Problem-solving model is E. L. Quarantelli’s term for a disaster coordination approach oriented toward adaptive response to unfolding problems rather than rigid command and control [@quarantelli1995].

The term matters because disaster environments generate novelty, organizational diversity, and emergent behavior that cannot be fully managed through predetermined chains of command. A problem-solving model therefore treats improvisation, information-sharing, and flexible role formation as necessary parts of effective coordination [@quarantelli1995].