Planning Methodological Framework for Humanitarian Aid System in Colombia

Abstract

This chapter proposes a planning methodological framework for humanitarian aid. The proposal combines project management tools and system dynamics to evaluate the effect of different operational strategies on the total system response time. System dynamics allows identifying humanitarian aid sub-systems and the feedback loops between them. The project management approach enables to recognize the response activities in each sub-system, to estimate the response time for each activity and the resources requirements. Also, the system dynamics tools enable the response times simulation under variability conditions. The proposal is tested in a retrospective way on the 1999 “Eje Cafetero” earthquake in Colombia. Additionally, the methodology framework provides a novelty approach to represent humanitarian logistics operations as a project. Finally, the integration of project representation, strategies selection, and system dynamic simulation is not enough studied in the humanitarian logistics field.