PUQ452 Disaster Planning and Preparedness
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | PUQ452 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | PUN451, PUZ452 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,164 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,216 |
| International unit fee | $4,668 |
Unit Outline: Session 1 2025, QUT Online, Online
| Unit code: | PUQ452 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | PUN452 |
| Coordinator: | Sam Toloo Sheikhzadeh Yazd | sam.toloo@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit addresses the key concepts and skills related to inclusive disaster management planning and preparedness to ensure essential community services are prepared for emergencies and the range of disaster and climate-related events they may face in local, national and international contexts. It examines and provides students practice in the real-world processes of assessing disaster risk as the first step towards building resilience and supporting communities through disaster. It reflects the international focus on understanding disaster risk as a key priority of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Upon completion of this unit you will have a greater understanding of the critical role of the disaster and emergency risk assessment and community planning process in preventing or mitigating the health and socio-economic effects of man-made or weather-related disasters and incidents.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply the principles of preparedness and planning in the context of major incidents and disasters and climate-related events as they impact communities.
- Integrate authoritative and historical knowledge of local, jurisdictional and national preparedness arrangements to engage communities in planning and preparing for major incidents.
- Design effective and culturally appropriate community education strategies and resources tailored for specific audiences and situations.
- Create and justify disaster management plans informed by risk assessments and critical analysis of potential disasters incorporating the legal, ethical and cultural dimensions of providing emergency management services.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- Planning for disasters in the context of climate change
- Community preparedness and education
- Operational preparedness for a disaster
- Complex and compound events
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in an active learning environment, undertaking regular online activities, guided through the learning process by expert teaching staff who provide regular feedback. On average, you will need to dedicate 12-15 hours each week for your learning that includes readings, discussions with peers and assignments.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will receive feedback on your learning in a variety of ways, including:
- Informal formative feedback will be provided online quizzes, self-check exercises, peer feedback and through individual or whole of class feedback in online discussions or via comments in online communities.
- You will make a series of contributions to the online discussion forum. To inform your contributions, you will critically read study materials and reflect on current or recent disasters or emergency events, and respond to/provide feedback on fellow students’ comments. This provides an opportunity for peer feedback.
- Formal written or recorded feedback will be received on summative assessment tasks via the LMS (Learning Management System) Assignment tool, in addition to the grade on the Criterion Reference Assessment sheet.
- General feedback on the online discussion forum and assessment tasks will be provided prior to the submission of the final summative assessment task.
Assessment
Overview
You are required to prepare or develop two assessment tasks:
1. Community Education Resource - This task draws on your communication skills and understanding of cultural and community diversity to develop a resource for engaging communities with disaster and emergency planning and preparedness.
2. Disaster Management Plan - This brings together the concepts and strategies presented in the unit materials to prepare a disaster management plan for a given community taking into consideration the legal, ethical and cultural dimensions of providing disaster management support.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Community Education Resource
You will be presented with a disaster scenario for which your team is undertaking disaster planning and preparation. Within your team, you have been allocated a community liaison role and are required to prepare and inform the design and creation of an engaging community education resource for a targeted, diverse audience. This community education resource should be inclusive and educate and prepare the community and/or offer advice on actions that need to be taken should the disaster arise. To support your community education resource, you are required to write a short justification regarding the design of the education resource drawing upon evidence and scholarly literature.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Disaster Management Plan
You will take on the role of a disaster management officer working in a planning and preparedness team for the local community. The local disaster authorities have anticipated a potential disaster. They have asked you to prepare a risk assessment and create a plan for how to prepare the community for the disaster should it eventuate. Your plan will need to consider prevention, mitigation and planning to respond. You are required to justify your plan based on the literature, theoretical principles and relevant frameworks.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
FitzGerald, G., Pizzino, S., Burns, P., et al. (2024). Disaster Health Management: A Primer for Students and Practitioners (2nd ed.). London & NY: Routledge.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.
You are expected to communicate in ways that are professional and respectful of others in all interactions. Please refer to QUT guidelines on communication.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.PQ30 Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management
- Apply emergency and disaster management theory, frameworks and procedures to inform and develop professional practice in complex situations.
Relates to: ULO1, Community Education Resource, Disaster Management Plan - Synthesise complex information to inform decision making in response to a broad range of emergency and disaster management issues.
Relates to: ULO2, Disaster Management Plan - Apply communication skills effectively to convey key messages and complex information to diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals.
Relates to: ULO3, Community Education Resource - Plan ways to lead and coordinate transdisciplinary responses to emergency and disaster management issues.
