Helping agencies learn from experience

The ultimate aim of this research is to help emergency management staff and volunteers to function more effectively in increasingly complex environments. Its overall approach is to help agencies to ‘learn how to learn’, so they understand how to embed effective learning practices and systems into their organisation’s culture. The experiential learning model, which is grounded in real-world experiences rather than classroom training, is a key focus of this Hazard Note. Broad challenges have been identified that agencies need to manage in order to enhance and sustain learning. These include shifting value from action post an event, to reflection, focusing on the bigger picture and allowing enough time to effectively embed the new practices after an emergency. No organisation can forgo learning. All experiences provide opportunities for learning to occur. A key insight for agencies interested in facilitating improvements in learning is to locate potential weak links in the learning cycle and to develop a better understanding of how to learn.