The impact of incentives and requirements on group collaboration

Abstract

In the aftermath of catastrophic incidents that have stressed emergency response capabilities there is a growing national awareness that risks and threats exist that are complex, wide reaching, and will require a response effort that crosses jurisdictional boundaries. Response to these incidents will require a coordinated regional response effort that did not exist in many areas prior to 9/11. In an effort to build a regional response capability, as well as the collaborative regional infrastructure to support it, DHS has committed grant funding to the emergency response community. Regional collaboration is a condition of receipt of these funds. Because collaboration has been required, it is difficult to know whether cooperation is the result of that requirement or whether it is the result of a cultural norm that values collaboration. It is also unclear whether groups that were created due to federal requirements are meeting to collaborate or meeting to fulfill requirements. The purpose of this thesis is to further the national dialogue about regional collaboration and its dependence on federal grants, as well as gauge the success of groups created due to grant requirements.