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SIFO

Stockholm,

27. November 2014.

HOMERISK: Risk management strategies when

households face collapsing electricity and digital infrastructure

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Homerisk

THEME:

To study the roles that households play in crisis situations, with a focus on electricity & ICT.

CONTENTION:

Households represent a crucial, but unacknowledged, resource.

PROJECT’S GOAL:

The best way to utilize this resource for common good is to study how households have functioned in previous crises and on this basis provide recommendations as to how households can be used better in the future.

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tb.no on the Lærdal fire, January 2014:

At brannkatastrofen ikke har krevd liv og heller ingen alvorlig skadde, får tilskrives en kombinasjon av hell og fremfor alt fortjenstfull innsats av nødetatene og av lokalbefolkningen selv. ... For øvrig er det selvsagt for tidlig å konkludere i spørsmålene om sårbarhet og beredskap.

Men like selvsagt blir telenett og strømsikkerhet to temaer i den forestående evalueringen. Når hele Telenors infrastruktur i et område slås ut av brann, og mobildekning, internett og fasttelefon forsvinner samtidig, settes redningsarbeidet på prøve.

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Participants

SIFO, Norway (Project owner)• Jo Helle-Valle (antrhropologist)

• Ardis Storm-Mathisen (sociologist)

• Nina Heidenstrøm (sociologist)

• Dag Slettemeås (politica scientist)

• Harald Throne-Host (engineer, sociologist)

Mittuniversitetet, Sweden: • Erika Wall (sociologist)

• Linda Kvärnlöf (sociologist)

University of Iceland: • Björn Karlsson (engineer)

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Homerisk

ANALYTICAL STRATEGY:

Comparative approach and a practice perspective within a multi-methods framework.

Vertical comparsion:

• Study actual interactions – and lack thereof – between households and various formal institutions that are relevant for crisis handling.

Horizontal comparison:

• Systematically compare such safety practices in Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

Study institutions, regulations and households as dynamical practices, not as formalities and discourses.

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HomeriskMETHODS:

• Field work: being there, participant observation in given locations (WP 2, 3 & 4).

• Tour narratives: Video-assisted walk-alongs for grasping everyday practices (WP 2 & 3).

• Document analysis: map and analyse relevant documents (WP 1 & 4).

• Survey: Web-baesd in all three countries on attitudes and praparedness among citizens (WP 4).

• Qualitative (semi-structured dialogical) interviews: With all relevant parties in all three countries (WP 1-4).

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Homerisk

Main Research Question (MRQ): What kind of crisis-perceptions, -plans and -practices related to electricity and ICT-breakdowns exist among ordinary citizens and in public institutions, and to what extent are they functionally aligned?

Secondary Research Questions (RQs) are all related to such infrastructure breakdowns – RQs 1 & 2 are related to plans, RQs 3 & 4 to practices, RQ5 to vertical comparisons, RQs 6 & 7 to horizontal comparisons, and RQ8 to recommendation and impact:

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Research Questions

RELATED TO PUBLIC PLANS:•RQ1: What expected roles and responsibilities do citizens have in national risk plans?•RQ2: How do households envision risks and crisis handling (preparedness)?

PRACTICES•RQ3: What roles have authorities played in relation to households in the selected cases?•RQ4: What roles have households played in actual crises and what practical and social resources (kinship and networks) have they applied?

VERTICAL COMPARISON:•RQ5: What kind of discrepancies do we find between public plans and actions, and plans and actions among citizens?

HORIZONTAL COMPARISON:•RQ6: What similarities and differences do we find in public crisis plans within and between the three countries?•RQ7: What similarities and differences do we find in households’ applied strategies within and between the three countries?

RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPACT: •RQ8: What possible improvements in planning might be achieved by integrating social resources in public plans?

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Project design: Work Packages

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Work PackagesWP 0: Project administration (month 1 - 36) (A means for optimal academic efficiency)

WP 1: National risk regimes: The role of citizens (month 1 – 6)

Main task: To identify the expectations and responsibility of citizens in national risk plans in Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

WP 2: Cases: The actions of citizens in concrete crises (month 7-15)

Main task: To study two selected cases in each country (cf. above, section 2.1.).

WP 3: Households’ preparedness for crisis events (month 13-24)

Main task: Generate insights into the actual preparedness in households in case of a power failure, and to identify the potential of local networks.

