| This dissertation examines and assesses the implementation of California's emergency management program, the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). California has experienced a wide range of emergency situations over the decades leading the state to develop and refine its emergency management programs several times.; The current program, SEMS, was enacted in 1996 and is acclaimed for both standardization and flexibility across jurisdictions and agencies. Effective 2006 the Federal Emergency Management Agency mandated that all state and local governments must adopt principles of the SEMS program known nationally as the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in order to be eligible for federal reimbursement funds from a national disaster.; Drawing from multi-case study primary and secondary source material, the dissertation focuses on three analytical variables---organizational capacity, incentives, and learning---with a view to providing fresh insights into implementation theory. |
