Managing institutional fragmentation and time compression in post-disaster reconstruction - the case of Bam

Several studies have revealed the difficulties often found in defining stakeholders' roles in post-disaster reconstruction projects. Insufficient and ill-timed collaboration are typically identified as the principal source of problems. Borrowing the concept of Institutional Fragmentation (IF) from the field of project management, this paper examines significant obstacles to collaboration and to sharing knowledge and experience in post-disaster reconstruction projects, revealing the causes and effects at four levels of fragmentation: the construction industry, project procurement, design and construction work. The case of the reconstruction program conducted after the 2003 earthquake in Bam (Iran), illustrates these different levels of fragmentation and their short and long-term impacts. Results show that three of the four levels of fragmentation caused unexpected outcomes during program implantation and afterwards; fragmentation increased the divergence between the many stakeholders with their interests and expectations, during and after their intervention. Conflict and confrontation between two controller organizations led to an excessive emphasis on technical requirements at the expense of heritage preservation. Results also explain how specific conditions after the disaster - such as lack of time coupled with socio-political pressures - increased fragmentation. Post-disaster reconstruction projects require systematic and comprehensive procurement to cover the interfaces that will enable tasks to be conducted effectively. The study proposes a conceptual approach to fragmentation that can help academics, practitioners, and decision-makers understand the origins and consequences of institutional fragmentation on the timely use of resources, and to develop governance structures and mechanisms that can help reduce it in post-disaster reconstruction initiatives.