WP 4: Risk comparisons; households and national regimes (month 19-27)

Main task: Maximize the value of the findings by systematic vertical and horizontal) comparisons; reveal possible mismatches between plans and actions.

WP 5: Conclusion and recommendations (month 28 - 34)

Main task: To analyse and synthesise the results from the empirical work packages, integrating empirical and theoretical conclusions, and to formulate political recommendations.

WP 6: Academic & public dissemination and stakeholder dialogues (month 1-36)

Main task: To communicate the process and project results to all groups of end users as well as to the scientific community.

The project consortium and advisory board

The project consists of four partners; National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO), Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology, Mid Sweden University and University of Iceland (cf. below, 3.1.).

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Dissemination

Three types: • Academic dissemination in the form of articles and

book.

• Conventional recommendations to stakeholders: Reports, information material, dialogical seminars.

• Exhibition: ambulating, developed by the Norwegian Science Museum, directed at the public

– Conventional exhibition– Interactive exhibition

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Main activities and milestones in the project period (year and quarter)

Milestones throughout the project From To

Estabilish and maintain project website 2014 4 2017 4

Kick-off meeting with partners and adv.board 2014 4 2014 4

WP 1: Stakeholder interviews 2014 4 2015 2

WP1: Policy Document analysis 2014 4 2015 1

WP 1: Position papers 2015 1 2015 2

WP 2: Media analysis, fieldwork, interviews 2015 2 2015 4

WP 3: Web survey 2015 4 2016 1

WP 3: Fieldwork, tour narratives, interviews 2016 1 2017 1

WP 4: vertical and horisontal comparison 2016 3 2017 4

Preparing and finalizing exhibition 2016 4 2017 4

WP 5: Conclusions and recommendations 2017 2 2017 4

WP 5: Final project report 2017 3 2017 4

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Work Package 1 & Work Package 2

WP 1: National risk regimes: The role of citizens (month 1 – 6)

Main task: To identify the expectations and responsibility of citizens in national risk plans in Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

Description of work: Document content analysis of available emergency plans, as well as interviews with key personnel, will be conducted in all three countries, focusing on the anticipated role of households and citizens. (Methods C & E.)

Output: 1, 2, 13 (see table 1 for dissemination list)

WP 2: Cases: The actions of citizens in concrete crises (month 7-15)

Main task: To study two selected cases in each country (cf., section 2.1.).

Description of work: Use various qualitative methods to map, interpret and analyse how households have handled actual crisis situations with special emphasis on kin and neighbourhood networks. Data gathering will cover both practices and attitudes and be in situ (in households) for maximal data reliability. An appropriate number of households will be selected in each site/country. (Methods B & E.)

Output: 3, 7, 8, 16, 19 (see table 1 for dissemination list)

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Preliminary title Type of publication (responsible project member)

1National risk regimes in Norway, Sweden and Iceland: The role of citizens

Position paper (SIFO + all)

2Evaluation emergency and disaster management capacity in the Nordic response systems as a result of breakdown in the electrical distribution system

Conference paper presented at the 2015 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Europe Conference. Developed into article 13. (UoI + all)

3The households’ role in emergency situations: A study of electricity breakdowns in Norway, Sweden and Iceland

Conference paper presented at the International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC). Developed into article 7. (SIFO + all)

4Electricity and ICT breakdown: Mapping Norwegian, Swedish and Icelandic household preparedness

Conference paper, the ESA conference, RN22: Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty. Develop into article 11. (SIFO + PhD)

5New methods for studying citizens’ risk perception: Tour narratives to document domestic preparedness in case of power and internet failure.

Conference paper presented at the European Association for Social Anthropologists (EASA) conference. Developed into article 10. (SIFO)

6Households preparedness to electricity and communication breakdown: evaluating expectations and realities

Project report presented at Samfunnssikkerhets- konferansen. Developed into article 12. (SIFO)

7The households’ role in emergency situations: electricity breakdown cases in Norway, Sweden and Iceland

Article in the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management (SIFO + all)

8 Informal networks in the case of emergency Article in Risk Analysis(MiUn + SIFO)

9What happens in a prolonged electricity fall-out? A study of households’ preparedness in rural and urban Norway

Article in Journal of Risk Research (PhD + SIFO

10 The value of visual methods in risk handling research Article in Visual Anthropology (SIFO)

11Når elektrisiteten og det digitale nettet forsvinner: Survey om Norsk, svensk og islandsk beredskap i husholdningene

Article in Tidsskrift for Samfunnsforskning (PhD + SIFO).

