After katrina: Comparisons of post-disaster public procurement approaches and outcomes in the new orleans area
| Date | 01 March 2012 |
| Pages | 356-385 |
| Published date | 01 March 2012 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-12-03-2012-B003 |
| Author | Christopher L. Atkinson,Alka K. Sapat |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Politics,Public adminstration & management,Government,Economics,Public Finance/economics,Texation/public revenue |
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, VOLUME 12, ISSUE 3, 356-385 FALL 2012
AFTER KATRINA: COMPARISONS OF POST-DISASTER PUBLIC
PROCUREMENT APPROACHES AND OUTCOMES IN THE NEW
ORLEANS AREA
Christopher L. Atkinson and Alka K. Sapat*
ABSTRACT. Hurricane Katrina remains the “most destructive disaster in U.S.
history” (Farber & Chen, 2006). The purpose of this article is to examine the
public procurement practices followed by local government officials in and
around New Orleans within the context of Hurricane Katrina, and define
impacts of disaster on procurement processes. Original and primary data
drawn from interviews with officials working in and with public procurement
are used to examine the role of institutional culture and practices which
encourage or constrain active, responsible behavior. We find that this
behavior influences the quality, including the transparency and fairness, of
purchasing responses.
INTRODUCTION
Research and practice in the field of public procurement has seen
significant strides in the last two decades (Prier & McCue, 2009;
Snider & Rendon, 2008; Thai, 2001). While there are a few studies
that have focused on the issue at the federal level (Drabkin & Thai
2007; Friar, 2006), one area that has been neglected in both disaster
research and in research on procurement has been the issue of
disaster/emergency1 procurement and the role played by
procurement practices prior to and after disaster. Yet disaster
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* Christopher L. Atkinson, Ph.D., is Small Business Development Manager,
Office of Economic and Small Business Development, Broward County,
Florida, USA. His research interests include local government
administration, emergency management, and environmental policy. Alka K.
Sapat, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, School of Public Administration,
Florida Atlantic University. Her research interests include disaster and crisis
management, environmental policy, and intergovernmental administration.
Copyright © 2012 by PrAcademics Press
POST-DISASTER PUBLIC PROCUREMENT APPROACHES AND OUTCOMES 357
procurement is one form of government action that is critical to the
economic recovery of communities. Disaster procurement is also
important since hazard events increase complexities and constraints
to even well-functioning procurement systems, highlighting the
importance of transparency and effectiveness. Procurement systems
which fail to respond effectively during and after disasters may have
long-term negative impacts on the recovery and resilience of
communities. Moreover, while disaster procurement at the federal
level is important, the role played by local-level procurement
managers is critical. Despite the importance of this issue, there has
been little to no scholarly investigation of disaster procurement at the
local level. This paper seeks to fill these gaps in procurement
research by focusing on local disaster procurement practices within
the context of Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina was chosen as it remains the “most destructive
disaster in U.S. history…[damaging] more property than any previous
natural disaster…it was also the deadliest…since 1928” (Farber &
Chen, 2006, p. 2-3). The storm wrought a dreadful human toll.
Katrina is responsible for the deaths of 1,836 people (Levitt &
Whitaker, 2009, p. 2). Approximately 35,000 people had to be
rescued due to the storm’s impacts (Picou & Marshall, 2007, p. 14).
The hurricane devastated 90,000 square miles of land (p. 6), its 140
mph winds breaching “nearly every levee in metro New Orleans,”
where the flood protection system failed in 53 separate locations
(Levitt & Whitaker, 2009, p. 2). The extent of ruin associated with
this tragedy is well known.
Past research has focused extensively on Katrina as a social and
societal catastrophe (Brunsma, Overfelt, & Picou, 2007; Brinkely,
2007; Bullard & Wright, 2009; Cooper & Block, 2007; Dyson, 2006;
Horne, 2006; Van Heerden & Bryan, 2007). Less research has
focused on the role of government in responding to the ever-present
threat of disasters, with processes that optimally or at least
effectively respond under duress. With disasters on the rise in both
number and severity (Seneviratne, Baldry, & Pathirage, 2010), how
government responds to disasters plays a critical role in overall
response and recovery as an area rebounds from the shock and
returns to normal.
In order to provide a more in-depth understanding of this subject,
the main questions that we seek to answer are as follows:
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