CHIOMA CHIGOZIE-OKWUM
FACTORS THREATENING EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS by Chioma Chigozie-Okwum, Spiritan University Nneochi, Abia State, Nigeria. Crises can impact individuals, families, communities,
to crisis management. In the face of a crisis, a
countries, or the whole world. The recent COVID-19
partnership allows big players to partner with
pandemic is an example of a global crisis: its waves
medium and small players to ensure the cushioning
created widespread fear, panic and uncertainty
resulting from crisis management trickles down to
for people regardless of nationality, race, class
the most vulnerable members of the population.
or religion. For individuals, crises can create fear, depression, and other mental health problems, and produce suicidal thoughts. Crisis management includes frameworks, decisions, and actions taken to respond to crisis situations. It is imperative to develop a strategy and action plan on how to respond to a crisis situation. Crisis management may not completely eliminate the crisis, but seeks to cushion its impact and provide support to those impacted. Crisis situations can range from
players to be combined with the local structures of the medium and small scale players to achieve effective crisis management. However, partnerships in crisis management only achieve their aim when there is proper monitoring to identify and counter aspects of the partnership that can compromise its effectiveness. These factors include, but are not limited to:
violence orchestrated by terrorists and militia to
• Poor communication between partners.
drought, flooding, fire, tribal wars, civil unrest, and
• Lack of integrity in any of the partners.
even police brutality.
• Lack of transparency in dealings.
Crises can be micro or macro managed. Macro management approaches crisis management from a broad perspective. Micro management pays attention to every single detail. In managing a crisis, it is imperative to consider the size of the crisis to determine the most appropriate management approach. Whether a crisis is micro or macro managed, a partnership can be helpful. Partnering in crisis management promotes a shared responsibility. Partnership adopts a top-down cascading approach
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Partnering enables the large resources of the major
WOMEN IN SECURITY MAGAZINE
• Trust issues. • Corrupt intents and purposes. Hence partners in crisis management should seek ways to build trust, create effective communication channels, be transparent and prevent corruption, to ensure all work towards the goal of ameliorating the impacts of the crisis in the short and long term. www.linkedin.com/in/chioma-chigozie-okwum-376793122 www.facebook.com/chioma.chinakachigookwum
