To observe and evaluate sensemaking: The development of the sensemaking interaction analysis

Systematic evaluations are vital to support learning and enhance performance in a crisis response. There are quantitative methods available today for evaluating crisis response management (CRM), but there are limiting factors negatively affecting their potential; They often involve techniques difficult to implement in real events, lack reliability testing, provide outcomes questionable from a learning perspective, are often not applicable across professions, and their correlation to effectiveness is rarely investigated. This paper exemplifies how these identified limitations can be addressed through an iterative development process, using a combination of theoretical knowledge and empirical data. The result is the sensemaking interaction analysis (SIA), a new method developed using techniques found in the design sciences. The idea behind SIA is that a crisis management team who collectively make sense of a crisis, its consequences, and possible actions will perform better than a team who fails to do so.