ABSTRACT
For some three decades, the workings of government, at national, regional and local level, have been seen through the prism of new public management. The emphasis has been on the apparent weakness of the government in achieving its intended goals and thereby on the potential of new methods of organisation and management to improve cost-effective service outcomes. Working with communities that are in the midst of a disaster requires a disciplined approach to the detail of getting things right. But it also requires a compassionate professionalism that works with communities at a personal level. Disaster management requires a focus on solving the immediate consequences of the disaster. Close personal and professional experience of working in the context of disaster leads one to suggest a fourfold summary of advice to practitioners. Disaster preparedness exercises are extremely useful for honing communication and prototyping the sorts of operational judgements that are likely to occur.
