Federal Emergency Management Agency. Strategic Plan A NATION PREPARED DRAFT

Transcription

1 Federal Emergency Management Agency Strategic Plan A NATION PREPARED DRAFT January, 2002

2 i [Message from the Director to be added prior to final publication.]

3 Vision A Nation Prepared Mission Lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. Values Integrity Innovation Accountability Respect Trust Goals 1. Reduce loss of life and property. Customer Focus Public Stewardship Partnership Diversity Compassion 2. Minimize the suffering and disruption caused by disasters. 3. Prepare the Nation to address the consequences of terrorism. 4. Serve as the Nation s portal for emergency management information and expertise. 5. Create a motivating and challenging work environment for employees. 6. Make FEMA a world-class enterprise. ii

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5 Contents Message from the Director [To be added prior to final publication]...i Summary of Major Plan Elements...ii Contents...iii Introduction...1 Themes in the Plan...1 Challenges to Implementation...3 Planning within FEMA...4 Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Plan Development...27 Implementation...28 Evaluation...28 Appendix A: Goals and Objectives...29 Appendix B: Core Values...31 Appendix C: FEMA Regional Offices...32 Appendix D: Summary of Authorities...35 Appendix E: Partnerships and Cross Cutting Activities...37 Appendix F: Glossary...38 iii

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7 Introduction MISSION Lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), created in 1979, is an independent agency reporting to the President and is tasked with leading America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. As FEMA moves into the new century, it will work to bring the Nation to a greater level of preparedness, and will grow into a role as the Nation's portal for emergency management information and expertise. Themes in the Plan FEMA relies on its broad legislative authorities and strong partnerships with federal, state, tribal, and local governments; voluntary organizations; business and industry; and individuals to accomplish its mission. Through these While FEMA will need to rely on its strengths to carry out its mission, several important themes exert a consistent influence on the way FEMA has set its goals and developed its strategies for achieving partnerships, the agency them. As a result, these A Nation Prepared leads America to plan and themes can be found To achieve this vision, FEMA will prepare for the risks that threaded throughout work to prepare the Nation for face the Nation whether FEMA s Strategic Plan. disasters by encouraging natural or man-made including floods, fires, individuals, governmental entities, and public and private groups at Leadership, Coordination and Management earthquakes, hurricanes, all levels to become informed of By virtue of much of FEMA s and terrorist attacks. When the risks they face, make authorizing legislation, decisions that help keep people, disaster strikes and state property, and institutions out of including the Robert T. and local capacity to harm s way, and possess the Stafford Disaster Relief and respond is overwhelmed capability and knowledge needed Emergency Assistance Act, and the President grants a disaster declaration, FEMA to act when disasters occur. FEMA is first and foremost a coordinating agency. coordinates the response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. To accomplish the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan, FEMA will work with its partners and build on its recognized strengths. These strengths include: FEMA achieves its goals primarily through leading, coordinating, and managing integration of federal agencies efforts, as well as those of voluntary organizations, states, tribes, and communities. This means that while FEMA can have a great influence, A recognized national leadership role it often does not and cannot exert direct control over the outcomes it seeks. This is Unparalleled ability to marshal resources across the federal government precisely why FEMA has adopted partnering as a core strategy. Strong relationships with state, local, and tribal governments. In keeping with FEMA s well-established coordination and leadership role, the Strategic Plan introduces a new role for the 1

8 agency as the Nation s center for emergency management information and expertise. This role has been formalized in the plan as Goal 4: Serve as the Nation s portal for emergency management information and expertise. While this has been a FEMA role for some time one which continues to grow in importance formal recognition of this role represents a shift in emphasis for the agency, away from being primarily a provider of financial assistance, and toward a focus on knowledge management. Terrorism and Preparedness The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon brought new focus on the need to strengthen preparedness and catastrophic disaster planning. As the federal agency tasked with leading the Nation s efforts to prepare for and respond to the consequences of terror attacks, including the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction on American soil, FEMA s role in homeland security is now more critical than at any time since its creation. FEMA is committed to working with its partners at all levels and applying the experience and expertise it has gained through managing disasters of all types to ensure that the Nation is prepared to manage the consequences of terrorism. State and Local Capability In conjunction with the new level of effort being directed to preparedness, FEMA is committed to working closely with states and local communities, where response to disasters begins, to integrate the emergency manager and first-responder communities. FEMA will also work to ensure integrated and seamless management of every type and magnitude of disaster. With its partners, FEMA will assess, and as necessary, build and augment the planning, preparedness, and response capabilities of state and local communities so they can better mitigate against and recover from disasters. To do this, FEMA will strengthen its ten regional offices, working through them to increase the ability of states to manage non-catastrophic disasters. This in turn will allow FEMA to focus attention and resources on planning and preparedness for catastrophic disasters. Shared Responsibility If the Nation is to make significant progress toward achieving FEMA s vision A Nation Prepared individuals, business and industry, and government organizations at all levels must share the responsibility. We must all be aware of the risks we face, and make intelligent decisions to deal with those risks both before and after disasters strike. Individually and collectively, we are each responsible for making good decisions, whether we are preparing our homes to better survive a hurricane, fire, flood or earthquake, or are deciding how to repair and rebuild after disaster strikes. As the September 11 attacks showed, business and industry the lifeblood of the Nation s economy also bear a great responsibility for evaluating potential risks and developing contingency and disaster plans of their own. Government, and FEMA in particular, will continue to bear much of the responsibility for providing information on hazards and their risks, but we are all responsible for using that information to prepare for and respond to disasters. 2