12Households preparedness to situations of electricity and ICT breakdown: evaluating expectations and realities

Article in Energy Policy (SIFO)

13Evaluation emergency and disaster management capacity in the Nordic response systems as a result of breakdown in the electrical distribution system

Article in International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management (UoI + all)

14 Analysing the electric distribution system and the resulting vulnerability of society towards perturbations in the system Article in Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industry (UiO)

15 The responsible citizen: governmental discourses on civil crisis preparedness in a Nordic context Article in Journal of contingencies and crisis management (SIFO + all)

16 Risks at home: households preparedness for dealing with electricity and ICT breakdowns Article in Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industry ( MiUn + PhD)

17 Kinship and informal networks as social capital Article in Anthropological theory (SIFO)

18 When routines break down: Considering practices under pressure Article in Journal of Consumer Culture (PhD + SIFO)

19 Being a citizen consumer in times of crisis Article in Journal of Consumer Policy (SIFO)

20 The potential benefit of integrating social networks in public crisis plans Article in Focaal (SIFO + MiUn)

21 Social media and crisis management Article in Media and Society (SIFO + all)

22 When households face collapsing electricity and digital infrastructure – a comparative perspective. Final project report. Also developed into shorter policy briefs and recommendations for stakeholders (SIFO + all)

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Preliminary title Type of publication (responsible project member)1 National risk regimes in Norway, Sweden and Iceland: The role of citizens Position paper (SIFO + all) 2 Evaluation emergency and disaster management capacity in the Nordic response systems as a result of breakdown in the electrical distribution system Conference paper presented at the 2015 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Europe Conference. Developed into article 13. (UoI + all)3 The households’ role in emergency situations: A study of electricity breakdowns in Norway, Sweden and Iceland Conference paper presented at the International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC). Developed into article 7. (SIFO + all)

4Electricity and ICT breakdown: Mapping Norwegian, Swedish and Icelandic household preparedness

Conference paper, the ESA conference, RN22: Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty. Develop into article 11. (SIFO + PhD)

5New methods for studying citizens’ risk perception: Tour narratives to document domestic preparedness in case of power and internet failure.

Conference paper presented at the European Association for Social Anthropologists (EASA) conference. Developed into article 10. (SIFO)

6Households preparedness to electricity and communication breakdown: evaluating expectations and realities

Project report presented at Samfunnssikkerhets- konferansen. Developed into article 12. (SIFO)

7The households’ role in emergency situations: electricity breakdown cases in Norway, Sweden and Iceland

Article in the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management (SIFO + all)

8 Informal networks in the case of emergency Article in Risk Analysis(MiUn + SIFO)

9What happens in a prolonged electricity fall-out? A study of households’ preparedness in rural and urban Norway

Article in Journal of Risk Research (PhD + SIFO

10 The value of visual methods in risk handling research Article in Visual Anthropology (SIFO)

11Når elektrisiteten og det digitale nettet forsvinner: Survey om Norsk, svensk og islandsk beredskap i husholdningene

Article in Tidsskrift for Samfunnsforskning (PhD + SIFO).

12Households preparedness to situations of electricity and ICT breakdown: evaluating expectations and realities

Article in Energy Policy (SIFO)

13Evaluation emergency and disaster management capacity in the Nordic response systems as a result of breakdown in the electrical distribution system

Article in International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management (UoI + all)

14Analysing the electric distribution system and the resulting vulnerability of society towards perturbations in the system

Article in Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industry (UiO)

15The responsible citizen: governmental discourses on civil crisis preparedness in a Nordic context

Article in Journal of contingencies and crisis management (SIFO + all)

16Risks at home: households preparedness for dealing with electricity and ICT breakdowns

Article in Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industry ( MiUn + PhD)

17 Kinship and informal networks as social capital Article in Anthropological theory (SIFO)

18When routines break down: Considering practices under pressure

Article in Journal of Consumer Culture (PhD + SIFO)

19 Being a citizen consumer in times of crisis Article in Journal of Consumer Policy (SIFO)

20The potential benefit of integrating social networks in public crisis plans

Article in Focaal (SIFO + MiUn)

21 Social media and crisis management Article in Media and Society (SIFO + all)

22When households face collapsing electricity and digital infrastructure – a comparative perspective.

Final project report. Also developed into shorter policy briefs and recommendations for stakeholders (SIFO + all)