Experts in Crises

Crises can be characterized as dramatic situations, creating a sense of urgency for decision makers. Decision makers are forced to make decisions under conditions of high uncertainty and non-knowledge in order to mitigate and solve the situation of crisis. Consulting experts prior to making decisions is increasingly recognized as highly important in crisis situations. The project reviews relevant literature on the relation between “experts” and “decision makers” in crisis contexts. Therefore, we distinguish between different “types” of consultants and specify the context conditions of consultancy in crises. Specific emphasis of the project is laid on the question in how far crises do also provide opportunities for structural change and normative re-orientation and under which conditions crises may turn into such opportunities for more substantial learning. First results of the project are published in the "Working Papers" serie of the LFV. Moreover, the project is going to be presented at the international workshop “On the Limits of Knowing: Ignorance, Promises and the Political Economy of Knowledge” (August 29-30, 2017 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston)

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS) were able to obtain external funding to extend their research on the topic of experts in crisis, in the format of the project RESKIU (10/2017-09/2020). 

Participating Institutes

Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS)

Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe (HI)

Publications

Brinks, V., O. Ibert and A. V. Wendland. 2017. Beratung unter Stress: Experten in und für Krisen. Working Paper No. 2, Leibniz Research Alliance Crises in a Globalised World.

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Contact

Prof. Dr. Oliver Ibert (IRS)

Dr. Verena Brinks (IRS)

Project term

07/2016 - 08/2017