Situation of Non-Governmental Organizations in Tehran's Crisis Management

Given the complex nature of crisis management, the effective management of the crisis is possible just by cooperation of people, government and non-governmental organizations.  The present study adopts a "community-based risk management approach" and uses a combination of both quantitative (a survey among 12 managers of non-governmental organizations) and qualitative methodologies (45 semi-structured interviews with crisis management officials and experts), in examining the role of NGOs in crisis management in Tehran. The findings show that, NGOs of crisis management in Tehran have poor performance and do not have any place in crisis policies, and to a large extent have been reduced to institutions of charity and training. The reasons for this failure can be explained by various categories such as the lack of specialized staff, the utilitarian intention of managers and members, the lack of vision and specific macro and strategic plan for crisis management, interruption of non-specialist organizations in the area of ​​crisis, state dependence, state distrust to them, the lack of a coherent network and the failure to institutionalize the concept of crisis and disaster. In brief, NGOs, are not effective agents for crisis management and have little effect on the crisis management structure in Tehran.