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.

About the Author

Dr Lynn T. Drennan is Education Programme Director at the Institute of Risk Management, UK

Professor Allan McConnell is Professor (Public Policy) at the University of Sydney, Australia

Dr Alastair Stark is Lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Queensland, Australia

Reviews

'The revision of this helpful textbook confirms the validity of the ideas underpinning the first edition: to provide an integrated and sophisticated, yet succinct and highly teachable overview of the theory and practice of contemporary risk management and crisis management. These fields address different sides of the safety, security and business continuity coin. This book does a great job of allowing readers to see the connections between the challenges of identifying risks and preventing them from materializing on the one hand, and dealing with the consequences of risks that materialize and escalate in the form of major disruptions and emergencies on the other. It will be of great value to students, scholars, and practitioners alike in both in the corporate and public sectors.' - Paul 't Hart, Utrecht University School of Governance, The Netherlands

'"Nothing sells risk management like a crisis." Unfortunately, interest AFTER a crisis demonstrates bad timing. Further, passions (and political will) for future preparedness subside over time, and an all too common cycle emerges-Crisis/A Vow to Change/Weakening of the Vow/Next Crisis! This book provides expert guidance both on breaking that cycle and on constructing and implementing effective crisis response strategies and methods. It should be required reading for public leaders and managers.' - Peter C. Young, PhD, 3M Endowed Chair in International Business, University of St. Thomas-Opus College of Business Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9780415739696
Author Lynn T. Drennan
Format Paperback
Page Count 286
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 460g