9 Challenges to Implementation A number of important challenges confront FEMA as it sets about working to achieve the goals, objectives, and strategies outlined in this plan. Technology FEMA must guard against the pitfalls that result from fragmented information technology (IT) efforts within the agency duplication of core capabilities, increased cyber security risk, and inefficient use of talent and experience. To avoid these pitfalls, FEMA will need to better centralize the management of its IT efforts. Moreover, to make the most of the capabilities IT can provide, FEMA must commit to the re-engineering of agency business processes before IT solutions are applied. Re-engineering means technology is an agent of change and can include consolidation of like functions, elimination of duplication, improvement of work flows, and agency-wide information sharing. In short, reengineering means using IT to find better, smarter ways to work, rather than using a computer to do things the same old way. Performance Management Performance management figures prominently in many recent government initiatives, including the President s Management Agenda. FEMA understands that the elements of performance management identifying priorities, allocating resources accordingly, and measuring performance are hallmarks of all well managed organizations, and are the only sure way for the agency to successfully carry out its mission in the long run. Workforce Management FEMA, like most federal agencies, faces serious challenges in maintaining and growing its workforce. As reported to the Office of Management and Budget in June of 2001, seventeen percent (17%) of FEMA s workforce is currently eligible for retirement. Given this, if FEMA hopes to fully achieve its strategic goals and live up to its vision for the Nation, a focus on people will be essential. FEMA has therefore committed itself to retaining, recruiting, and training a top-notch workforce, and developing a staff with the talent, skills, and dedication necessary to meet the demands of the future. Limited Resources FEMA also faces a second problem familiar to all federal agencies limited resources. Working with limited resources means, first and foremost, that FEMA must make the most of the resources it already has. Once it shows it is getting the most from its present resources, the agency must make clear and persuasive business cases for any additional funding requests. Increased Risk America s metropolitan areas continue to grow in size and density, with many of the largest situated in coastal regions, along earthquake faults, or in other high-risk areas. Commercial and residential development have meanwhile progressed at a rapid pace across the Nation, expanding into previously unsettled or sparsely settled areas. This exposes growing communities to new risks, especially wildfire, flooding and erosion. To address these growing risks, FEMA will continue to emphasize pre-disaster mitigation and insurance. 3

10 The risks associated with acts of terrorism also pose a significant challenge for FEMA. While FEMA has worked for many years in the preparedness arena, America has gained a new understanding of what is possible within its borders. The Nation is looking to the emergency management community and FEMA in particular to face this challenge. Change Management To meet the challenges it faces, FEMA must be ready to change not once, but continuously. This will require a new approach, a new understanding, and a new way of doing business for the agency and those who help carry out its mission. Change must be embraced as a way of life at every level of the agency. This may be the most difficult challenge the agency faces. For many years now, FEMA has handled its mission with much success and as a result enjoys high public confidence. Resisting the temptation to rest on the agency s past successes is where the greatest challenge may lie. Planning within FEMA Annual Performance Plan As required by the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA), FEMA prepares an agency-wide annual performance plan each fiscal year. The annual performance plan sets out measurable annual performance goals that support the objectives described in the strategic plan, and describes what will be achieved in a particular fiscal year. As required by GPRA, FEMA uses the annual performance plan to show the linkage between its budget and program results. The first annual performance plan under this strategic plan will be a revised FY 2003 plan. Operational Plans Each office or directorate within FEMA makes its own operational plans setting out its activities and priorities each fiscal year. Operational plans may include long-term plans as well as annual work plans, and are consistent with the goals and objectives in the strategic plan and annual performance plan, which they work to realize. Operational plans should include a level of detail appropriate to enable staff to create team and individual work plans. Strategic Plan FEMA uses a three-tiered approach to planning and managing its performance. The strategic plan, FEMA s agency-wide longrange plan, sets a course of action for FEMA over a seven (7) year period, and establishes the major programmatic, policy, and management goals of the agency. It also provides the framework for the agency s annual performance plan and the operational plans developed by each office and directorate. 4

