The Role of Information Systems in Decision-Making Following Disasters: Lessons from the Mealy Bug Disaster in Northern Malawi

Nutritional surveillance refers to the collection and use of information for decision-making in relation to the nutrition of a population, including decisions concerning policy and planning, program management and evaluation, and timely warning and intervention at national or de-centralized levels....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human organization 1990-10, Vol.49 (3), p.245-254
Main Authors: PELLETIER, DAVID L., MSUKWA, LOUIS A. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural Production
Cassava
Corn
Decision Making
Disaster relief
Disasters
Food aid
Food crops
Food shortages
Food supply
Information Dissemination
Information systems
Information Technology
Malawi
Nutrition
Nutrition planning
Nutrition surveys
Policy making
Surveillance
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Summary:Nutritional surveillance refers to the collection and use of information for decision-making in relation to the nutrition of a population, including decisions concerning policy and planning, program management and evaluation, and timely warning and intervention at national or de-centralized levels. An agricultural disaster in one district of Malawi in 1986/87 destroyed the staple food crop and provided the opportunity to assist and observe government decision-making concerning immediate food relief and the planning of longer-term interventions. The case study illustrates how the collection and transmittal of information is affected by bureaucratic behavior when malnutrition and food shortages are perceived to be politically sensitive, thereby creating obstacles to the development and operation of a timely warning and intervention system. It also reveals the importance of contextual factors (cultural, ecological, and economic) in project planning and the necessity of using a variety of methodologies to obtain the information, including informal and formal surveys. It is suggested that the continued development of the field of nutritional surveillance should consider the importance of contextual factors, incorporate appropriate methodologies for their assessment and consider the particular institutional arrangements, resources and training required for developing countries to use these methodologies on a regular basis as part of a nutritional surveillance system.
ISSN:0018-7259
1938-3525
DOI:10.17730/humo.49.3.50354481q8252766