FEMA's new Think Tank Project

A New Collaboration Community


FEMA has created a new "Collaboration Community" where stakeholders can come to a forum-type website and view, contribute and comment on conversations about emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, and other emergency management topics. They are calling this the "FEMA Think Tank".


The FEMA web page giving background information on the Think Tank is at www.fema.gov/thinktank.


The site has gotten off to a great start since being announced at the IAEM conference last week. As of today, the usage statistics show that 72 ideas have been posted with 199 comments and 613 votes from 389 users.  The ideas are very interesting, some are a bit off topic, some are venting, and some are a bit redundant. However, I am sure that FEMA is getting a lot of good ideas from the stream of consciousness presented on the site already.


How does it work?


The site is built to run on user ideas and votes. Users submit their ideas, then the community discusses and votes for ideas and the best ideas "bubble up to the top". I am not sure exactly how this will work but each idea can be voted on as "I agree" or "I disagree" and then each can receive comments and the comments can receive votes and comments in a nested forum structure.  How all this ends up as a way to have ideas "bubble up" is beyond me. I am not sure that a "like or dislike" option is the best way to go here.

As I have worked with this IdealScales site, which I think is wonderful and robust (although it was slowed to a crawl this morning), I have been somewhat frustrated by the binary nature of giving ideas and comments either a thumbs up or thumbs down. It is not always that simple.  And, I hate to say that I dislike someone' s ideas. I do not want to vote "I disagree" to someone's idea when I am really trying to say it is not as important as some of the other ideas.

Prioritization vs. Voting "Up or Down"

I tried to add this to the discussion on the Think Tank site but it was found to be "off topic" so I will do it here.  My idea is that we need to prioritize what will eventually be a very large list of ideas if we really want the best to bubble up to the top.


It seems to me that a better approach might be to ask for a score on a five or ten point scale to help identify priorities for further research and implementation. I'm not sure if this is possible but I don't think that a number of people that "like" something is equivalent to the value of the idea. It is more important how much people think the idea is valuable. 


So, I'm suggesting that the site change over to some form of value voting. That is my thought for the day...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is an EOC information management system?

Image
What is an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) information management system?  With all of the talk about the use of Social Media in Emergency Management  and the use of new technologies for "Situational Awareness" and a "Common Operating Picture" it is important to remember the basics.  After all, EOC management is all about information and resource management. So I thought I would share a summary of EOC information management issues that we recently prepared. The EOC needs an effective information management system to work. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS DURING A DISASTER The following problems are often seen at all EOC levels: Activation takes place after the fact resulting in a “catch up” process. Lack of good and complete information at the beginning. Possible loss or degraded communications capability. Possible loss or late arrival of key, trained staff. Often a shortfall of resources available to meet demands. Lack of inter-agency coordinati
Read more

It's Baaack! Bill to limit number of UASIs (Updated)

Image
Updated 4-21-11 Once again, there are efforts afoot to limit the number of Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) cities.  However, this legislative maneuvering may be moot.  A combination of less funding and a new risk formula may result in less UASIs without legislative action.  Read on for a full explanation. UASI program funds address the unique planning, organization,  equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density  Urban Areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and  sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and  recover from acts of terrorism. The  proposed legislation, H.R.1555 , was recently introduced by  Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY18]  as an effort to limit the number of cities and funnel more funding to New York City.  The bill's stated purpose is: "T o amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to limit the number of Urban Area Security Initiative grants awarded and to clarify the risk assessment formula to be used when ma
Read more

What is an Emergency Management Consulting Firm?

Image
What is an Emergency Management Consulting Firm ? I am often asked what I do.  When I answer that I am an Emergency Management Consultant , I typically get an odd look (unless I am talking to an Emergency Manager).   I typically explain that we help governments, businesses, communities, and people prepare for disasters.  But emergency management is complex and should involve the whole community.  All Hands, an Emergency Management Consulting Firm Today’s blog is an attempt to answer the question: What is Emergency Management Consulting? Emergency management consulting firms , and emergency management consultants, help clients with their emergency management programs.  Emergency management is defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as “The managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to threats/hazards and cope with disasters.” We describe emergency management as a comprehensive progra
Read more