11 Goal 1. Reduce loss of life and property. FEMA will work with its partners to plan, mitigate, and prepare for disasters when the opportunity to reduce loss of life and property is greatest before disasters strike. FEMA will ensure that mitigation and preparedness plans are in place for both catastrophic and non-catastrophic disasters, and will work with federal, state, tribal, and community governments to assess and build local response capability. As part of this effort, FEMA will provide hazard and risk information and foster training and education of emergency responders and emergency managers, while doing all it can to promote good risk management decisions. Risk Information Objective 1.1 Provide hazard and risk information using the best-suited technology. a. Use national monitoring and early warning and response capabilities to assess impending disasters through partnerships with federal weather forecasting, law enforcement, and other appropriate agencies. b. Accelerate efforts to create user-friendly risk and hazard identification products, such as digital multi-hazard maps, using appropriate technology that permits easy updating. c. Use appropriate technologies and scientific research to improve planning, preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and communication techniques. 5

12 Mitigation and Preparedness Planning Objective 1.2 Ensure that the nation s most vulnerable areas are covered with emergency management plans that can be implemented. a. Facilitate assessment of current federal, state, tribal, and local emergency management plans. b. Lead development of specific plans for catastrophic hazards, and for risks to national infrastructure or resource targets, e.g., power grids, computer networks, transportation, communications, rail, etc. c. Support state, tribal, and local development of all-hazard plans to reduce the impact of, and enhance response and recovery from catastrophic and non-catastrophic disasters. Partner s Capabilities Objective 1.3 Ensure federal, state, tribal, local, and other partners capabilities are in place to plan and prepare for disasters. a. Collaboratively establish standards for partners emergency management capabilities. b. Assess, or support assessment of FEMA and its partners capabilities to deal with both catastrophic and non-catastrophic hazards. c. Enhance partners capabilities by building on existing relationships, partnerships, incentives, and regional mutual-aid programs. d. In coordination with partners, develop an integrated training, exercise, and evaluation program to develop FEMA and partners capabilities. e. Organize, manage, and support exercises that target specific, highpriority response and recovery operations. f. Develop a single, uniform after-action reporting process to capture lessons learned. g. Concentrate FEMA s resources in the areas most vulnerable to hazards. h. Effectively and conveniently administer grants to enhance partners response capabilities. i. Engage the private sector to contribute to disaster preparedness and loss reduction at the federal, state, tribal, and local level. 6

13 Good Risk Management Objective 1.4 Help individuals, communities, tribes, states, and federal agencies make good risk management decisions. a. Develop disaster declaration criteria that are clearly understood, equitable, and encourage responsible risk management decisions at the individual, local, tribal, and state level. b. Promote the use of insurance as a mechanism by which public and private property owners can reduce their risk of economic loss. c. Promote the adoption and implementation of sound risk management plans and policies by federal, state, tribal, local and private entities, and by individuals. d. Provide incentives to states, tribal governments, local communities and individuals for the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures to reduce losses. e. Promote development of national consensus-based building, life safety, and fire codes and standards, and encourage their adoption by states, tribal governments and local communities. Comprehensive Training and Education Objective 1.5 Develop and implement a comprehensive training and education plan for emergency management planners and responders. a. Assess needs to determine curriculum development priorities. b. Develop and deliver on-campus and offcampus training courses through existing mechanisms as well as alternative delivery formats. c. Evaluate the effectiveness of the training. 7

14 Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. Effective risk analysis and planning requires strong and continuous commitment on the part of states and communities. This is often difficult to obtain given the competition for time, attention, and resources at all levels of government. B. Mitigation measures and purchase of insurance require an up-front investment. The return on that investment may not necessarily occur within the term of office of the officials making the decisions, or within the period of ownership for the individual making the investment. C. Successful mitigation measures often go unnoticed and unrecorded because of the very fact that damages are avoided, thereby making it difficult to fully demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of mitigation and promote the benefits. D. Continued growth and density in high hazard areas, such as coastal zones, puts more people and property at risk every year, and it is ultimately the local government and individuals, not FEMA, who control those decisions. 8

15 Goal 2. Minimize suffering and disruption when disasters occur. By their very nature, disasters often create suffering and disrupt the lives of individuals and the normal functioning of communities. While state and local governments bear the primary responsibility for responding to and recovering from disasters, FEMA at the direction of the President will take action when state and local resources and capabilities are overwhelmed. In concert with its partners, FEMA will respond quickly and effectively, bringing the right people and resources to bear where and when they are needed most. FEMA will provide timely and appropriate disaster assistance to hasten the recovery of individuals and communities while ensuring that efforts to prevent, avoid, and reduce the impacts of future disasters are an integral part of every recovery. All the while, FEMA will continue its work with states to ensure the most effective sharing of disaster management responsibilities, allowing FEMA to focus on preparing the nation for truly catastrophic events, whether natural or man-made. Quick and Effective Response Objective 2.1 Respond quickly and effectively when state, local, and tribal governments are overwhelmed. a. Establish the capability to operate 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week, while maintaining key ongoing FEMA functions (i.e., one person works one job). b. Monitor potential emergencies and disasters, and be prepared to deploy assets to assure a quick response. c. Develop, acquire, and coordinate a national operational capability, dedicated resources and assets to simultaneously respond to four (4) catastrophic plus twelve (12) noncatastrophic incidents anywhere in the country. d. Periodically update and modify the Federal Response Plan and other contingency plans to ensure a coordinated response and recovery effort between FEMA and other federal and voluntary agencies. e. Develop effective organizational and business process relationships among FEMA program areas, support organizations, and regional offices to ensure a coordinated response and recovery effort. f. Lead a collaborative effort to ensure a coordinated response and recovery effort among federal agencies, emergency responders, and state and local emergency managers through FEMA s leadership and through mutual incentives for cooperation and coordination. 9

