AFAC logo

Knowledge and research

Strategic Direction 5. Informed by knowledge, innovation and research

AFAC members recognise and value the benefits of evidence-based emergency management policy and practice, and how it can strengthen the work of fire and emergency services organisations. A key challenge of any new research is the embedding of the findings into industry policy and practice.

Learn more about Strategic Direction 5.

AFAC Research Group

A new AFAC Research Group has been formed to implement the AFAC Research Strategy. The strategy provides a high-level view of the role research and development can play in the path towards the sector’s strategic directions. Developed through workshops with representatives from Collaboration Groups and endorsed by AFAC Council in May 2022, the strategy has a strong utilisation focus.

Alongside the AFAC Research Strategy, these five topics have been identified as high priority research needs for the sector:

  1. Workforce change
  2. To support the changing nature of communities and resilience
  3. Explosion of communications and data
  4. Changing vulnerability and exposure of communities, critical lifelines and emergency services personnel
  5. Escalating disasters, climate change and compounding crises and changing expectations

AFAC Research Strategy

AFAC Research Strategy

The AFAC Research Strategy provides a roadmap to enhance capability and create safer more resilient communities. As a professional body AFAC provides a vehicle to support the development and use of evidence-based knowledge by and for those working in the emergency services sector.

KIRUN Community of Practice

The KIRUN CoP develop and advocate approaches that support the use of knowledge innovation and research utilisation by the industry. Emphasis is on developing and sharing good practice that supports the use of research (evidence) into our business at all levels. CoP members include personnel in agencies who have responsibility for research, innovation, knowledge management, as well as many other parts of our business.

Research and research utilisation

AFAC member agencies have come a long way in utilising research over the past decade and increasingly embed research into how they operate or approach change and innovation.

AFAC has developed a Research Utilisation Maturity Matrix tool can help agencies and work units assess how much and how well they are using research and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.

You can assess research utilisation maturity using the capability assessment spreadsheet. It can be completed using this survey tool.

Research Utilisation Capability Assessment

Research Utilisation Capability Assessment

Assess research utilisation maturity using this capability assessment spreadsheet.

Research Utilisation Maturity Matrix

Research Utilisation Maturity Matrix

AFAC has developed a Research Utilisation Maturity Matrix tool to help agencies and work units assess how much and how well they are using research and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Lessons management

Lessons management is an overarching term that refers to collecting, analysing and disseminating experiences from operations, exercises, programs and reviews.

Lessons management can facilitate learning and improvement resulting in more efficient and effective practices, improved safety, and improved capture and mobilisation of knowledge. Organisations are seen to be learning when their structures, processes and culture are able to evolve based on learning acquired from experience.

Interoperability of lessons management processes across agencies, sectors and jurisdictions will facilitate information sharing and analysis. A common language and methods (such as agreed coding of data) can help aggregate information so that it is accessible and can be analysed and interpreted. This will support the horizontal and vertical exchange of information between agencies, sectors, and jurisdictions – all of which will improve and promote cross agency analysis.

The annual Lessons Management Forum is the pre-eminent annual gathering of lessons management practitioners in Australia. The Lessons Management Forum is an annual AFAC event, proudly supported by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.

Further resources