Pandemic response in the energy sector and implications for critical infrastructure resilience management

Abstract

Covid-19 highlighted shortcomings in the ability of critical infrastructure organisations to manage and operate their systems and assets. While the possibility of a pandemic was not unknown, management protocols fell short of preparing for this ‘tail-risk’ scenario. This paper assesses organisational response to the global pandemic and what this reveals in terms of: (a) attitudes towards risks that do not typically manifest as operational priorities to address and (b) the implications for organisational resilience. Covid-19 impact management strategies developed by critical infrastructure organisations and their potential implications on wider risks and management capabilities are reviewed. The complex and evolving nature of critical infrastructure system management is demonstrated through examples of risk interconnectivity and resource scarcity. For example, the pandemic did not directly impact physical infrastructure, yet cascading issues are revealed that relate to the forced delay of planned asset maintenance and the impacts of supply chain disruptions. This paper demonstrates the need for holistic, multi-hazard management approaches in critical infrastructure organisations to ensure a level of operational resilience that is required for the 21st Century. This paper also views critical infrastructure organisations as sociotechnical entities and highlights how building a resilience-oriented working culture can support effective risk planning and investment decisions.