Developing agent-based organizational models for crisis management

Simulations of crisis scenarios have the potential to increase insight in the organizational structures needed as crises escalate. Real-life simulations involving personnel and figurants are expensive and time-consuming. Multi-agent system models allow for cost-effective simulations of changing organizational structures, enabling analysis of the implications for enactment during crisis escalation with respect to roles and communication structures. This paper presents both an organization-based model for crisis management that supports simulation of the dynamics of crisis management and a proof of concept implementation. Copyright © 2009, International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems.