Enhancing multiagency collaboration in animal welfare emergency management : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Emergency Management at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
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Date
2021
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Massey University
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Abstract
Multiagency collaboration is fundamental to effective emergency management, yet little is known about what impacts collaboration between stakeholders in the human-animal interface in emergencies. This doctoral research sought to address this gap by investigating the issues impacting multiagency collaboration in animal welfare emergency management (AWEM) and by considering if New Zealand’s AWEM framework is fit-for-purpose.
An action research and qualitative methods approach was used, incorporating focus groups,
semi-structured interviews and document reviews related to three events (2017 Port Hills fire, 2017 Eastern Bay of Plenty floods and 2019 Pigeon Valley fire). Participants included 73 responders from 19 organisations.
Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The data analysis has led to identifying four interrelated themes describing key factors influencing interagency collaboration during emergency response: 1) emergency management context, 2) behaviour in emergencies, 3) the knowledge base of responders and 4) connection, the latter being critical to improving collaboration in AWEM.
The findings highlight how professional silos and a failure to understand the importance of human-animal-environment (h-a-e) interdependencies has resulted in AWEM being largely disconnected from emergency management overall. This thesis proposes the adoption of a One Welfare (OW) framework to develop a transdisciplinary approach to emergency management in which all stakeholders acknowledge the importance of h-a-e interdependencies and work to implement a framework to support this.
This thesis offers five strategies, tested and refined in the local context, to address One Welfare implementation challenges and to ensure that animals are truly integrated into emergency management: legislation and policy changes, including human-animal-environment interface interactions as business as usual, improving knowledge through interprofessional education and training, incorporating OW champions, and recognising the role of animals as vital conduits into communities.
This is the first known examination of the effectiveness of multiagency collaboration within the New Zealand AWEM framework and the first proposal for OW as a mechanism to integrate animals in all components of the emergency management framework.
An ‘Aotearoa One Welfare’ approach will support a shift from a focus on individual emergency management domains towards a transdisciplinary approach that acknowledges the interdependencies of the h-a-e interface, a range of knowledge systems (including indigenous knowledge) and, ultimately, optimises outcomes for AWEM in New Zealand.
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Animal welfare, Emergency management, Interorganizational relations, New Zealand