Contextual Inquiry of Affordances for Collaboration in Crisis: Lessons from the Finnish Context

The COVID-19 pandemic followed by the energy crisis in Europe demonstrates how complex crises can be. Being embedded in a digital media environment and global interdependencies, complex crises elude straightforward interpretations and explanations. Nonetheless, crises require fast and coordinated response from multiple public authorities. In recent years, advances in computational methods and information technology have influenced the field of crisis and disaster management, and diverse technical approaches have been developed to enhance authorities’ response to crises. Drawing on a relational approach to crises, we investigate the socio-technical affordances emerging in Finland to facilitate multi-actor collaboration in crises. Based on our analysis, we argue that contemporary practices and technologies do not match with the complexity of recent crises. Taken together, we consider the role of digital technologies and socio-technical practices to better support multi-actor sensemaking and collaboration in future crises.