A number of techniques have been identified by researchers and practitioners to help in the proactive
planning and strategy development for the prevention or reduction of crises and disasters through sensing
potential problems (Gonzales-Herrero & Pratt, 1998). Authors such as Darling (1994) and Kash and Darling
(1998) suggest that developing processes to deal with future crises as they arise are more efficient than
continually scanning for all potential impacts. Problem recognition through environmental scanning and collecting data on the political, economic, social and technological environment can provide information on possible
trends and their likely impacts on the organisation. Other tools identified by Kash and Darling (1998) include:
* strategic forecasting: allowing for predictions based on potential crisis or disaster situations and could
include opinion based quantification, extrapolation of trends, simulation and cause and effect methods. Examples include the forecasting of the impact of the 1997-1998 Asian Economic Crisis to determine its impact on outbound travel to Australia.
* contingency planning: these are alternative plans which can be implemented if a crisis or disaster hits
and impacts upon the strategic direction of an organisation. These are helpful for less certain situations and can help resolve crisis situations quickly if they were to occur. Examples include contingency plans for impending war or the possible striking of key airline workers. Plans may include removing some destinations from tour operator itineraries or moving tasks from frontline to manage-
ment staff for the duration of the strike.
* issues analysis: this is similar to contingency planning but it alerts managers to evolving trends in the
external environment which can be used in developing strategies to use the trend to its advantage. Examples include the increasing environmental awareness of consumers. If hotels do not consider implementing waste reduction and energy efficient practices they may lose their market share to rival hotels who do implement such strategies.
* scenario analysis: which are detailed attempts to describe a potential end state if certain decisions were
made by an organisation. The scenario is hypothetical but able to create discussion over decisions which can then be turned into contingency or emergency plans. Examples could include management succession plans or business take-over scenarios in the hotel sector.
For natural disasters proactive planning could also consider:
* risk analysis and hazard mapping: such as history of natural disasters in the area and likelihood of
reoccurrence.
* integrated emergency planning: including pre-planning of advance warning systems, creation of a
disaster management command centre, prepared coordination between emergency services and tour-
ism authorities.
These techniques signify the need for managers and planners to gather information on potential issues or
problems and what plans or strategies they would implement if a crisis or disaster occurs. Understanding
the type of disaster or crisis a destination or organisation is susceptible to, and the nature of such an incident
is invaluable to the creation of suitable plans and strategies which can prevent or limit the impact of such
an incident. In short, moving from simply ‘scanning to planning’ is required through developing contingency
and integrated emergency plans. If a potential crisis or disaster is identified then strategies may be implemented
to stop it occurring. If however, this cannot occur then the crisis enters the prodromal stage and into the next
phase of strategic crisis management: the implementation of strategies and plans to deal with the impacts.
However, despite the importance of proactive planning research conducted by Gonzalez Herrero (1997)
A number of techniques have been identified by researchers and practitioners to help in the proactive
planning and strategy development for the prevention or reduction of crises and disasters through sensing
potential problems (Gonzales-Herrero & Pratt, 1998). Authors such as Darling (1994) and Kash and Darling
(1998) suggest that developing processes to deal with future crises as they arise are more efficient than
continually scanning for all potential impacts. Problem recognition through environmental scanning and collecting data on the political, economic, social and technological environment can provide information on possible
trends and their likely impacts on the organisation. Other tools identified by Kash and Darling (1998) include:
* strategic forecasting: allowing for predictions based on potential crisis or disaster situations and could
include opinion based quantification, extrapolation of trends, simulation and cause and effect methods. Examples include the forecasting of the impact of the 1997-1998 Asian Economic Crisis to determine its impact on outbound travel to Australia.
* contingency planning: these are alternative plans which can be implemented if a crisis or disaster hits
and impacts upon the strategic direction of an organisation. These are helpful for less certain situations and can help resolve crisis situations quickly if they were to occur. Examples include contingency plans for impending war or the possible striking of key airline workers. Plans may include removing some destinations from tour operator itineraries or moving tasks from frontline to manage-
ment staff for the duration of the strike.
* issues analysis: this is similar to contingency planning but it alerts managers to evolving trends in the
external environment which can be used in developing strategies to use the trend to its advantage. Examples include the increasing environmental awareness of consumers. If hotels do not consider implementing waste reduction and energy efficient practices they may lose their market share to rival hotels who do implement such strategies.
* scenario analysis: which are detailed attempts to describe a potential end state if certain decisions were
made by an organisation. The scenario is hypothetical but able to create discussion over decisions which can then be turned into contingency or emergency plans. Examples could include management succession plans or business take-over scenarios in the hotel sector.
For natural disasters proactive planning could also consider:
* risk analysis and hazard mapping: such as history of natural disasters in the area and likelihood of
reoccurrence.
* integrated emergency planning: including pre-planning of advance warning systems, creation of a
disaster management command centre, prepared coordination between emergency services and tour-
ism authorities.
These techniques signify the need for managers and planners to gather information on potential issues or
problems and what plans or strategies they would implement if a crisis or disaster occurs. Understanding
the type of disaster or crisis a destination or organisation is susceptible to, and the nature of such an incident
is invaluable to the creation of suitable plans and strategies which can prevent or limit the impact of such
an incident. In short, moving from simply ‘scanning to planning’ is required through developing contingency
and integrated emergency plans. If a potential crisis or disaster is identified then strategies may be implemented
to stop it occurring. If however, this cannot occur then the crisis enters the prodromal stage and into the next
phase of strategic crisis management: the implementation of strategies and plans to deal with the impacts.
However, despite the importance of proactive planning research conducted by Gonzalez Herrero (1997)
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