Oil spill emergency response in Norway: coordinating interorganizational complexity

Abstract

Based on offshore industrial developments in the Arctic areas, strengthening the national oil spill emergency response (OSER) system has become a priority for the Norwegian government. The Norwegian OSER system, examined here, is a complex structure with private-, municipal-, and state-level actors that may be mobilized to act as one integrated national system. We first outline the main actors and formal organizational structure of the OSER system. We then distinguish between formal and informal mechanisms as different aspects of coordination between the participating organizations. We further discuss how vertical and horizontal interdependencies among these organizations affect their behavior in terms of interorganizational coordination. The article argues that formal and informal coordination mechanisms are synergetic in that formal mechanisms constitute the core of the interorganizational coordination while informal interactions facilitate their effective functioning. It also concludes that participating actors in the OSER system share a strong sense of common purpose that creates a sense of interdependence, which in turn facilitates cooperative behavior and strengthens interorganizational coordination. These factors contribute to the participating actors’ sense of an effective national OSER system.

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank Professor Hans-Kristian Hernes and the two anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier draft of this article. We also wish to thank the informants who have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience.

Notes

1. http://www.kystverket.no/arch/_img/9140506.pdf

2. http://www.oljevernportalen.no/

3. Goliat oil filed was discovered in 2000, reservoirs containing oil and gas. The field is currently in the development stage with production start planned in 2013 (Ødegård Hansen et al. 2011).

4. On 31 July 2009 the Panama-registered bulk carrier MV Full City with 23 crew members run aground at Såstein, Telemark county, during a storm. The grounding caused a spill of approximately 300 tons of crude oil. The clean up operation was lead by the Coastal Administration and received considerable attention in the media.