A: IMPLEMENTING AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - B: THE USE AND MISUSE OF SCIENCE IN NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - C: PERSPECTIVES ON ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING OIL POLLUTION RESPONSE CAPABILITIES
ABSTRACT: The challenge for oil spill response professionals is to develop a process during pre-spill planning that enables a responder to incorporate the positive aspects of both closed and open management systems. By building a system that has the potential for operational efficiency offered by closed systems and the adaptability of open systems@ the capability to successfully manage the full range oil spill response operations can be developed. Developing and implementing an effective Response Management System is difficult due to the technological@ political@ economic and socio-cultural differences between organizations and nations. It can best be accomplished during the preparedness process by reaching detailed organizational agreements among members of the response community on how organizations will respond together@ and then reinforcing and/or modifying those agreements at the outset of a response. This paper is intended to stimulate thoughtful discussion within the spill response community on how to better address these problems associated with managing response operations.