16 Shared Responsibility in Managing Disasters Objective 2.2 Use the full range of state and federal capabilities in determining the most effective delivery mechanisms for disaster recovery and mitigation programs. a. In cooperation with our state partners, establish scalable and flexible standards for delivery of disaster response, recovery, and mitigation assistance. b. Design customer-focused disaster assistance delivery mechanisms which utilize the combined capabilities of FEMA and the states. c. Establish standards for state management of disaster grant assistance programs which allow for state administration where appropriate. d. Provide technical assistance to help states develop disaster management operations capabilities. e. Encourage the development of mutual aid systems at the state and local level, including Emergency Management Assistance Compacts (EMAC). Timely Assistance Objective 2.3 Provide timely and appropriate disaster assistance and payment of flood insurance claims. a. Develop standards for delivery of assistance that take the nature and magnitude of a disaster into account. b. Deliver both financial and in-kind assistance quickly, efficiently, and in ways that customers find understandable, convenient, valuable, and tailored to their needs. c. Ensure that flood insurance claims are settled fairly and quickly. d. Lead the development and implementation of a general Federal Recovery Plan with incident-specific annexes and recovery guidelines, including the recovery programs of all federal agencies. 10

17 Mitigation in Recovery Objective 2.4 Mitigate against potential future losses as part of every recovery effort. a. Work with the affected state, tribe, and community to develop and implement a comprehensive post-event mitigation strategy. b. Coordinate other federal agencies recovery efforts to help ensure consistency with agreed-upon post-event mitigation strategies. c. Offer technical assistance to disaster victims on building techniques and available financial resources so that mitigation will be incorporated in rebuilding. Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. Increasing expectations of FEMA may cause a mission creep beyond FEMA s current focus, but without accompanying resources. This could compromise FEMA s ability to succeed at its core mission and functions. B. The size, complexity, and number of simultaneous disaster events influence the ability of all levels of government, as well as voluntary organizations and the private sector, to respond. Situations may occur, particularly in multi-state events, that exceed FEMA s planning targets. C. Greater sharing of responsibility for disaster management and delivery of assistance requires a sustained and funded commitment on the part of states. D. FEMA s focus on "areas most vulnerable to disaster" may be perceived as inequitable by some. 11

18 Goal 3. Prepare the Nation to address the consequences of terrorism. The Nation must prepare to deal with the consequences of terrorist attacks, including the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction. FEMA, with its core strengths in effective coordination of resources and expertise across federal agencies, and the proven ability to work closely and successfully with states, tribes and communities, is uniquely suited to lead this effort. FEMA will work with government at all levels to lead and coordinate the overall national effort to build a viable preparedness and response capability. This effort will include establishing standards and guidelines for preparedness and response to ensure that critical capabilities for responding to terrorist attacks are fully integrated, from the first responder level through the state, regional, and national levels. With its partners, FEMA will provide an integrated planning, training, exercise, and evaluation program for terrorism preparedness, and facilitate the delivery of homeland security assistance. FEMA will closely coordinate its overall efforts with other federal agencies, and will bring renewed focus to ensure that appropriate Continuity of Operations (COOP), Continuity of Government (COG), and Contingency Programs are in place. While the focus will be on terrorism, all of these critical objectives will be pursued and achieved as part of FEMA s wellestablished all-hazards framework for emergency management preparing for and dealing with the consequences of disaster, whatever they may be. [NOTE: FEMA s responsibilities with the Office of Homeland Security are still being refined. A new Director of FEMA s Office of National Preparedness (ONP) was named on January 7, and the structure and staffing of ONP are still in development. As such, this goal and its supporting objectives and strategies will continue to evolve in the coming weeks.] 12

19 Leadership Objective 3.1 Lead a coordinated and integrated overall effort to build viable preparedness and response capability at all levels of government. a. Lead the development of emergency management authorities, doctrine, guidance, and capabilities to support national terrorism preparedness and response capability. b. Coordinate, integrate, and implement all federal programs and activities that develop, build, maintain, and sustain local, state, and federal consequence management and national security capabilities. c. Coordinate, integrate, and implement national terrorism preparedness programs and activities in FEMA headquarters and regional offices, in conjunction with federal, state, and local partners. d. Serve as a terrorism information and resource portal for the emergency management community. Standards and Guidelines Objective 3.2 Establish clearly defined standards and guidelines for state, tribal, and local governments preparedness and response. a. Develop planning, training, and exercise standards for local, state, and federal responders to build national capability. b. Lead the collaborative establishment of communication standards to ensure federal, state, and local interoperability before and during terrorist events. c. With our partners, identify and define state and local standards specific and unique to the response and recovery from terrorist events. d. Collaboratively define baseline standards for state, tribal, and local governments rapid response to terrorist events. 13

