ABSTRACT
The advent of disasters foreshadows human suffering and infrastructure losses, yet the advent of disasters also promotes the arrival of benevolent individuals, organizations, and corporations who strive to abate the suffering. Should all disaster responders be similarly motivated, the victims would likely receive expeditious relief. There are, however, responders who are not motivated by such lofty goals, and these malevolent and abhorrent responders likewise descend upon disaster scenes. Of course, the arrival of well-meaning but incompetent respondents is also predictable. One might say that disasters attract the altruistic, the lawless, and the inept. If all responders were magnanimous and competent, the waiving of all procurement controls might be effective. The inescapable presence of the malevolent and the abhorrent responders, however, results in their opportunity to fleece the victims and the humane responders alike. Despite this unsettled diversity in disaster responders, governments routinely waive all procurement rules to expedite relief efforts. While it is prudent to waive most bureaucratic processes when responding to disasters, waiving competition is counterproductive in that it will likely slow the delivery of products and services desperately needed by the victims.
