level, and manage Konya centre for disaster and emergency management. In case of a disaster in Konya, the organisation is expected to assess the level of loss and damage, and aside from that create awareness activities. The company is mandated to offer training and technical assistance to the government ministries and provincial authorities in initiatives for disaster risk management. Because of the high risk of disaster in Turkey, the organisation was instituted to raise awareness in Konya hazard-prone areas, gather and analyse information needed in every hazards management approach, and importantly, ensure the national government regulations are implemented so as to develop teams for disaster response. The Market The company market is Konya and Turkey in large bearing in mind that turkey is a vulnerable to both natural and manmade disasters (United Nations, 2010, p.65). The climate, topography and geography makes turkey vulnerable to numerous natural catastrophes and the majority of the natural hazards in turkey are mainly earthquakes, floods, landslides, rock falls, snow avalanches, forest fires, as well as soil erosions (Övgün, 2013, p.55). Since 1902, more than 87,000 people have died and almost 300,000 persons injured due to natural disasters in Turkey, and that’s why the whole of Turkey is key market for Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency services. More than half a million houses have been destroyed by natural disasters, and according to Özmen et al. (2014, p.345) this exhibits the magnitude of destruction that natural disasters bring to infrastructures. Furthermore, as indicated by Övgün (2013, p.55), 98% of people in Turley as well as 97% of the industry are situated in areas prone to natural disasters. So, the company plays crucial role in Turkey in reducing the magnitude of destruction bearing in mind that the economic losses attributed to these disasters amount to almost 1% of the GNP annually, with 80% of this because of earthquakes. Legislative Background As pointed out by Övgün (2013, p.56), both manmade and natural disasters can result in judicial rearrangements changes. In regard to Turkey, the Erzincan earthquake in 1939 resulted in the formulation if the first Turkish legal arrangements. In 1940, Law Number 3773 was passed, and became the first bill envisaging disaster mitigation covering both housing and financial assistance for the disaster victims. Interestingly, the first cautionary law (Law No. 4373) passed by Turkey in 1943 was concerning floods and not earthquakes, which was and is still the main natural disaster in Turkey. As indicated by Spence (2004), earthquakes in Turkey created the need for new legislations and regulations and enabled the restructuring of the disaster management institutions as well as system in Turkey. Another bill (No. 4452) was passed in August 1999, which envisaged the wide framework of the subsequent legal regulations, and specified categorically that the Council of Ministers will be in charge of the necessary measures in case a disaster occurs. And law governs all operations undertaken by the Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency. According to Övgün (2013, p.56), article 1 is the most crucial part of the Law No. 4452, whereby the Council of Ministers was entrusted in issuing a declaration with the intention of organizing disaster mitigation as well as disaster management, so as to generate the needed funds for initiating an insurance system, as well as to create a new municipalities in areas stricken by disaster if needed. Besides that there are two more legal regulations concerning disaster management that govern Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency, both were enacted as government decrees in 1999, and not bound by approval from the parliament. In this regard, the first regulation (Decree No. 574) intended to organize government measures as well as assistance for houses damaged by the disasters while the other (Decree No. 576) was concerned with formation of the district level rescue and search missions (Övgün, 2013, p.57). The latter as well specified the establishment of regional offices for disaster coordination such as Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency which are under the Ministry of Interior. Company Ownership The Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya was established in the Prime Ministry office, and when a disaster occurs, it is expected to establish its own disaster centre in Konya. The company is owned by the government and was instituted because the government believed it was necessary. In Konya, only the Governor, representatives from the national government and the Mayor have power by law to offer the response to a disaster at Konya (Unlu et al., 2010, p.167). Moreover, Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency and some of the appointed governors’ responsibilities for disaster management are regulated by the Ministry of the Interior. Besides that, preparedness plans utilized by the company are prepared by the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs (Unlu et al., 2009, p.136). Future Strategy If Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya has a future at all, Haddow et al. (2008) suggest that it has to focus and restructure its management organisation at the provincial level. In the coming days, the company will start training members of the Konya communities to start incorporating hazard mitigation as well as disaster management in their day-too-day decision-making, planning as well as operations. In the future, people of Konya will see the need to create a local source of funding for disaster management, and Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya will be tasked with managing this new community government aspect. The company will be chosen because it has individuals trained in public administration, public policy, as well as disaster management, and the company will be tasked in integrating disaster management as well as hazard mitigation practices and policies in every stage of community life and local government (Haddow et al., 2008). The future Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency will guide the Konya community through a process of consensus building so as to be able to establish any possible risks within the community, to ascertain measure of mitigating those risks, to create a prioritized plan for risks mitigation as well as to work with the business leaders, central government, leaders at community level and the Konya residents so as to generate the public, political and financial resources required for maintaining and implementing modernized disaster management plan. Conclusion To sum, the types of the disaster facing Turkey and the