The cost of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. Lives directly lost to the disease continue to mount, while related health, livelihood and wellbeing impacts are still being felt. This report presents a framework for a vision of pandemic preparedness for the real world – one...

This inquiry report looks at improving crisis communications to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. It examines ways to improve channels of communication with CALD communities, and the use of multicultural and CALD community groups and networks to distribute in-language information.

This report examines how governments — and the societies around them — mobilised intelligence to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. It also makes recommendations as to how they could improve their ability to organise intelligence for future challenges of all kinds, from pandemics...

The GovLab, with the support of the Knight Foundation, recently sought to evaluate how non-traditional data was used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research identifies lessons and recommendations that can be applied to future data-driven crisis management.

This paper reviews the literature and documented evidence on capacity and coordination issues in crisis situations, where social protection and humanitarian assistance intersect. The paper finds that while there is a burgeoning literature that mentions capacity and coordination, very little of this focuses on crisis...

This publication presents a set of guiding processes, resources and tools to aid cultural heritage institutions when planning for, navigating through, and recovering from a significant public health emergency. The playbook contains information for any library, archive or museum staff who will take part in...

In March 2022, the NSW Government commissioned an independent expert inquiry into the preparation for, causes of, response to and recovery from the 2022 catastrophic flood event across the state of New South Wales. This report outlines the findings.

Emergency department presentations for young people who have self-harmed or are experiencing suicidal ideation are on the increase. This report outlines better alternatives, including safe spaces with youth peer workers or a crisis support team that comes to the young person’s home.

Major flooding in NSW in February-March 2022 was a catastrophic disaster, causing widespread devastation and damage – particularly in the Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury regions. This inquiry was set up to consider the NSW Government's preparedness, coordination and response to the flooding events. While this...

In this journal article, the authors explore the exposure to risk and experiences of people with disability and carers during a flooding event and the subsequent mental health impacts.

As his role leading the COVID-19 Response, Compliance and Enforcement operation for Department of Health comes to an end, Chris Webb reflects on the ways in which regulating during a crisis might inform day to day processes.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s overseas crisis management and response arrangements in meeting the government’s objectives for returning Australians from overseas in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Increasingly, the use of technologies such as the internet, smartphones and social media is amplifying the power of local community action and knowledge. This brief addresses the need for policy change to overcome key barriers in this space.

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the state of the evidence from existing systematic reviews, in relation to the effectiveness of crisis and post-crisis interventions for victims and survivors of sexual violence.

Australia has been comparatively effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. The Sydney Local Health District [SLHD] used a “whole of health” integrated approach to respond to the pandemic. The aim of this study was to understand for whom, how and why this response worked...

This paper seeks to explore the perspectives of actors affected by the current security crisis in Burkina Faso and by development and humanitarian interventions.

In partnership with Lifeline, this report explores the mental health impact of COVID-19 and how crisis lines supported Victorians during the pandemic.

Recent prompts to consider a rethink of resilience in nursing practice and education serve as a timely cue to reflect more broadly on the nursing curricula developed for pre-registration nursing education. Specifically, in light of an increasingly challenging health care landscape, there is an opportunity...

Persons with disabilities are more likely to be badly affected by disasters and be left behind in their wake. This panel discusses the importance of mainstreaming inclusive responses to ensure that disaster preparedness and responses ensure safety, security and rights for all.

If the COVID-19 crisis and social protection crisis response to date are to make a difference to progress towards inclusive, adaptive and sustainable social protection moving forward, harnessing the momentum around social protection and institutionalising learning to date are key. This paper aims to contribute...

This interim report informs the Senate about claims of public interest immunity received by the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 in the course of its examination of the Australian government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report is an evaluation of the development and implementation of the National Indigenous Crisis Response Service, providing support for individuals and families who have experienced a suicide or other traumatic event in their family network.

This policy brief argues that practitioners and scholars can work together better by pivoting from ‘big questions’ towards ‘big challenges,’ and finding new ways of working collaboratively, especially by drawing lessons from successful collaborations, rather than dwell on supposed tensions between scholars and practitioners.

Reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on board practices and processes, the insights in this report have been drawn from interviews and roundtables with directors and company secretaries, as well as a survey of Australian Institute of Company Directors members.

These resources aim to help state and local government sectors review and strengthen integrity responses and improve capacity to prevent corrupt conduct during times of emergency and crisis.