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Search assurance and human decision-making in SAR: Do current frameworks measure the right thing?

Kelly argues that search assurance should examine the reasoning behind decisions—not only plans, coverage and completed tasks—and proposes recording assumptions, uncertainty, confidence and adaptation triggers at key decision points.

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Published on IPP by Kris Manning

  • Author: Mags Kelly MInSTR, RES-Q360

  • Publication: Journal of Search & Rescue, Volume 9, Issue 1

  • Publication date: April 2026; published online 1 May 2026

  • Evidence classification: Practice insight — a discussion paper drawing on established human-factors literature, supported only by preliminary exercise observations. Journal of Search and Rescue

Why it matters operationally

Search assurance can demonstrate that areas were tasked and coverage recorded without establishing whether the underlying assumptions, priorities and adaptations were sound. The article proposes making the following visible and reviewable:

  • Assumptions and uncertainties.

  • Alternative hypotheses.

  • Confidence judgements.

  • Decision rationale.

  • Conditions or thresholds that would trigger replanning.

  • Changes in shared situational awareness.

This is particularly relevant during initial hypothesis formation, area prioritisation, interpretation of ambiguous clues, retasking, handover and decisions to continue, escalate or suspend.

Operational transferability

Applicable across SAR settings with adaptation. The principles are not tied to a particular jurisdiction, terrain or search discipline. The recording method would need to remain sufficiently lightweight for live operations and proportionate to incident complexity.

Training sections informed

  • Scenario and hypothesis development.

  • Search-area segmentation and prioritisation.

  • POA reassessment and interpretation of new information.

  • Planning decisions and contingencies.

  • Search Operations and progress monitoring.

  • Reassessment and replanning.

  • Briefing and shared situational awareness.

  • Search Management handover.

  • Suspension and conclusion.

  • Decision logging.

  • Search-area assurance.

  • Organisational learning and post-incident review.

Training decision: Reinforce

The article supports teaching Search Managers to record not merely what was decided, but the important assumptions, uncertainty and reasoning behind the decision, together with identifiable triggers for review. Its proposed framework is not sufficiently evaluated to adopt as a formal assurance standard, but it is suitable for scenario discussion and strengthening existing decision-log and reassessment guidance.

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