rest of the world demonstrates that the conventional top-down crisis style of disaster management is no longer working efficiently. This is because new crises like big-scale natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks have coerced governments across the globe to create a more efficient disaster management plan. In view of this, the new disaster management perspective of Konya Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency needs both non-linear and linear management flexibility. Moreover, more attention is being attracted by the horizontal networks for the reason that it offers Turkey government the ability to organize both provincial and national level institutions tasked with disaster management. C. Reflective Skill Report Intellectual Skills During my work placement at Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya it came to my attention that intellectual ability is viewed by companies as one of the key valuable skills amongst the workers (Roos et al., 2007, p.40). With regard to this skills, I realised I had mental capabilities such as verbal comprehension, excellent memory, problem solving, analysing, as well as reasoning, which are crucial elements for disaster management. Besides that, I believe the intellectual skills needed in the current information age are more wide ranging and broader as compared to the abstract academic skills, which I have learned in the university. Table one highlights a number of transferable skills as well as knowledge gained during my work placement. Discipline-specific skills During my work placement, I realised that to pursue employment in disaster management, one must have a foundational knowledge in disaster management (Deakin University, 2014). I think it is imperative for Turkey Universities to make certain that the taught discipline specific knowledge in disaster management is in line with the government guidelines, and meet the accreditation bodies’ requirements. I gained some discipline-specific skills at work placement by learning from individuals when they were completing placements at different disaster management departments (see Table one). Generic Skills I realised that employers search for various generic or transferable skills from interns or trainees during the work placement. In view of this, employers undoubtedly want their workers to possess the general skills that can facilitate them to avoid absenteeism; be diligent; considerate, and innovative while carrying out their work duties (The University of Sydney, 2006). I agree with the University of Sydney (2006) that increased workplace competition has increased the need for generic skills considering that lack of such skills can result in poor productivity. Personal attributes and social skills While in Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency in Konya, I realised that by developing my social skills I was becoming more charismatic, which is a looked-for trait. Besides that, because I was connected with most people within the organisation and was able to work in large disaster recovery groups, I naturally developed my communication skills (Chin, 2013). Considering one cannot have great social skills devoid of good communication skills, so during the work placement I learned how to communicate my ideas and thoughts. I understand that it is not possible for a person to remain isolated in their place of work and still perform efficiently and effectively in their jobs. Furthermore, scores of organisations as mentioned by Angelo (2015, p.30) are searching for persons with certain set of skills: that is, the ability to collaborate and to motivate and influence people within the team. Table One: Skills Area and Possible Evidence Skills Area Possible Evidence Analysing and problem-solving I learned how to identify multifaceted problems as well as review associated information to evaluate and develop alternatives and put solutions into practices. During the work placement I learned to testing assumptions and analysing facts, defining the problem as well as the factors contributing to the problem, and developing innovative and creative solution. Critically judging and evaluating evidence I learned the disaster management needs analysing information as well as utilizing logic so as to solve work-related problems and issues. Some skills achieved include identifying indicators or measures of system performance as well as the actions required so as to correct or improve performance, in relation to the disaster management system goals. Taking responsibility for their my learning, as well as developing habits of reflection upon that learning I learned how to select and use instructional/training procedures and methods suitable for the situation when I was learning new things. The work placement helped me understand the significance of mentoring or coaching activities, taking part in interest group and learning from the seniors. Decision-making During the work placement I learned how to work on my own and make decisions. Communication Some of communication skills I learned include writing reports and assignments, participating and presenting in team discussions, and utilizing customer service skills. Self-management I learned how to act on feedback and how to address the gaps in my knowledge and skills, to develop my career plan, and to manage my time productively. Technology skills I gained some skills such as using electronic databases to source information, utilizing specialized software packages for disaster management, and using software to manage project timelines. Thanks to the wok placement I now have different basic IT skills such as using IT as a tool for disaster management and for organizing data. Planning and Organizing Skills I learned how to establishing attainable and clear project deliverables and goals; defining quality standards, and planning utilisation of resources, which include materials, time, and finances. I further gained skills for contingency planning and risk management, time, priorities, and tasks management, and to effectively give feedback. I also perfected my skills in gathering, analysing as well as organizing data and taking the initiative before making crucial decisions. Importantly, I learned how to establish criteria for evaluation and reporting of outcomes and progress which are some of the crucial skills needed in disaster management. References AFAD, 2014. Disaster and Emergency Directorate (AFAD). [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "www.guvenliyasam.org/en/450/disaster-and-emergency-directorate-(afad)" www.guvenliyasam.org/en/450/disaster-and-emergency-directorate-(afad) [Accessed 5 June 2015]. Alexander, D.E., 1993. Natural Disasters. 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