20 Integrated Capabilities Objective 3.3 Establish and coordinate an integrated capability for federal, state, tribal, local governments, and emergency responders to plan for and address potential consequences of terrorism. a. Develop preparedness guidance and tools and a collaborative nationwide approach to potential consequences of terrorism, based on sound emergency management practices. b. Implement a fully coordinated and integrated planning, training, exercise, and evaluation program for terrorism events. c. Develop models for coordination between state, tribal, and local law enforcement, emergency management, fire, emergency medical service, and private sector organizations. Terrorism Preparedness Coordination Objective 3.4 Coordinate federal terrorism preparedness assistance to state, tribal, and local governments. a. Coordinate planning, training, exercise, and grant assistance programs and activities from all federal agencies focused on building terrorism-related preparedness, response and recovery capabilities. b. Be a portal for information, expertise, and assets that may be needed from the federal government. c. Build stronger planning and grantmaking relationships with federal agencies that provide homeland security assistance, including their regional and field components. 14

21 Coordination with Partners Objective 3.5 Coordinate FEMA s efforts in preparedness for and response to terrorist events with the Office of Homeland Security, and appropriate law enforcement and national security agencies. a. Use the Office of National Preparedness within FEMA to serve as a focal point for coordinating and integrating overall preparedness efforts involving federal agencies, state, tribal, and local governments and the links to private industry and the general public. b. Establish a process for acquiring and communicating specific threat information for use by state, tribal, and local emergency response personnel, and the general public. c. Build stronger planning and working relationships among agencies that usually work in disaster consequence management efforts, including FEMA, the FBI, and national security agencies. d. Coordinate with the Department of Justice, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other appropriate agencies regarding their programs to provide recovery assistance for man-made disasters. e. Support, reflect, and acknowledge new agency and communication responsibilities in homeland security. f. Integrate terrorism information, and homeland security, law enforcement, and national security agency participation into FEMA training programs and information for emergency responders. Continuity and Contingency Programs Objective 3.6 Ensure that appropriate Continuity of Government (COG), Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Contingency Programs are in place. a. Identify gaps between existing and required FEMA Continuity of Operations capability. b. Develop plans to close any gaps identified and initiate corrective measures. c. Coordinate, with other agencies, efforts to identify gaps between existing and required COG capability, and develop corrective action plans. d. Review agency contingency plans and coordinate the review of federal agency contingency plans to ensure that they are up to date. 15

22 Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. FEMA s ultimate role with respect to homeland security, and the degree of leverage and associated funding, is not yet defined. B. The significant effort to lead establishment of communication standards will require a long-term effort to oversee and coordinate resources. C. Coordination of all federal terroristrelated programs for state and local users will require strong communication and cooperation among a wide range of federal agencies and programs that have different customers and funding sources. D. There will be challenges in overcoming cultural differences and security clearance concerns surrounding coordination with law enforcement and intelligence agencies. 16

23 Goal 4. Serve as the Nation s portal for emergency management information and expertise. As the Nation seeks to face the risks associated with shifting weather patterns, sudden earthquakes, and the consequences of terrorist attacks, the demand for emergency management information is increasing. FEMA will serve as the Nation s portal for information before, during, and after disaster strikes. This effort will take several forms and will require that FEMA become a knowledge manager with responsibility for coordinating and integrating the broad spectrum of emergency management information available to government and the public. As part of this new role, FEMA will ensure that the federal government speaks to the public with a single, coordinated voice in times of disaster and national emergency. Information Portal Objective 4.1 Create and manage a single, convenient portal for emergency management information. a. Establish capacity within FEMA to acquire or research risk, emergency management practices, knowledge, and information. b. Create and manage a one-stop portal, using the web and other means, for prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery information exchange, and knowledge sharing between public and private organizations. c. Develop and implement a comprehensive emergency management educational strategy that focuses on the readiness and self-reliance of vulnerable populations for all hazards throughout the United States and its territories. d. Develop and integrate a comprehensive suite of online learning applications, tools and resources, enhancing FEMA's nationwide emergency preparedness training and education programs for internal and external customers, and ensuring their availability to communities and individuals throughout the United States and its territories. 17

