Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Planning for Disaster: Developing a Multi-Agency Counselling Service

  • Chapter
Operational Research for Emergency Planning in Healthcare: Volume 2

Part of the book series: The OR Essentials series ((ORESS))

  • 791 Accesses

Abstract

Multi-agency planning is becoming increasingly important to organisations, especially those concerned with delivering services for the benefit of the community. This paper describes how a modified version of the methods from soft systems methodology (SSM), chosen through methodological reflections informed by critical systems thinking, was used to support the planning of a multi-agency counselling service that could be activated in the event of a disaster. Representatives of nineteen agencies were involved in this exercise, working together in six, one-day workshops. Feedback from participants, using four evaluation criteria (derived from the principles of SSM and the stated priorities of workshop participants), suggests that the methods of SSM, modified as described, show a great deal of promise as a support to multi-agency planning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Checkland P (1981). Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Checkland P and Scholes J (1990). Soft Systems Methodology in Action. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Midgley G (1990). Creative methodology design. Systemist 12: 108–113.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Flood RL and Jackson MC (eds) (1991). Critical Systems Thinking: Directed Readings. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Flood RL and Romm NRA (eds) (1996). Critical Systems Thinking: Current Research and Practice. Plenum: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Contractor F and Lorange P (eds) (1988). Cooperative Strate gies in International Business. Lexington Books: Lexington, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Nohria N and Eccles R (eds) (1992). Networks and Organisa tions. Harvard Business School Press: Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Alter C and Hage J (1993). Organizations Working Together. Sage: London.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Stein SL, Garcia F, Marler B, Embreebever J and Garrett CJ. (1992). A study of multi-agency collaborative strategies: did juvenile delinquents change? J Commun Psychol 20: 88–105.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Buckley R and Bigelow DA (1992). The multiservice network: reaching the unserved multi-problem individual. Commun Mental Health J 28: 43–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Scheffel AL, Swanson EA, Potter M and Triolo PK (1992). A nursing camp: a multi-agency cooperative effort. J of Nursing Admin 22: 53–5 7.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kendrick A (1995). The integration of child care services in Scotland. Children and Youth Services Rev 17: 619–635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Sutton M (1996). Implementing Crime Prevention Schemes in a Multi-Agency Setting: Aspects of Process in the Safer Cities Programme. HMSO: London.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Watson L (1997). High Hopes: Making Housing and Commu nity Care Work. Joseph Rowntree Foundation: York.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Midgley G, Munlo I and Brown M (1997). Sharing Power: Integrating User Involvement and Multi-Agency Working to Improve Housing for Older People. Policy Press: Bristol.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fargason CA, Barnes D, Schneider D and Galloway BW (1994). Enhancing multiagency collaboration in the management of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect 18: 859–869.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kintrea K (1996). Whose partnership? Community interests in the regenera-tion of a Scottish housing scheme. Housing Studies 11: 28 7–306.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Yerbury M (1997). Issues in multidisciplinary teamwork for children with disabilities. Childcare Health & Develop 23: 77–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Papamichail KN, French S (1999). Generating feasible strate gies in nuclear emergencies—a constraint satisfaction problem. J Opl Res Soc 50: 617–626.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Checkland P (1997). Rhetoric and reality in contracting: research in and on the NHS. In: Flynn R and Williams G (eds). Contracting for Health. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Cohen C and Midgley G (1994). The North Humberside Diversion from Custody Project for Mentally Disordered Off enders: Research Report. Centre for Systems Studies: Hull.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Midgley G and Floyd M (1990). Vocational training in the use of new tech-nologies for people with disabilities. Behav and Inform Technol 9: 409–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Gregory WJ, Romm NRA and Walsh MP (1994). The Trent Quality Initiative: A Multi-Agency Evaluation of Quality Stan dards in the National Health Service. Centre for Systems Studies: Hull.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Midgley G, Munlo I and Brown M (1998). The theory and practice of boundary critique: developing housing services for older people. J Opl Res Soc 49: 467–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Midgley G (1996). What is this thing called critical systems thinking? In: Flood RL and Romm NRA (eds). Critical Systems Thinking: Current Research and Practice. Plenum: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Jackson MC (1991). The origins and nature of critical systems thinking. Sys Pract 4: 131–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Schecter D (1991). Critical systems thinking in the 1980s: a connective summary. In: Flood RL and Jackson MC (eds). Critical Systems Thinking: Directed Readings. Wiley: Chiche ster.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Jackson MC (1987). Present positions and future prospects in management science. Omega 15: 455–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Flood RL (1989). Six scenarios for the future of systems ‘problem solving’. Sys Pract 2: 75–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Midgley G (1997). Developing the methodology of TSI: from the oblique use of methods to creative design. Sys Pract 10: 305–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Flood RL and Jackson MC (1991). Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Gregory WJ (1992). Critical Systems Thinking and Pluralism: A New Constellation. PhD thesis, City University, London.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Flood RL (1995). Solving Problem Solving. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Flood RL and Romm NRA (1996). Diversity Management: Triple Loop Learning. Wiley: Chichester.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  35. Ulrich W (1983). Critical Heuristics of Social Planning: A New Approach to Practical Philosophy. Haupt: Berne.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Midgley G (1997). Mixing methods: developing systemic intervention. In: Mingers J and Gill A (eds). Multimethodology: The Theory and Practice of Combining Management Science Methodologies. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Rosenhead J (ed) (1989). Rational Analysis for a Problematic World. Wiley: Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Mason RO and Mitroff II (1981). Challenging Strategic Plan ning Assumptions. Wiley: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Jackson MC and Keys P (1984). Towards a system of systems methodologies. J Opl Res Soc 35: 473–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Ackoff RL (1981). Creating the Corporate Future. Wiley: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Mingers JC (1980). Towards an appropriate social theory for applied systems thinking: critical theory and soft systems methodology. J Appl Sys Anal 7: 41–50.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Jackson MC (1982). The nature of soft systems thinking: the work of Churchman, Ackoff and Checkland. J Appl Sys Anal 9: 17–29.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Mingers JC (1984). Subjectivism and soft systems methodo logy—a critique. J Appl Sys Anal 11: 85–103.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Miller GA (1956). The magical number seven, plus-or-minus two, or some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychol Rev 63: 81–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Gregory WJ and Midgley G (1999). Planning for disaster: developing a multi-agency counselling service. Research Memorandum no. 23. Centre for Systems Studies, Business School University of Hull, Hull.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hull, UK

    W. J. Gregory & G. Midgley

Authors
  1. W. J. Gregory
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Midgley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Exeter Business School, UK

    Navonil Mustafee (Senior Lecturer in Operations Management) (Senior Lecturer in Operations Management)

Copyright information

© 2016 Operational Research Society

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gregory, W.J., Midgley, G. (2016). Planning for Disaster: Developing a Multi-Agency Counselling Service. In: Mustafee, N. (eds) Operational Research for Emergency Planning in Healthcare: Volume 2. The OR Essentials series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-57328-5_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation