Unpredicted events
Once they have identified the ‘eliminate’ or ‘minimise’ elements of the
risk management process, researchers will be aware of what to do, where
and how to access help when adverse events occur. However, anticipating
and planning for all possible scenarios is not humanly possible, due to
the high volatility of post-war environments. As a result, occurrences
of unexpected events are bound to happen and most decision-making in
such events tends to happen under fear and duress. Decision-making in
fearful and spontaneous circumstances usually demand quick responses
that may not necessarily produce favourable outcomes (Evans &
Curtis-Holmes, 2005). Therefore, researchers should be aware of the fact
that quick responses may not be their own favour, where they may find it
difficult to make rational decisions under pressure, irrespective of
prior planning and experience. Although this is not specific to post-war
zones, one of the experiences of this researcher provides an example of
an unexpected event that placed the researcher in grave danger. While
driving late one evening, this researcher came face to face with two
adult wild elephants and a calf on the road. In a fearful state, where
the researcher was alone and in darkness, the situation could have
produced clouded judgment or no judgment at all (a frozen state). This
would have placed the researcher in a confrontational position with the
wild elephants in a matter of seconds. It is known that elephant parents
protecting their offspring tend to be aggressive and become
spontaneously violent. Although the researcher managed to escape from
this occasion unharmed, the lesson here is to recognise that when
unpredictable events occur, the tendency to make quick decisions may not
produce the best outcomes. Therefore, it is recommended to postpone the
decision-making when in a fearful state or under duress, where possible,
in order to accommodate a thoughtful decision-making process, where time
allows.