Unseen Bridges: Building stronger connections for more effective disaster recovery in Western Australia  

A new report, Unseen Bridges, produced by Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students as part of a work-based project sponsored by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in Western Australia (DFES), is calling for a major rethink in how Western Australia’s public sector collaborates during disaster recovery. The report underscores the vital role of trust, organisational culture, and inter-agency relationships in rebuilding communities after natural disasters, demonstrating the meaningful contribution such applied research can make to public sector leadership and practice.

The report, developed through extensive interviews and research across government agencies, argues that while DFES has made significant strides in technical preparedness, the “soft” enablers of recovery, such as leadership behaviours, organisational culture, and collaboration, remain underdeveloped.

DFES, which leads emergency response across WA’s vast and diverse landscape, is increasingly tasked with coordinating long-term recovery efforts. However, the report finds that the transition from emergency response to recovery is often hampered by unclear roles, siloed communication, and a lack of shared understanding between agencies.

Key Findings: Clarity, Capability, Collaboration

The report identifies three core challenges:

• Clarity: Agencies often lack a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities during recovery, leading to duplication, delays, and confusion.
• Capability: Many departments are not equipped, either structurally or culturally, for sustained recovery work.
• Collaboration: Differing organisational cultures and a lack of trust hinder effective coordination.

The Case for “Boundary Spanners”

The report highlights the role of the knowledge broker, an individual who works across group boundaries to connect bureaucratic silos in critical information contexts, as a significant opportunity to improve outcomes. This reflects the broader concept of “boundary spanning”, which refers to individuals or mechanisms that bridge organisational divides to support knowledge sharing and joint decision-making.

Implications for Practice

To address the challenges identified above, the report outlines a series of recommendations, including:

• A Strategic and Operational Knowledge Sharing Maturity Framework to guide agencies in improving collaboration over time.
• A cross-agency capability development program focused on leadership, communication, and data literacy.
• Formal liaison roles and inter-agency forums to build trust and maintain strategic networks.
• A cultural transformation strategy to embed collaboration and knowledge sharing into the DNA of public sector organisations.

The report’s authors urge public sector leaders to look beyond systems and structures and invest in the human side of disaster recovery.

As climate change and urbanisation increase the frequency and complexity of disasters, the report’s findings have implications far beyond Western Australia. It offers a timely reminder that in times of crisis, the strength of our public institutions lies not just in their frameworks, but in their ability to work together.