Crisis management planning

Crisis Management Planning, Berlin, Germany - © Berlin Senatsverwaltung für Gesundheit, Pflege und Gleichstellung

Crisis management planning

Status

ongoing

City

Berlin

Main actors

City Government

Project area

Whole City/Administrative Region

Duration

Ongoing since 2012

The Berlin Senate Department for Health, Care and Gender Equality ("Senatsverwaltung für Gesundheit, Pflege und Gleichstellung") has developed a model for standardised operational planning for crisis management.

Managing crisis scenarios requires a high degree of coordination and decision-making, as well as cooperation between many stakeholders. These include, but are not limited to, public health department and hospitals, emergency services, law enforcement agencies, politicians, community leaders, NGOs, and the media. Operational crisis management plans should support relevant institutions and organisations in taking the necessary steps to contain and successfully manage emergencies. In 2012, the Berlin Senate Department for Health, Care and Gender Equality introduced a standardized model for operational crisis management planning – one that can be transferred to various crisis scenarios.

Originally published by the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Development CONNECTIVE CITIES: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/good-practice-details/gutepraktik/standardised-operational-planning-for-crisis-management/

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

City information

City

Berlin, Germany

Size and population development

In 2019, the municipality of Berlin had a population of 3,669,491 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the European Union (EU). The larger metropolitan area has about 5 million inhabitants.

Population composition

According to estimations, about one third of Berlin’s population was foreign born or has a migratory background. These inhabitants originate from other parts of the EU—such as Poland, Italy or Bulgaria—as well as from countries outside of the EU, such as Syria, Vietnam or the United States of America. The largest non-native population comes from Turkey: In 2019, more than 107,000 Turkish nationals were registered as inhabitants of Berlin.

Main functions

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. As a city-state it is also one of the country’s 16 Länder, as the federal states are called in Germany. Situated approximately 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea, the city lies in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River, which runs through Berlin’s centre. The city extends over an area of 891.7 square kilometres and stands at an average altitude of 34 meters above sea level. After the reunification of Germany and East and West Berlin in 1990, the unified Berlin was re-established as the country’s capital (replacing Bonn, the former capital of West Germany). In 1999, large parts of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag finally moved back to Berlin. Berlin is a city of great historical significance, which becomes evident considering the amount of historical landmarks that visualize the city’s history. Some of the most important landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate (built in 1793), the Reichstag Building (which dates to 1884), remnants of the Berlin Wall (taken down on the 9th of November 1989) or the Holocaust memorial (inaugurated in 2003). Berlin is also a famous cultural hub, known for its world-class museums, theatres, operas and concert halls as well as its vibrant club scene and street art. Finally, the Brain City Berlin is a leading location for science and research. It is home to a number of prestigious universities such as the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, with more than 35,000 students each as well as renowned research institutions and think tanks.

Main industries / business

As the fourth largest economy of the world, Germany has a wide array of prestigious industries. Berlin is home to a diverse mix of economic activities: state-owned enterprises, creative industries, automotive manufacturers, (digital) media corporations, high-tech and telecommunication companies as well as multiple digital pioneers that flourish in the city’s vibrant start-up scene. Tourism is constantly growing and brings about 14 million visitors (2019) to the city every year.

Sources for city budget

Berlin draws its budget for public expenditure largely from taxes, federal transfers, fees, fines and operating revenues. It is spent not only to provide high quality public services, but also to boost the city’s private sector, civil society engagement and cultural life.

Political structure

The city-state Berlin is governed by the Berlin Senate, which is comprised of 10 senators, and the Governing Mayor. As the capital of Germany, Berlin hosts the Bundesregierung (federal government), the Bundestag (federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (the parliamentary chamber of the 16 Länder). Each of the 16 Länder has a representation in Berlin. On many political issues, the Länder have co-legislative powers vis-à-vis the Federal government. Moreover, Berlin hosts embassies from more than 120 countries from around the world.

Administrative structure

Berlin is administrated by the Senate and its 12 districts or boroughs (Bezirke). The Senate is the city’s central administration, in charge of city planning, public policy, and the regulation of public and private spheres. The district administrations have some decentralized public functions, with reasonable differences between the various localities.

Website

http://www.berlin.de

Background and objectives

Protecting public health in biological emergencies is one of the most urgent tasks faced by cities today. Primarily, this involves fighting infectious diseases, pandemics and highly contagious, life-threatening illnesses. Infectious diseases that have been virtually or entirely unknown pose a particular challenge for the medical profession and other relevant stakeholders for public health protection. Experts assume the number of such infectious diseases will increase over time. Moreover, countries located geographically close to military crises must be prepared for possible bioterrorist attacks.

Experts from various fields of public health protection agree that the successful management of biological emergencies will be largely dependent on standardised operational planning.

The Berlin Senate Department for Health, Care and Gender Equality has developed a standardised crisis planning model to address these emergences. The objective of this project is to establish the model in other local authorities and federal states of Germany, and to promote its adoption with city governments world-wide.

Implementation

The Lead agency for the project is the Berlin Senate Department for Health, Care and Gender Equality. The model for standardized operational planning for crisis management has been discussed and agreed upon by all relevant stakeholders. The plan is based on five different scenarios for biological emergencies. It distinguishes between individual cases of illness, local epidemics, regional epidemics, pandemics, and so-called suspected hazardous substances.

The plan is supported by the web-based portal DiDaKat: https://didakat.de/. This enables all stakeholders involved in managing a crisis to obtain updated information in real-time, coordinating and maximising their efforts while protecting personal and confidential information.

Results and impacts

The key element of the plan is a set of standardised terms and definitions. The plan was developed by applying a modular basis that ensures it can be transferred to any field of public health protection, regardless of the particular biological emergency. The web-based portal enables the various stake holders to network their plans, and provides them access to a shared pool of data. This can be used by both public authorities (at local, regional and national levels), and other organisations and institutions involved. It also creates the possibility of establishing links in other thematic areas relevant to crisis situations, such as water supply.

Lessons learned and transferability

Applying standardised terms and definitions to operational planning makes the quality of information more reliable and ensures optimal management of the resources available. The generic structure increases transparency for all stakeholders at local and national level. Subsequently this leads to overall growth in the professional management of acute emergencies, and builds capacities for responding to new challenges.

References

- STANDARDISED OPERATIONAL PLANNING FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT, http://www.connective-cities.net/en/connect/good-practices/standardised-operational-planning-for-crisis-management/ (accessed December 20, 2016).