Disruption Series (5 of 8) - Interdependencies: Why Organisations Don't Experience Disruption Alone
No organisation operates in isolation. Every organisation depends on other organisations, services, infrastructure, and people to achieve its objectives.
These connections are known as interdependencies.
Most of the time they remain largely invisible. It is often only when disruption occurs that they become obvious.
Understanding these interdependencies is one of the foundations of preparedness.
We are all connected
Think about a local community.
A council provides public spaces and local infrastructure.
Health services support community wellbeing.
Schools educate young people.
Community organisations support vulnerable residents.
Emergency services respond during crises.
Businesses provide food, fuel, and essential goods.
Transport connects people to work and services.
Utilities provide electricity, water, and communications.
Each organisation has its own responsibilities. Yet none could achieve its purpose entirely on its own. Each depends, in different ways, on the others.
Communities experience the whole system
One idea has increasingly shaped the way I think about preparedness:
Communities experience the whole system. Organisations often experience only part of it.
Organisations naturally focus on their own responsibilities.
A council considers roads, parks, waste, and community services.
A health service focuses on healthcare.
A school focuses on education.
A community organisation supports its clients.
These perspectives are entirely appropriate. Yet communities do not experience organisations separately. They experience the combined effects of all of them.
When disruption occurs, people rarely distinguish between organisational responsibilities. They simply experience whether the system continues to meet their needs.
Interdependencies become visible during disruption
Many organisational dependencies remain unnoticed until something interrupts them.
A library may rely on:
electricity
internet access
council facilities
staff availability
transport
digital systems
A community health service may depend on:
telecommunications
pathology services
pharmacies
local transport
community organisations
volunteers
A council may depend on:
contractors
utility providers
emergency services
state agencies
local businesses
community groups
None of these dependencies are unusual. They are simply part of operating within an interconnected system. The challenge is that many remain invisible until one of them fails.
Preparedness is about understanding relationships
Preparedness is often associated with plans and procedures. These remain important. But understanding relationships is equally important. Questions such as:
Who do we rely on?
Who relies on us?
What assumptions are we making?
Which organisations hold different parts of the picture?
Where are our critical dependencies?
Which relationships should be strengthened before disruption occurs?
These questions encourage organisations to move beyond their own boundaries.
Shared understanding matters
One organisation rarely sees the whole system.
Each holds different information.
Different priorities.
Different experiences.
Different capabilities.
Preparedness improves when these perspectives are brought together. Not because everyone needs to agree on everything. But because organisations develop a shared understanding of how the wider system functions. That shared understanding often becomes invaluable during disruption.
Relationships cannot be built overnight
One lesson appears repeatedly across many different forms of disruption. The strongest collaborations during emergencies are often built long beforehand.
Trust takes time.
Understanding takes time.
Relationships take time.
Waiting until disruption occurs to establish these connections is rarely ideal. Preparedness therefore includes creating opportunities for organisations to learn together before those relationships are tested.
Seeing the wider system
One of the strengths of systems thinking is that it encourages organisations to look beyond their immediate responsibilities.
Instead of asking:
"How does our organisation operate?"
It asks:
"How does the wider system operate?"
This small shift often changes the conversation. Organisations begin identifying dependencies that had previously gone unnoticed.
Assumptions become visible.
Different perspectives emerge.
Opportunities for collaboration become clearer.
Preparedness becomes less about individual organisations and more about collective capability.
Preparedness is a shared responsibility
No organisation can prepare for every disruption alone. Nor can any single organisation build community resilience by itself.
Preparedness increasingly depends on organisations understanding the wider system they are part of and recognising the role they each play within it.
This does not mean every organisation has the same responsibilities. It means recognising that effective preparedness often emerges through collaboration rather than isolation.
Looking ahead
Understanding interdependencies helps organisations see the wider system. The next question is:
How do organisations strengthen their ability to respond when that system changes?
This is where adaptive capacity becomes important. Rather than focusing on preparing for individual disruptions, adaptive capacity focuses on strengthening the capabilities that enable organisations and communities to learn, adapt, collaborate, and make informed decisions across many different forms of disruption.
In the next article, we'll explore adaptive capacity and why it is becoming an increasingly important part of preparedness in an uncertain world.