Resilience Engineering Perspectives, Volume 2

"Preparation and Restoration" is the second volume of "Resilience Engineering Perspectives within the Ashgate Studies in Resilience Engineering" series. In four sections, it broadens participation of the field to include policy and organization studies, and articulates aspects of resilience beyond initial definitions. Policy and Organization explores public policy and organizational aspects of resilience and how they aid or inhibit preparation and restoration. Models and Measures addresses thoughts on ways to measure resilience and model systems to detect desirable, and undesirable, results. Elements and Traits examines features of systems and how they affect the ability to prepare for and recover from significant challenges. Applications and Implications examines how resilience plays out in the living laboratory of real-world operations. "Preparation and Restoration" addresses issues such as the nature of resilience; the similarities and differences between resilience and traditional ideas of system performance; how systems cope with varying demands and sometimes succeed and sometimes fail; how an organization's ways of preparing before critical events can enable or impede restoration; the trade-offs that are needed for systems to operate and survive; instances of brittle or resilient systems; how work practices affect resilience; the relationship between resilience and safety; and, what improves or erodes resilience. This volume is valuable reading for those who create and operate systems that must not only survive, but thrive, in the face of challenge.