title: Explaining implementation behaviour of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
abstract: This paper explains the perceived implementation behaviour of counties in the United States with respect to the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The system represents a massive and historic policy mandate designed to restructure, standardise and thereby unify the efforts of a wide variety of emergency management entities. Specifically, this study examined variables identified in the NIMS and policy literature that might influence the behavioural intentions and actual behaviour of counties. It found that three key factors limit or promote how counties intend to implement NIMS and how they actually implement the system: policy characteristics related to NIMS, implementer views and a measure of local capacity. One additional variable-inter-organisational characteristics-was found to influence only actual behaviour. This study's findings suggest that the purpose underlying NIMS may not be fulfilled and confirm what disaster research has long suggested: the potential for standardisation in emergency management is limited.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Center for Disaster Studies and Emergency Management, North Dakota State University, United States.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Youngs
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D011640:Public Policy; D014481:United States
keywords: command and control; disaster preparedness; disaster response; incident management; standardisation