24 Knowledge Management Objective 4.2 Serve as the Nation s knowledge manager and coordinator of emergency management information. a. Evaluate the emergency management information needs and the information assets of the emergency management community, including other federal agencies, states, tribes, local communities, voluntary agencies, the academic community, and commercial entities. b. Develop and implement a national knowledge sharing strategy to acquire, organize, and disseminate emergency management information to the entire emergency response community. c. Facilitate emergency management solutions for events and consequences where federal agency responsibilities have not been clearly delineated. d. Establish working relationships with media partners to disseminate emergency management information to key audiences. National Communication and Warning System Objective 4.3 Implement a national, interoperable emergency communications and warning system. a. Lead the collaborative establishment of standards for an effective, secure nationwide communications capability for emergency response personnel. b. Build on the national infrastructure to develop and facilitate an emergency warning method that can be used to notify the public at-large, or specific populations affected by disaster. c. Provide implementation guidance to other federal agencies and state, tribal, and local communities. d. Develop a system for national electronic dissemination of timely information to the emergency response community. 18

25 Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. A single portal for information will require a high and sustained level of effort to keep up with the pace of technological advancement and to reach a wide range of users through a variety of means. B. FEMA s effort to serve as the Nation s portal for emergency management information may occasionally be usurped in part by the media, with its capability for gathering and disseminating up-tothe-minute information about disasters. C. Successful integration of e-gov initiatives across federal agencies will require an unprecedented level of coordination and integration among existing federal agency processes and programs, and requires a major culture change in how agencies currently do business. D. A national interoperable emergency communication and warning system will require significant coordination among many federal and nonfederal users, as well as a long-term sustained commitment on the part of all users. 19

26 Goal 5. Create a motivating and challenging work environment for employees. People are a critical success factor in every organization, and FEMA recognizes this fact. FEMA is committed to retaining, training, and motivating its existing workforce, while recruiting and developing new employees to secure FEMA s future. FEMA s people will in turn take responsibility for making the most of the opportunities available to them, will know what is expected of them, and will be relied upon to perform where and when the Nation needs them most. Retention and Recruitment Objective 5.1 Retain and recruit a capable, motivated, and diverse workforce. a. Develop a comprehensive workforce plan and management model to identify FEMA s workforce needs now and in the future, and retain, train, and recruit a diverse staff to meet that plan. b. Develop employment categories, functional skill requirements, and compensation structures for all FEMA employees that are understandable, equitable, and designed to support FEMA s mission. This includes Permanent Full-Time, CORE, Disaster Assistance Employees and Disaster Temporary Employees. Professional Development Objective 5.2 Provide professional development opportunities for the betterment and advancement of employees. a. Define career development paths to support individual growth and choice in ways that are consistent with FEMA s workforce needs. b. Develop a functional and management professional training curriculum for employees. c. Implement an agency-wide career development program for employees and managers which includes the identification of minimum requirements for certain positions. 20

27 Employee Performance Objective 5.3 Ensure employees understand their performance objectives and are recognized and rewarded appropriately. a. Link individual performance plans and evaluation to measurable organizational performance. b. Define and adhere to performancebased incentive, reward, and promotion guidelines. c. Hold people accountable for performance and take corrective action where necessary to improve low or unacceptable performance. d. Promote an environment that supports responsible risk-taking. Managers Performance Objective 5.4 Provide managers with the skills and authority they need to be successful, and hold them accountable for their operational performance. a. Improve managers skills to communicate, motivate, and supervise FEMA staff. b. Evaluate organizational and operational performance in ways that can be used to hold managers accountable. c. Design appropriate rewards for managers that recognize success in achieving FEMA s mission and performance targets. d. Identify and publicize clear delegations of authority. Safe and Healthy Work Environment Objective 5.5 Provide a safe and healthy work environment to ensure FEMA employees feel valued and respected. a. Provide a safe and secure work environment and ensure that facilities accommodate mission and program requirements. b. Help employees balance work and family requirements during both disaster and non-disaster times. c. Develop and implement programs to counter the negative effects emergency assignments can have on employees and their families. d. Provide employees with an agency health and wellness program. 21

28 Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. It is difficult to compete with private sector employers to attract and retain the best-qualified potential recruits, particularly in certain high-demand fields. B. Civil service structures designed for a permanent, full-time work force can make it difficult for FEMA to meet needs for high quality intermittent staffing. C. Unions that represent FEMA employees may express concerns or reservations about strategies that change working conditions. 22

29 Goal 6. Make FEMA a world-class enterprise. FEMA s mission carries with it a great responsibility. To ensure that the agency continues to meet the growing challenge of its mission, FEMA will place special focus on the continuous improvement of its processes, and how it carries out its business for the American people, internally as well as externally. FEMA will engage in an on-going process of assessment and learning and will strive to communicate effectively. The agency will be a goaldriven organization, with its attention firmly fixed on performance. Strong financial performance, effective communication, and dedication to customer-service will be the foundation upon which the agency operates. Performance-Based Management Objective 6.1 Make FEMA a performance-based organization. a. Link planning and performance to resource allocation decisions. b. Establish and maintain an annual strategy and performance evaluation and improvement process. c. Measure performance in a way that balances productivity and efficiency with quality, customer satisfaction, and employee concerns. d. Identify opportunities to streamline and improve business processes. e. Effectively share products and information across program areas. f. Develop methods to capture, share, and use internal knowledge and lessons learned to continuously improve. 23