Relates to: ULO4, Disaster Management Plan
Unit Outline: Session 3 2025, QUT Online, Online
| Unit code: | PUQ452 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | PUN452 |
| Coordinator: | Sam Toloo Sheikhzadeh Yazd | sam.toloo@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit addresses the key concepts and skills related to inclusive disaster management planning and preparedness to ensure essential community services are prepared for emergencies and the range of disaster and climate-related events they may face in local, national and international contexts. It examines and provides students practice in the real-world processes of assessing disaster risk as the first step towards building resilience and supporting communities through disaster. It reflects the international focus on understanding disaster risk as a key priority of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Upon completion of this unit you will have a greater understanding of the critical role of the disaster and emergency risk assessment and community planning process in preventing or mitigating the health and socio-economic effects of man-made or weather-related disasters and incidents.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply the principles of preparedness and planning in the context of major incidents and disasters and climate-related events as they impact communities.
- Integrate authoritative and historical knowledge of local, jurisdictional and national preparedness arrangements to engage communities in planning and preparing for major incidents.
- Design effective and culturally appropriate community education strategies and resources tailored for specific audiences and situations.
- Create and justify disaster management plans informed by risk assessments and critical analysis of potential disasters incorporating the legal, ethical and cultural dimensions of providing emergency management services.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- Planning for disasters in the context of climate change
- Community preparedness and education
- Operational preparedness for a disaster
- Complex and compound events
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in an active learning environment, undertaking regular online activities, guided through the learning process by expert teaching staff who provide regular feedback. On average, you will need to dedicate 12-15 hours each week for your learning that includes readings, discussions with peers and assignments.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will receive feedback on your learning in a variety of ways, including:
- Informal formative feedback will be provided online quizzes, self-check exercises, peer feedback and through individual or whole of class feedback in online discussions or via comments in online communities.
- You will make a series of contributions to the online discussion forum. To inform your contributions, you will critically read study materials and reflect on current or recent disasters or emergency events, and respond to/provide feedback on fellow students’ comments. This provides an opportunity for peer feedback.
- Formal written or recorded feedback will be received on summative assessment tasks via the LMS (Learning Management System) Assignment tool, in addition to the grade on the Criterion Reference Assessment sheet.
- General feedback on the online discussion forum and assessment tasks will be provided prior to the submission of the final summative assessment task.
Assessment
Overview
You are required to prepare or develop two assessment tasks:
1. Community Education Resource - This task draws on your communication skills and understanding of cultural and community diversity to develop a resource for engaging communities with disaster and emergency planning and preparedness.
2. Disaster Management Plan - This brings together the concepts and strategies presented in the unit materials to prepare a disaster management plan for a given community taking into consideration the legal, ethical and cultural dimensions of providing disaster management support.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Community Education Resource
You will be presented with a disaster scenario for which your team is undertaking disaster planning and preparation. Within your team, you have been allocated a community liaison role and are required to prepare and inform the design and creation of an engaging community education resource for a targeted, diverse audience. This community education resource should be inclusive and educate and prepare the community and/or offer advice on actions that need to be taken should the disaster arise. To support your community education resource, you are required to write a short justification regarding the design of the education resource drawing upon evidence and scholarly literature.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Disaster Management Plan
You will take on the role of a disaster management officer working in a planning and preparedness team for the local community. The local disaster authorities have anticipated a potential disaster. They have asked you to prepare a risk assessment and create a plan for how to prepare the community for the disaster should it eventuate. Your plan will need to consider prevention, mitigation and planning to respond. You are required to justify your plan based on the literature, theoretical principles and relevant frameworks.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
FitzGerald, G., Pizzino, S., Burns, P., et al. (2024). Disaster Health Management: A Primer for Students and Practitioners (2nd ed.). London & NY: Routledge.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.
You are expected to communicate in ways that are professional and respectful of others in all interactions. Please refer to QUT guidelines on communication.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.PQ30 Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management
- Apply emergency and disaster management theory, frameworks and procedures to inform and develop professional practice in complex situations.
Relates to: ULO1, Community Education Resource, Disaster Management Plan - Synthesise complex information to inform decision making in response to a broad range of emergency and disaster management issues.
Relates to: ULO2, Disaster Management Plan - Apply communication skills effectively to convey key messages and complex information to diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals.
Relates to: ULO3, Community Education Resource - Plan ways to lead and coordinate transdisciplinary responses to emergency and disaster management issues.
Relates to: ULO4, Disaster Management Plan