Project insight: Acting quickly in a crisis

Our client, the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), was faced with the challenge of ensuring rapid and structured action by all parties involved in the management of storm events with major damage in the forest in order to avoid uncertainties and delays in crisis management. The large number of parties involved - forestry authorities, associations, the wood processing industry and forest owners - as well as their different interests increased the complexity.

As part of the project, we were able to develop a process for storm damage management together with our client and with the continuous involvement of all stakeholders, thereby optimising cooperation between the individual players.

The aim was to develop a lean process with specific instructions for action, despite the large number of stakeholders and the many different types of storm damage events in practice, which would enable rapid action with a clear allocation of responsibilities in the event of a crisis. The modelled process covers all relevant steps from early detection and damage assessment to initial information and support for private forest owners. In addition to the chronological process flow and the detailed content of the process steps, information materials were also developed for various target groups in order to create the necessary transparency and acceptance for those involved.

In close co-operation with the Bavarian Forestry Administration, we were able to apply proven workshop methods and procedures for process design from the private sector to the public sector and thus create great added value for our client. The adopted process plan has already been trialled and further refined as a binding procedure in practice at state and regional level. A connection in other federal states is currently being examined.