Embracing complexity: Integrating the CADEM Framework into disaster and emergency management practice
Abstract
The increasing complexity, unpredictability, and interconnectedness of disasters demand a shift from traditional hierarchical models of disaster and emergency management (DEM) towards more adaptive and networked approaches. This paper explores the Complex Adaptive Disaster and Emergency Management (CADEM) Framework, which integrates Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) thinking into DEM. By enabling decentralisation, emergent collaboration, feedback loops, and diverse knowledge systems, CADEM provides a robust mechanism for enhancing adaptability, coordination, and resilience in DEM. The paper explores the theoretical foundation of CADEM, its key elements and its practical applications across preparedness, response, recovery, and policy development. The implications of CADEM for future research and policy considerations are also examined. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/ business/.
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Author's Biography
Todd Miller is the Associate Director – Resilience at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), where he leads strategic business continuity and emergency management. With over two decades of experience in disaster and crisis coordination, Todd has held roles across government, response agencies, and military. He has played a critical role in coordinating complex emergency operations, including the Christchurch earthquake, the Whakaari/White Island eruption, the Christchurch Mosque attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. His expertise spans interorganisational collaboration, system readiness, and the design of adaptive operational capabilities such as the alternative National Crisis Management Centre (aNCMC). Alongside his professional portfolio, Todd is currently completing a PhD exploring interorganisational collaboration in disaster and emergency management through the lens of complex adaptive systems. His research contributes to advancing theory and practice by developing new conceptual models for understanding the dynamic, networked nature of emergency management systems.
Citation
Miller, Todd (2026, May 24). Embracing complexity: Integrating the CADEM Framework into disaster and emergency management practice. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 19, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/KOET1650.
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