Arnold Howitt
Arnold M Howitt is Faculty Co-Director of the Program on Crisis Leadership, which conducts research, executive education programs, and action projects at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is also Senior Adviser of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Kennedy School.
Dr Howitt has worked extensively on emergency preparedness and crisis management issues. He has recently been researching Nepal’s emergency response to the 2015 earthquakes, lessons from the emergency response to the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Japan’s response to and recovery from the 2011 earthquake/tsunami/nuclear accident, and China’s emergency air pollution control measures. He also develops case studies on crisis management and disaster recovery issues in the US and several other countries.
Dr Howitt teaches extensively in Harvard Kennedy School executive education programs for senior US and international officials, both in the field of crisis leadership and general management.
In related activities, he was one of the organisers of international conferences on risk governance held in China (2017) and on disaster recovery held at Harvard (2016), has worked with the City of Los Angeles on disaster recovery planning (2010-11), served as an adviser and trainer-of-trainers for China’s new National Institute of Emergency Management (2010-11), and was one of the organisers of a “lessons-learned” roundtable at Harvard (2011) for leaders of organisations that responded to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. He also served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Mitigation of Natural Disasters (2008-2009), was a member of a study panel of the Transportation Research Board/National Academies of Science on the role of transit in disaster evacuation (2006-2008), and was a member of an Institute of Medicine/National Academies panel assessing the federal Metropolitan Medical Response System program (2000-2002).
Among other writing, Dr Howitt is co-author/editor of Public Health Preparedness: Case Studies in Policy and Management (2017), Natural Disaster Management in the Asia-Pacific: Policy and Governance (2014), Managing Crises: Responding to Large-Scale Emergencies (2009) and Countering Terrorism: Dimensions of Preparedness (2003).
A Harvard faculty member and administrator since 1976, Dr Howitt received his BA degree from Columbia University and MA and PhD degrees in political science from Harvard University.
Related Articles
Leaders, crisis management and Covid-19
Leaders and their advisors can make effective decisions and implement them when they are literally facing life-and-death dilemmas. Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard, Arnold M Howitt and David W Giles provide some detailed advice - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard and David W Giles. (Volume 15, Issue 3)
Crisis communications during Covid-19
Drawing upon the ‘Stockdale Paradox’, Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard, Arnold M Howitt and David W Giles describe a few simple frameworks that can help leaders to formulate their messages, particularly in times of crisis - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard and David W Giles. (Volume 15, Issue 3)
NIMS Part III
Nicholas B Hambridge, Arnold M Howitt,
and David W Giles conclude this series
looking at the implementation of NIMS - Written by Nicholas B Hambridge, Arnold M Howitt and David W Giles. (Volume 13, Issue 3)
Surface transportation as second circle adopter
Nicholas B Hambridge, Arnold M Howitt, and David W Giles continue this series
looking at the implementation of NIMS by analysing how far it has been adopted by
transportation agencies in the United States - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Nicholas B Hambridge and David W Giles. (Volume 13, Issue 1)
What is the impact of NIMS?
Nicholas B Hambridge, Arnold M Howitt and David W Giles examine how successful the diffusion of the National Incident Command System has been across the US
- Written by Nicholas B Hambridge, Arnold M Howitt and David W Giles. (Volume 12, Issue 4)
Clearing the air
Prompted by the dense brown fog that has affected much of China, the government’s strategy includes emergency plans for when weather conditions create spikes of hazardous air pollution. But will these measures prove effective? - Written by Arnold M Howitt. (Volume 9, Issue 4)
An incident management system for Japan?
Substantial political will and bureaucratic skill are needed to implement a national incident management framework in Japan, but change could be on the way, say Arnold M Howitt, Haruo Hayashi, Hiromi Akiyama, David W Giles, and Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Haruo Hayashi, Hiromi Akiyama, Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard and David W Giles. (Volume 9, Issue 1)
Boston Marathon bombing response
Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard and Arnold M Howitt say that 12 to 15 years ago, Boston would not have handled the Marathon bombings as effectively as it did this April, and that internal institutional preparedness and ability to integrate effort with other agencies are far superior today - Written by Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard and Arnold M Howitt. (Volume 8, Issue 4)
Working together in crisis
Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard and Arnold M Howitt examine the different kinds of leaders likely to deal with an emergency – political leaders and emergency response chiefs – saying that neither will have all the capabilities required, and that both groups need to work together - Written by Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard and Arnold M Howitt. (Volume 7, Issue 4)
Systems failure
Arnold M Howitt and Herman B ‘Dutch’ Leonard say that the threat of large-scale systems failure requires emergency managers to take bold steps to avert or mitigate damage and to be ready for more complex and extensive emergency responses - Written by Arnold M Howitt and Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard. (Volume 7, Issue 1)
Emergency evacuation for from major cities
For the third and final part of their discussions on evacuation from major cities, Arnold Howitt, Andrew Velasquez III, Mike Montgomery and Ellis Stanley look at notifying the public in the path of danger - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Andrew Vasquez III, Mike Montgomery and Ellis Stanley. (Volume 5, Issue 3)
Emergency evacuation
The United States has focused sharply on evacuation from catastrophic events, particularly in major cities, since the experiences of 9/11, and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Here we present part II of an article based on a webcast discussion considering the issues involveddamaged, - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Ellis Stanley, Mike Montgomery and Andrew Vasquez III. (Volume 5, Issue 2)
Evacuation issues: Part I
In the first of two articles, a panel of emergency management specialists consider the issues involved in getting a major city ready for evacuation - Written by Arnold M Howitt, Ellis Stanley, Mike Montgomery and Andrew Vasquez III. (Volume 4, Issue 4)
Beyond Katrina: Improving response capabilities
Arnold M Howitt and Herman B 'Dutch' Leanord conclude their two-part series on the weaknesses that Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma exposed - Written by Arnold M Howitt and Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard. (Volume 2, Issue 4)
Beyond Katrina: Improving response capabilities
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma exposed serious weaknesses in the United States' emergency response capabilities, write Arnold Howitt and Herman 'Dutch' B Leonard in the fi rst of a two-part series examining issues that must be addressed - Written by Arnold M Howitt and Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard. (Volume 2, Issue 3)
A command system for all agencies?
The United States is building a national emergency response system to handle large-scale emergencies, write Arnold M Howitt and Herman B 'Dutch' Leonard. But there are shortcomings that need to be addressed if failure or incomplete adoption are to be avoided - Written by Arnold M Howitt and Herman ‘Dutch’ B Leonard. (Volume 1, Issue 2)
