With increasing uncertainty and risks such as geopolitical developments, climate change, mass migration and growing demands on the public sector, leaders are increasingly expected to deliver 'more with less'.

Dr Rebecca Dalli Gonzi, senior lecturer at the Department for Construction and Property Management, proposes an 8-point model to address this in her new book titled 'Change and Continuity Management in the Public Sector, The DALI Model for Effective Decision Making'. Dr Dalli Gonzi identifies how managers in the public sector can assess strategic response and improve preparedness in addressing emergency situations.

During the book launch, held at the Faculty for the Built Environment on 28 October, guest speakers including editor of the book Dr Simon Grima and UM Rector Professor Alfred J. Vella spoke about the importance of management efficiency in all sectors of industry.

This publication includes three detailed case studies analysing the decision-making processes and responses therein. Two of the case studies were based in Malta - the Libya Crisis and the Emergency Department Patient Overload. Both incidents were driven by external sudden events. The other case study dealt with the Fire and Rescue Restructuring in Scotland, UK, where the national response service merged eight units into a single service.

Book Reviewer, Mr John Aquilina, states 'The book has a strong academic foundation, yet it develops the DALI Model in a very practical and insightful way without any rhetoric. All cases are rich, presenting different facets showing the structural validity of the model. This makes it a recommended reading for public sector leaders, change agents, academics and students.'