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Complex, Humanitarian Emergencies: III. Measures of Effectiveness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Frederick M. Burkle Jr.*
Affiliation:
Professor of Pediatrics, Surgery, and Public Health, Chairman, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii
Katherine A.W. McGrady
Affiliation:
Research Staff, Center for Naval Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia
Sandra L. Newett
Affiliation:
Research Staff, Center for Naval Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia
John J. Nelson
Affiliation:
Center for Naval Analyses Representative, First Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California
Jonathan T. Dworken
Affiliation:
Center for Naval Analyses Representative, Third Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan
William H. Lyerly Jr.
Affiliation:
Bureau for Africa, Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
Andrew S. Natsios
Affiliation:
Vice President and Executive Director, World Vision Relief and Development, Inc., Washington, D.C.
Scott R. Lillibridge
Affiliation:
Disaster Assessment and Epidemiology Section, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia
*
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, 1319 Punahou Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826USA

Abstract

Complex humanitarian emergencies lack a mechanism to coordinate, communicate, assess, and evaluate response and outcome for the major participants (United Nations, Intenational Committee of the Red Cross, non-governmental organizations and military forces). Success in these emergencies will depend on the ability to accomplish agreed upon measures of effectiveness (MOEs). A recent civil-military humanitarian exercise demonstrated the ability of participants to develop consensus-driven MOEs. These MOEs combined security measures utilized by the military with humanitarian indicators recognized by relief organizations. Measures of effectiveness have the potential to be a unifying disaster management tool and a partial solution to the communication and coordination problems inherent in these complex emergencies.

Type
Special Reports
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1995

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