Reverse Engineering of Published Work for Strategy Mapping

Abstract

As global risks evolve, evaluating literature on crisis management and response becomes essential for addressing systemic risks in transboundary crisis scenarios. Reverse engineering (deconstructing and recreating existing research to assess and improve its findings) offers a valuable tool for generating new insights into published work on crisis management. We explore the effectiveness of reverse engineering in evaluating the internal consistency of crisis response research, using a case study on the 2014 Oso/SR530 landslide response. Using the Strategyfinder software, we demonstrate how risk mapping can identify gaps in the original analysis and contribute to the development of more robust risk models, essential for developing effective strategy maps. Additionally, we identify key methodological challenges inherent in the process of reverse-engineering including data interpretation issues and model limitations and propose solutions to address these challenges. Unravelling these complexities lays the foundation for accurate risk modelling for the development of systemic risk mitigation strategies.