30 Efficient and Effective Support Functions Objective 6.2 Plan and integrate FEMA s support functions to efficiently and effectively serve the agency s strategic priorities, and both internal and external customers. a. Orient, organize, and enable FEMA s Human Resources, Financial and Acquisition Management, Facilities Management, and Information Technology offices to provide best practices services and capabilities across the agency. b. Develop internal customer needs analyses and satisfaction measurement processes for each support function. c. Collaboratively establish clear guidelines and policies for support department roles and authorities, and for program, office roles, and authorities. d. Establish a mechanism to prioritize and make investments in infrastructure and program or office-specific projects for each support function. e. Use new and existing technologies to communicate quickly and effectively with internal and external customers. Sound Financial Performance Objective 6.3 Ensure sound financial performance. a. Assess potential programs and initiatives using business case tools and methods before making investment decisions. b. Ensure that FEMA s financial management systems and operations can produce, in a timely manner, accurate and relevant financial information. c. Develop and implement systems, tools, and methods to assess actual versus planned financial performance and to link investment of resources to performance. d. Quickly identify and correct potential waste, fraud, and abuse, and exercise appropriate financial controls in all FEMA programs. e. Provide FEMA s managers with robust financial management information necessary to support sound decision making. 24

31 Effective Communication Objective 6.4 Communicate effectively with internal and external customers. a. Develop and promote effective products, vehicles, and technologies to improve communication between programs and functions and among all parts of the agency. b. Develop and implement innovative and effective ways to promote disaster awareness, individual preparedness, and other messages across the Nation. c. Enhance working relationships with media partners to disseminate emergency management information to key audiences. Customer Focus Objective 6.5 Provide customer-driven services. a. Develop and implement methods and tools throughout the agency for assessing customer satisfaction. b. Re-align management and business processes as appropriate to better satisfy identified customers. c. Strengthen FEMA s regional offices to bring operations and services closer to the customer. 25

32 Performance Definition [Under development for each goal.] External Factors Key external factors that could have a significant affect on achievement of this strategic goal are described below. A. Multiple funding sources make it difficult for FEMA to clearly link agency-wide strategies to disparate sources of funding with different purposes. B. Public perceptions of disaster-related performance may not always coincide with FEMA s roles. Specifically, FEMA is not a first-responder, nor are disaster programs intended to cover all losses that may be associated with an event. C. FEMA may have difficulty effectively communicating with its disparate external customers because they have widely varied cultures, capabilities, and technologies for receiving communications. 26

33 Plan Development Internal Review In preparation for the planning process, FEMA retained a contractor to gather input from employees, supervisors, and executives in every FEMA program, and every regional and headquarters office. Input was collected through individual interviews with subject-area experts and focus groups from offices and directorates across the agency including meetings and teleconferences with all ten regions and two disaster field offices. A confidential agency-wide electronic survey was made available to everyone in the agency and garnered nearly 1000 individual responses. FEMA also sought limited early input from Federal Response Plan partners and state emergency managers to add their perspective to the internal review. As part of the process of reviewing the performance and challenges for the agency s programs and functions, FEMA reviewed relevant reports issued by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) and FEMA s Office of Inspector General Report (OIG). This included review of the management challenges the OIG reports on annually to the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. The President s Management Agenda was also an important influence on the goals, objectives, and strategies that FEMA set for itself in this plan. Several of the goals and objectives in the plan directly address the initiatives in the Agenda and all contain measures that will assist FEMA in meeting them. During the process of developing the plan, FEMA received its 2003 Budget Passback Scorecard from the Office of Management and Budget. The Scorecard provides specific direction on how FEMA can tie its strategic plan and annual performance plan to successful achievement of the President s Management Agenda and will be used as part of the agency s performance management efforts. Leadership Guidance and Staff Input After reviewing the consolidated information from the agency s internal analysis, FEMA s senior leadership met to discuss the findings and develop proposed mission, vision, values, and goals to provide top-level guidance and strategic direction to the agency. With that guidance, many FEMA offices and directorates convened a crosssection of their staff to develop objectives and strategies designed to achieve the proposed goals. These additions were incorporated, and the integrated draft of the plan was then presented to a group of designated representatives from each program and regional office for review and preliminary approval. Communication of the Plan [This section will be developed as roll-out of the plan progresses.] Review by External Partners and Stakeholders [This section will be developed after the external review is completed.] 27

