Transboundary crisis networks: The challenge of coordination in the face of global threats

In today’s interconnected world, transboundary crises such as pandemics, ecological and financial crises are becoming both more frequent and more devastating. The transboundary nature of these threats requires actors at various administrative and geographical levels to create joint responses which, at the aggregated level, form the basis of a global crisis management network. However, the forming of such a network is challenged by ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty in terms of responsibility, cooperation and mandates. In order to overcome these deficiencies, the network should develop a delicate mix of organizational robustness and flexibility. The article explores the preconditions and functioning of such a global crisis management health network by proposing a model based on coordination systems and practices of importance to the response. The SARS outbreak in 2003 will be used to illustrate the model. The article ends by exploring the preconditions for global crisis management based on how levels of formalization may impact on the network’s capacity for adaptation and coordination.