Role of Early Warning Systems in Decision-Making Processes

An early warning system (EWS) can be defined as a system of data collection to monitor people's access to food, in order to provide timely notice when a food crisis threatens and thus to elicit an appropriate response (Davies et al, 1991). Whether it succeeds in its goal of eliciting an appropriate response is dependent on numerous factors, most of which are beyond the control of the EWS. How key decision-makers use early warning (EW) informaiton is one of the most important factors.