Effective Coordination in Emergency Management Programs

1. Session 8 Coordination

2. Session Objectives • Define the Principle of Coordination • Identify characteristics of successful coordination • Describe strategic in emergency management programs • Describe tactical use using action planning • Describe tactical using incident management and mutual aid systems

3. Defining Coordination • NFPA 1600 refers to a “Program Coordinator” • Emergency managers are sometimes called “Emergency Management Coordinators” • Emergency Managers define “coordination” as part of their duties

4. Defining Coordination • But what does “coordination” really mean? • How would you define it? • Can you give specific examples of how it is used? • Is there a methodology for coordination?

5. Defining Coordination • Random House dictionary: • “harmonious combination interaction”. • The Principles of Emergency Management • “emergency managers synchronize the activities of all relevant stakeholders to achieve a common purpose”.

6. Defining Coordination • Collaboration • fosters relationships • creates the context essential for successful integration and coordination. • Integration • ensures that the plans and activities of various actors are mutually supporting.

7. Defining Coordination • Coordination takes the relationships developed by collaboration and the mutually supporting systems of successful integration and focuses them to achieve specific goals. • Coordination translates context into action.

8. Defining Coordination • Is Coordination a process or methodology rather than a true principle?

9. Defining Coordination • Collaboration and integration can exist without coordination • Successful relationships can be built individually • Integration can be forced through standards and legislation

10. Defining Coordination • Coordination can only take place within the context of collaborative relationships • Coordinating fosters successful integration. • Failure to coordinate means failure of the emergency management program • Integration, collaboration, and coordination are inextricably linked.

11. Defining Coordination • Coordination requires a strategic planning process intended to align the independent activities of stakeholders to achieve a shared vision. • Strategic planning is also a requirement under NFPA 1600 and the EMAP Standard.

12. Defining Coordination • What are the advantages of a strategic planning process?

13. Defining Coordination • Advantages of strategic planning • Forward thinking • Capacity Building through Organizational Learning and Adaptation • Goal Identification and Achievement through Leadership and Commitment • Professionalism and More Funding • Increased Public Support and Accountability

14. Characteristics of Successful Coordination • Effectiveness is determined by achieved results • EMs who used the largest number of coordination strategies guided the most effective responses • Failing to coordinate = greater need to improvise at the time of a disaster

15. Characteristics of Successful Coordination • Effective coordination requires a systematic approach (Management by Objectives) • Process of aligning goals and objectives within an organization. • Seek agreement among stakeholders on end results • Ensure results are achieved by monitoring the progress of performance objectives.

16. Characteristics of Successful Coordination • NMA Model • Planning –identify vision, mission and goals • Organizing –identify performance and assign to action agents • Directing –monitor milestones, eliminate obstacles, and provide assistance • Controlling –measure performance against metrics

17. Characteristics of Successful Coordination • Systematic approach allows both continuity and accountability in the emergency management program. • Performance objectives create accountability and a method for measuring progress • Successful coordination is characterized by a systematic approach that builds on established relationships and systems.

18. Coordination in the EM Program • Develop a Vision for the Program • Acceptable to all stakeholders • Perceived as adding value to the community

19. Coordination in the EM Program • Vision Statement • Emergency management seeks to promote safer, less vulnerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters. • What is your opinion of this proposed vision statement? • How would you modify it to make it specific to a particular jurisdiction?

20. Coordination in the EM Program • Develop a Mission Statement • Is the mission statement for the EM agency or the EM program? What is the distinction? • Is it closely tied to the vision statement? Accomplishing the mission should achieve the vision.

21. Coordination in the EM Program • Mission Statement • Emergency Management protects communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

22. Coordination in the EM Program • What is your opinion of this mission statement? • How would you modify it to make it specific to a particular jurisdiction?

23. Coordination in the EM Program • Develop an overall strategy • Driven by risk • Uses a mix of mitigation, response and recovery strategies to address risk • Determines resource requirements = preparedness strategy composed of braod goals

24. Coordination in the EM Program • Develop Performance Objectives • Must be specific and measurable (metrics) • Assigned to specific action agent • Must allocate resources • Incorporates milestones

25. Coordination in the EM Program • Monitor milestones • Take action • Re-allocate resources • Assess performance • Quantitative • Qualitative

26. Coordination in Operations • Management by objectives and the strategic planning model can be used to coordinate tactical operations • Action planning, a component of NIMS, is a scaled down version of the strategic planning model.

27. Coordination in Operations • NIMS Five Phases of Planning • Understand the situation • Establish incident objectives and strategy • Develop the plan • Prepare and disseminate the plan • Execute, evaluate, and revise the plan

28. Coordination in Operations • How do the five phases of the NIMS planning model compare with the strategic planning model?

29. Coordination in Operations NIMS Model Strategic Planning Model Planning Organizing Directing Directing/Controlling • Understand the situation • Establish incident objectives and strategy • Develop the plan • Prepare and disseminate the plan • Execute, evaluate, and revise the plan

30. Coordination in Operations • Incident Command System • California Wildfires 1970 • 600K acres • 16 lives • 13 days • 1971 – Congress funds Firefighting Resources of Southern California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE)

31. Coordination in Operations • Problem areas addressed by ICS • Lack of common organization • Poor on-scene and interagency communications • Inadequate joint planning • Lack of valid and timely intelligence • Inadequate resource management • Limited prediction capability

32. Coordination in Operations • Design Criteria • Scalable – single agencies to multiple agencies • Expandable – daily incidents to major emergencies • usable in all emergencies, not just fire • Able to integrate new technologies • Standardized terminology, organization, procedures • Integrate with existing agency procedures • Simple to teach and maintain

33. Coordination in Operations • Basic Principles • Agency autonomy • Unit integrity • Functional clarity • Management by objectives

34. Coordination in Operations • Common terminology • Modular organization • Management by objectives • Incident Action Plan • Manageable span of control • Comprehensive resource management • Integrated communications • Information & intelligence management

35. Coordination in Operations • Incident Command System • Elements of both hierarchical and networked systems – hybrid • Works best with the existence of a strong sense of community among responders • Reported failures may be due to the emphasis of ICS field structure over ICS concepts

36. Coordination in Operations • Research suggests that pre-disaster coordination is a determinant of successful disaster operations • Unsuccessful disaster operations are characterized not by lack of resources but by inability to allocate available resources

37. Coordination in Operations • Applying the Principles to mutual aid • Collaboration: build relationships w/peer groups and national organizations • Integration: formalize relationships through memoranda of agreement or contracts. • Coordination: manage incoming resources through the action planning process.

38. Coordination in Operations • EMAC as an application of the Principles • Collaboration: developed through the National Emergency Manager’s Association. • Integration: formal MOU; uses standard ICS protocols; consistent with NIMS, • Coordination: National Coordination Group oversees operations; Advance Team deployed to the affected to state

39. Conclusion • Coordination • Is a determinant of successful disaster operations • Is closely linked to the Principles of Integration and Collaboration • Requires a systematic approach based on sound management principles