Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a Humanitarian Purchasing Matrix to guide purchasing strategies for relief items in humanitarian operations. Design/methodology/approach: The research synthesizes the structures of a Purchasing Portfolio Model and the characteristics of purchasing in humanitarian operations, validating them with academics and practitioners to develop a Humanitarian Purchasing Matrix. Then, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process to classify the relief items in the matrix, an illustrative example is used as an empirical test for the proposed Humanitarian Purchasing Matrix. Findings: The academic literature on purchasing in general and purchasing in humanitarian operations share some similarities in terms of “Importance of Purchasing” and “Complexity of Supply Market” dimensions. Moreover, the analysis of such criteria supports the definition of purchasing strategies for different relief items in humanitarian operations. Practical implications: The Humanitarian Purchasing Matrix can be considered a tool/guide for professionals of humanitarian organizations in the adoption of purchasing strategies for the different relief items purchased for humanitarian operations. Originality/value: Considering a scenario of a constant increase in the variety of relief items, the high purchasing volume and the pressure to more efficient relief operations, the research discusses the intersectionality of business purchasing models and the purchasing characteristics of humanitarian operations. Moreover, the research deliveries a tool/guide to the adoption of purchasing strategies that are composed of criteria observed in the literature and suggested by both humanitarian logistic academics and practitioners.

The disaster response currently involves an increasing number of different stakeholders, and understating their wants and needs is essential to managing them. Thus, the research goal of this paper is to identify and analyze the satisfactions of the main stakeholders involved in complex relationships during the disaster response process. First, this research applies a structured review that considers 72 papers gathered from the Scopus database and details the following: 28 wants and needs from the stakeholders and the identification of similarities related to (i) the complex and extensive flow of resources; (ii) the complementary coordination required to provide resources; (iii) the desire to be considered in the response plan; and (iv) the interdependency of the flow of resources and ideas, influences and interests. Then, these findings are discussed considering a real disaster response to landslides that occurred in 2011 and a corresponding simulation that was developed in 2017 in Brazil. The analysis addresses the Military’s perspective and validates the findings while also adding new insights to the topic and two new wants and needs from the stakeholders. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the findings for academics and practitioners overseeing collaborations in stakeholder management and presents a research agenda.

Process analysis, models and management are considered relevant issues with several benefits to disaster response operations. Thus, the goal of this paper is to analyze the existing process models on disaster response operations and combine their different perspectives to develop a reference process model. A systematic literature review is conducted, and after analyzing 381 abstracts and 98 full papers from the Scopus and ISI Web of Science databases, 19 process models for disaster response are identified. The critical analysis of them is discussed and considered in the development of the reference process model for disaster response, which describes 62 processes at two detail levels. Moreover, the use of the model is discussed by the verification of its adherence according to a real disaster response operation. Finally, the paper explains the suitability of the model to be used and reused as a guide in operations planning and offers a research agenda.

Disasters can severely impact supply chains (SCs), including all stakeholders involved. This study aims to identify the impacts of major disasters on SCs and countermeasure strategies. Based on a systematic literature review, we analyse 160 documents to propose a taxonomy, research agenda, and framework. The taxonomy encompasses a list of impacts categorised into resource constraints, SC instability, outflow disruption, financial constraints, and consumption patterns. Strategies are divided into proactive (preventive SC collaboration, resources maintenance, digitalisation or automation, local SC, and human capabilities) and reactive (responsive SC collaboration, resources maintenance, information system, virtual marketplaces, and business continuity plans). The research agenda provides opportunities for future research based on the literature analysis. Finally, the framework presents the study findings using an integrated and holistic approach. The study expands the theoretical view related to the impacts of disasters on SCs and highlights the need to implement strategies to ensure the functioning of SCs during disasters.

Purpose: This paper proposes a maturity model (MM) for assessing disaster operations and identifying strategies for organisations to evolve their maturity stages. Design/methodology/approach: This study applies a systematic literature review to identify state-of-the-art work related to maturity models for disaster operations. In addition, the study develops a case study to validate the proposed maturity model in a generic scenario and two real-life scenarios. Findings: The analysis of 158 papers in the literature resulted in identifying 8 maturity models for disaster operations. Based on their structure, the authors proposed a new model with five maturity stages suitable for any of the four phases of the disaster life cycle (i.e. mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery). In addition, the research identified and presents 24 strategies for improving disaster operations according to each maturity stage transition. Finally, the research presents a case study that evaluates the disaster response operations from a Civil Defense organisation considering a response scenario disaster in general, a flood scenario, and the COVID-19 pandemic scenario. Originality/value: This study provides the following three main contributions useful for academics and practitioners in the disaster operations area: a new maturity model for assessing disaster operations, a strategy guide for improving disaster operations based on a maturity evolution and an empirical study exploring the approximation between academia and professionals involved in real-life disaster operations management.