Managing Disasters through Public-Private Partnerships

If ever there was a time for our Nation to focus on the critical importance of public-private partnerships and their role in national security, now is the time. Fortunately for us, Abou-bakr has put a laser-like focus on the capabilities of such partnerships and the impediments they face. She then proceeds to give solutions–something that, heretofore, has been missing from the discussion. This book is a must read for those who are serious about the security of our Homeland.

–Charles C. Krulak, US Marine Corps (Ret.), 31st Commandant. President, Birmingham Southern College

Managing Disasters through Public-Private Partnerships provides an excellent overview of this vitally important aspect of dealing with disasters. By recognizing the critical factors that are required to achieve success, readers of Ms. Abou-bakr’s book will be able to avoid the pitfalls that have prevented the long-term sustainment of previous efforts and chart a path toward fully realized partnerships.

–Bryan W. Koon, director, Florida Division of Emergency Management

September 11 and Hurricane Katrina brought into sharper focus the need to understand how the public and the private sector must work together to address crises and disasters. In Managing Disasters through Public-Private Partnerships, Ami J. Abou-bakr undertakes one of the first comprehensive assessments of public-private partnerships as a tool for integrating and improving management of all aspects of the disaster cycle. This very readable study will be of considerable interest to managers and policy makers at all levels of government, and across all economic sectors. This is a must-read book for those planning to design and promote PPPs.

–Thomas A. Birkland, Kretzer Professor of Public Policy, North Carolina State University

Ami J. Abou-bakr is a lecturer in politics in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London. She holds a BS from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and a PhD in public policy from King’s College London. As a “practitioner academic” who spent several years working in the US financial sector before returning to academia, her research is directed toward informing policy decisions and influencing public and private sector decision makers.