Street-by-Street: Creating Resilience through Integration and Learning

Abstract

What are the learning conditions that allow for the most effective exchanges of information between street-level bureaucrats who work in the fields of emergency management and community planning? To answer questions, this dissertation uses a regional survey of relevant government workers along the Gulf of Mexico.

Results from the mixed-methods analysis indicate that higher levels of integration between emergency managers and community planners are associated with higher levels of community resilience. Of the statistically tested variables, per capita municipal spending and FEMA Independent Study courses were found to be particularly useful predictors of integration within a municipal government. Qualitative data suggests that street-level bureaucrats value educational opportunities provided by their employers, such as financial assistance for conference attendance.

The study challenges the classic portrayal of SLBs as isolated actors by demonstrating how many perceive themselves as embedded within broader organizational systems, actively engaging in peer learning, and leveraging informal networks to maintain institutional knowledge.