34 Implementation FEMA recognizes that the success of any plan lies in its implementation and is committed to implementing the vision and goals expressed in this plan. The agency s annual performance plan, required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), will be the key vehicle for ensuring implementation of the strategic plan, and for the vital step of linking planning to the agency s budget. have authority to speak for their respective organizations where they act as advocates for the planning process. The Council serves as the oversight body for the strategic and annual performance plans and provides the link to the operational plans, which detail the specific actions and achievements that fulfill the goals outlined in the agency s annual performance plan and, ultimately, the goals in the strategic plan. To ensure proper oversight and agency-wide involvement, FEMA s Director established the Planning and Budget Council in January 2002, a senior-level cross-functional team with members from each of FEMA s offices and directorates. Members of the Council Evaluation [To be completed. The plan will generally discuss how FEMA intends to evaluate program implementation and performance.] 28

35 Appendix A: Goals and Objectives Goal 1. Reduce loss of life and property. Objective 1.1: Provide hazard and risk information using the best-suited technology. Objective 1.2: Ensure that the nation s most vulnerable areas are covered with emergency management plans that can be implemented. Objective 1.3: Ensure federal, state, tribal, local, and other partners capabilities are in place to plan and prepare for disasters. Objective 1.4: Help individuals, communities, tribes, states, and federal agencies make good risk management decisions. Objective 1.5: Develop and implement a comprehensive training and education plan for emergency management planners and responders. Goal 2. Minimize suffering and disruption when disasters occur. Objective 2.1: Respond quickly and effectively when state, local, and tribal governments are overwhelmed. Objective 2.2: Use the full range of state and federal capabilities in determining the most effective delivery mechanisms for disaster recovery and mitigation programs. Objective 2.3: Provide timely and appropriate disaster assistance and payment of flood insurance claims. Objective 2.4: Mitigate against potential future losses as part of every recovery effort. Goal 3. Prepare the Nation to address the consequences of terrorism. Objective 3.1: Lead a coordinated and integrated overall effort to build viable preparedness and response capability at all levels of government. Objective 3.2: Establish clearly defined standards and guidelines for state, tribal, and local governments preparedness and response. Objective 3.3: Establish and coordinate an integrated capability for federal, state, tribal, local governments, and emergency responders to plan for and address potential consequences of terrorism. Objective 3.4: Coordinate federal terrorism preparedness assistance to state, tribal, and local governments. Objective 3.5: Coordinate FEMA s efforts in preparedness for and response to terrorist events with the Office of Homeland Security, and appropriate law enforcement and national security agencies. Objective 3.6: Ensure that appropriate Continuity of Government (COG), Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Contingency Programs are in place. 29

36 Goal 4. Serve as the Nation s portal for emergency management information and expertise. Objective 4.1: Create and manage a single, convenient portal for emergency management information. Objective 4.2: Serve as the Nation s knowledge manager and coordinator of emergency management information. Objective 4.3: Implement a national, interoperable emergency communications and warning system. Goal 5. Create a motivating and challenging work environment for employees. Objective 5.1: Retain and recruit a capable, motivated, and diverse workforce. Objective 5.2: Provide professional development opportunities for the betterment and advancement of employees. Objective 5.3: Ensure employees understand their performance objectives and are recognized and rewarded appropriately. Objective 5.4: Provide managers with the skills and authority they need to be successful, and hold them accountable for their operational performance. Objective 5.5: Provide a safe and healthy work environment to ensure FEMA employees feel valued and respected. Goal 6. Make FEMA a world-class enterprise. Objective 6.1: Make FEMA a performance-based organization. Objective 6.2: Plan and integrate FEMA s support functions to efficiently and effectively serve the agency s strategic priorities, and both internal and external customers. Objective 6.3: Ensure sound financial performance. Objective 6.4: Communicate effectively with internal and external customers. Objective 6.5: Provide customer-driven services. 30

37 Appendix B: Core Values FEMA has ten core values that guide both the agency as a whole and every individual within the agency: Accountability: Being responsible for decisions and results while acknowledging mistakes and working to correct them. Compassion: Showing concern to customers and to each other in times of need. Customer Focus: Making the customers and their needs the first priority. Diversity: Enriching our work environment and our ability to perform through diversity in backgrounds, experiences and skills, and respecting those differences. Innovation: Seeking creative new ways to better deliver our services and meet whatever challenges arise. Integrity: Following the highest ethical standards and always being truthful with customers and colleagues. Partnership: Working collaboratively with external partners and with each other to achieve our common goals. Public Stewardship: Prudently managing resources and providing the highest quality service. Respect: Listening to and treating customers and co-workers with dignity. Trust: Relying on each other and our external partners to act in the best interest of our customers, and earning that trust through our behavior. 31

38 Appendix C: FEMA Regional Offices FEMA has ten regional offices, and two area offices. Each region serves several states, and regional staff work directly with the states to help plan for disasters, develop mitigation programs, and meet needs when major disasters occur. REGION I (Boston) REGION Telephone: (617) Federal Emergency Management Agency 442 J.W. McCormack POCH Boston, Massachusetts Telephone: (617) STATES/TERRITORIES Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont REGION II (New York) Federal Emergency Management Agency 26 Federal Plaza, Room 1307 New York, New York Telephone: (212) New Jersey New York Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands 32