An external assessment by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management found the Otago Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (CDEM) was inadequately co-ordinated, lacked sufficient resources in a key area and was disconnected because of ''silo'' thinking.
The welfare co-ordination group - part of the CDEM - ''struggles'', there was no appointed group welfare manager and there was ''an absence of resource'' in the group emergency management office, the ministry said.
Nonetheless, the ministry scored the group's performance at 69.7% - an improvement over a score of 61.6% five years ago.
The Otago group was set up under the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002 to plan and prepare for emergencies and to handle response and recovery.
ORC chief executive Peter Bodeker said the report was ''hard-hitting'' and he took seriously the shortcomings raised.
But the CDEM functioned well in emergencies, he said.
Concerns about inadequate resources at the group emergency management office should be eased by the arrival next Monday of Chris Hawker, of Christchurch, as inaugural manager/controller for the CDEM group.
Mr Bodeker said it was intended to appoint a second staff member by early next year to deal with welfare issues, including planning for post-emergency recovery.
Much had been achieved and ''we're not starting from rock bottom, but we do need to improve,'' he said in an interview.
The report highlighted some issues involving the Otago Civil Defence Emergency Management Co-ordinating Executive Group (CEG).
This comprises the chief executives, or their representatives, of the region's six councils, and the Southern District Health Board, together with senior representatives from the police, Fire Service, St John and the Ministry of Social Development.
Interviews had highlighted two areas of concern. One focused on ''strengthening the leadership and accountability lines'' of not just the CEG but the organisations that comprised it.
The ''structural disconnect'' between management and the operational areas of the respective member organisations was ''creating an environment of confusion and siloed activity''.
The report also identified the need for a more co-ordinated approach, which appeared to be impeded by an ''absence of resource'' at the group emergency management office.
''Insufficient resource'' at the management office effectively left a ''void'' in terms of wider internal communication.
Changes in the CDEM environment had started, but mainly at management and governance level.
It was ''absolutely critical'' this momentum was sustained, that operational staff were ''brought into the picture'' and that a future vision for Otago CDEM was ''firmly articulated'', the report said.
The report also found that ''recovery planning'' for the aftermath of an emergency was a ''weak area'' and resourcing the position of group recovery manager and ''operationalising recovery planning'' should be an urgent area of work.
