Every decision that is made by
managers and policy-makers in a public sector organization requires an
evaluation and a judgement of the risks involved. This vital requirement
has been recognised in the growth of risk management. However, risks
can never be fully prevented, which means that public managers also have
to be crisis managers. Today’s crises develop in unseen ways;
they escalate rapidly and transform through the interdependencies of
modern society, and their frequency is growing: the global financial
crisis, the European volcanic ash cloud, the Japanese tsunami and
subsequent Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, the Christchurch earthquake
and the Queensland floods. All highlight the extreme challenges that
public sector organizations across the world have had to face in recent
years. Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector Second Edition
responds to these challenges by presenting the only guide for public
managers and public management students which combines lessons about
risk and crisis management together in a single, accessible text.
It equips readers and public managers with the knowledge and skills to
understand key issues and debates, as well as the capacity to treat
risks and better prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis
episodes. This exciting new edition enhances the original text
with contemporary cases and a greater focus on the international,
trans-boundary and multi-agency dimensions of risk and crisis
management. These enhancements reflect the fact that today’s public
manager must increasingly operate within a global and interdependent
governance context.