This paper proposes first integrated models dealing with the management of the coupling between system design environment and project planning one. A benchmark done with fifteen companies belonging to the world competitiveness cluster Aerospace Valley has highlighted a lack of models, processes and tools for aiding the interactions between the two environments. An integrated model taking into account design and planning requirements as well as management of coupling is proposed in compliance with existing project and design standards. A process of coupling, carrying out design and project management in case of innovative design is presented. It is based on the generic formalization of the interactions and the propagation of decisions taken within an environment to another one.
Despite annual climate variability threats, traditional farming in semi-arid Zimbabwe remains entrenched in unproductive, rain-fed agricultural practices. Adaptation strategies by farmers are seemingly failing to mitigate climate impacts, as evidenced by annual crop and livestock losses. Matabeleland South Province was a thriving livestock and small grain-producing province in the 1970s. Today, the province relies heavily on humanitarian assistance from government and humanitarian agencies. Through literature review, observations and focus group discussions with 129 farmers, the qualitative study established the perceptions of farmers around climate variability impacts in the past 20 years in Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda districts in Zimbabwe. The study (1) analysed changes in climate and weather patterns in the past 20 years; (2) analysed climate impacts on traditional farming systems in the past 20 years in Gwanda, Mangwe and Matobo districts in Zimbabwe; and (3) established farmers’ perceptions, experiences and their climate adaptive strategies. The findings showed that the farmers experienced annual heat waves, protracted droughts, chaotic rain seasons, frost and floods, which led to environmental degradation. Traditional farming systems or practices have been abandoned in favour of buying and selling and gold panning, among other alternative livelihood options, because of climate-related threats and misconceptions around the subject of climate change. Farmers fail to access timely and comprehensive weather forecasts, resulting in annual crop and livestock losses, as decision-making is compromised. Given that the smallholder farming system sustains the bulk of the population in Matabeleland South Province in Zimbabwe, climate education and capital investment is needed to change traditional farmer perceptions about climate change impacts on the farming practices. Increased climate awareness initiatives, establishment of village-based weather stations and the marrying of traditional farming climate knowledge to modern practices are highly recommended to enhance resilience to climate.
The South African disaster management legislation advocates the importance of implementing pro-active disaster risk reduction strategies that will ensure a safe and sustainable society. One key strategic activity identified is the use of simulation exercises to improve overall societal readiness and inter-agency coordination in case of major incidents or disasters. However, very little is currently understood or planned especially at South African local government level, on what simulation exercises entail and the methodology behind their implementation. This paper aims at conveying some crucial methodological inputs that disaster risk managers or emergency response agencies should consider when planning, designing and implementing simulation exercises by analysing a hazardous chemical spillage simulation in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, NorthWest Province, South Africa. The research found that in the South African context attention needs to be paid to methodological issues such as scenario development, role-player selection, fidelity during simulation delivery, data collection and participant (de)briefing.
‘The critical component in crisis management is communication’, but somehow the vague concept of ‘communication‘ is always cited as a problem in in-crisis situations. Furthermore, available corporate communication literature mainly focuses on pre- and post-crisis reputational communication, relying only on following lists or a linear one-way push of information for the in-crisis stages. The exploratory method of reflective or interpretive action research of a hazardous material emergency desk-top simulation exercise was used to examine (1) what is meant by the term communication in the in-crisis situation, and (2) the contribution that corporate communication and the corporate communication practitioner can make during an in-crisis situation. This study found that there is confusion regarding the term communication, but even more, that each person involved also interpreted the term slightly differently, which could easily lead to confusion and/or the creation of an unclear common operating picture. The extent of the contribution that the corporate communication practitioner, as conduit of the corporate communication discipline, can make is also discussed. This paper comes to the conclusion that the contribution of corporate communication to the in-crisis situation will greatly add to the successful clearing up of an emergency situation.
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