Session No. 43

Course Title: Coastal Hazards Management

# Session Title: Hazard Mitigation Planning VII

# Author: Anna K. Schwab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

**Time: 50 minutes**

**Objectives:**

**Objective 43.1** Group 5 Presentation: Step Seven: "Establish
Procedures for Monitoring, Evaluating, and Reporting Progress," Step
Eight: "Establish Procedures for Revisions and Updates of the Plan," and
step Nine: "Adoption," followed by class critique.

**Objective 43.2** Discuss the final phase of the mitigation planning
process: "Putting It All Together."

**Scope:**

Session 43 will begin with a student presentation on the seventh, eighth
and ninth steps in the planning process: "Establish Procedures for
Monitoring, Evaluating, and Reporting Progress," "Establish Procedures
for Revisions and Updates of the Plan," and "Adoption," respectively.
The presentation will be followed by a brief class discussion and
critique.

.

The remaining class time will be devoted to a lecture and class
discussion on the final phase of the mitigation planning process:
"Putting it all Together." The lecture is based in large part on the
assigned reading material: *Keeping Natural Hazards From Becoming
Disasters: A Mitigation Planning Guidebook for Local Governments*.

**Readings:**

*Student and Instructor Readings:*

NC Division of Emergency Management, Hazard Mitigation Section, Risk
Assessment and Planning Branch. May, 2003. *Keeping Natural Hazards From
Becoming Disasters: A Mitigation Planning Guidebook for Local
Governments*, pp. 88-91.

> (Available in pdf format from NC Division of Emergency Management:
> <http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/mitigation/planning_publications.htm>)

FEMA. April 2003. *Developing the Mitigation Plan: Identifying
Mitigation Actions and Implementation Strategies*. Washington, D.C.:
FEMA 386-3, pp. 4-1 through 4-7, "Document the mitigation planning
process."

**General Requirements:**

The first 25 minutes of the session will consist of the student
presentation by Group 5 on the seventh, eighth and ninth steps in the
planning process: ""Establish Procedures for Monitoring, Evaluating, and
Reporting Progress," "Establish Procedures for Revisions and Updates of
the Plan," and "Adoption," respectively.

The Instructor will then lead a class discussion and critique of the
presentation for the next 5-10 minutes.

The remaining class time should be presented as lecture supported by
PowerPoint slides.

**PowerPoint Slides:**

# PowerPoint 43.1 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: I

# PowerPoint 43.2 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: II

# PowerPoint 43.3 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: III

# PowerPoint 43.4 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: IV

# PowerPoint 43.5 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: V

# PowerPoint 43.6 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VI

**PowerPoint 43.7** Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VII

**Objective 43.1** Group 5 Presentation: Step Seven: "Establish
Procedures for Monitoring, Evaluating, and Reporting Progress," Step
Eight: "Establish Procedures for Revisions and Updates of the Plan," and
step Nine: "Adoption," followed by class critique.

**Requirements:**

The instructor should make sure that the students have access to all
equipment and materials needed for their presentation, such as
PowerPoint projector, overhead projector, white board, etc. The
instructor may wish to designate a time-keeper to make sure the
presentation is made within the amount of allotted time (25 minutes,
with about 5-10 minutes of critique by other students.

**Remarks:**

**Suggested questions** to pose regarding the presentation of **Step
Seven** in the planning process:

1.  Did the Group create and present procedures for monitoring
    implementation of the plan? Do the procedures include a regular
    schedule for monitoring? Is a person or committee charged with the
    responsibility for monitoring?

2.  Did the Group create and present procedures for evaluating the
    plan's effectiveness? Did the Group establish indicators or
    benchmarks to gauge the plan's progress?

3.  Did the Group create and present procedures for updating the
    vulnerability assessments?

4.  Did the Group create and present procedures for updating the
    capability assessment?

5.  Did the Group create and present procedures for continued public
    involvement?

6.  Did the Group create and present procedures for preparing an
    periodic evaluation report? Do the procedures designate who will
    prepare the report, what will be included, when the report will be
    written, and to whom the report will be submitted?

**Suggested questions** to pose regarding the presentation of **Step
Eight** in the planning process:

1.  Did the Group describe the procedure to be used to revise and update
    the mitigation plan?

2.  Did the Group include a schedule for when updates must occur, who
    will review and present the updates to the legislative body?

3.  Did the Group indicate to whom the updated plan must be submitted
    for review and approval?

**Suggested questions** to pose regarding the presentation of **Step
Nine** in the planning process:

1.  Did the Group indicate the local procedures for adopting the plan?

2.  Did the Group describe efforts for public participation before the
    adoption process?

3.  Did the Group describe procedures for incorporating public comment
    into the plan?

**Objective 43.2** Discuss the final phase of the mitigation planning
process: "Putting It All Together."

**Requirements:**

The content should be presented as lecture, supported by PowerPoint
slides. Class discussion and debate is to be encouraged.

The following slides will be used during this objective:

# PowerPoint 43.1 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: I

# PowerPoint 43.2 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: II

# PowerPoint 43.3 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: III

# PowerPoint 43.4 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: IV

# PowerPoint 43.5 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: V

# PowerPoint 43.6 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VI

# PowerPoint 43.7 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VII

**Remarks:**

-   The information gleaned during class presentations and lectures over
    the past few sessions of the course have covered the hazard
    mitigation planning process as separate pieces. The class has
    developed a wealth of information about the selected coastal
    community in the form of worksheets, lists, maps and narrative
    summaries.

-   All these various pieces must be compiled into one logical written
    document, presented in such a way that the reader (including a state
    or federal reviewing official) can easily identify the problems to
    be solved, the solutions that have been recommended to solve those
    problems, and the analysis that was conducted to reach the plan's
    conclusions.

-   The analyses performed during the first three steps of the planning
    process -- Hazard Identification, Vulnerability Assessment, and
    Capability Assessment -- are not really part of the plan itself.
    Instead, these are background studies that serve as the foundation
    for the action part of the plan. As a result, the background studies
    often appear as appendices to a local hazard mitigation plan.

## Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline

An outline for a local hazard mitigation plan might appear as the
following:

I.  Introduction

    A.  Statement of the Problem

    B.  Purpose of the Plan

    C.  Participants in the Planning Process

    D.  Description of the Planning Process

    E.  Adoption

II. Mitigation Goals and Values

III. Mitigation Strategies and Policies

IV. Implementation

V.  Monitoring, Evaluating, and Reporting Progress

VI. Revisions and Updates

VII. Appendices

     A.  Hazard Identification

     B.  Vulnerability Assessment

     C.  Capability Assessment

-   Discuss each of the primary elements of a local hazard mitigation
    plan as outlined in the PowerPoint slides.

# \[PowerPoint 43.1 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: I\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.2 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: II\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.3 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: III\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.4 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: IV\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.5 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: V\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.6 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VI\]

# \[PowerPoint 43.7 Hazard Mitigation Plan Outline: VII\]

-   Discuss **how the mitigation plan will fit into the community's
    overall regulatory and policy regime**. Consider the **advantages**
    and **disadvantages** of the different approaches.

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-   Will the mitigation plan serve as a **stand-alone plan**?

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-   These plans have the advantage of being **single purpose plans**,
    with a direct focus and clear mission. Stand-alone plans are also
    often more visible in the community, and have the stature of other
    local policy documents.

-   On the other hand, unless stand-alone plans are carefully
    implemented and administered, they may fail to link mitigation
    policies with other land use regulations and practices in the
    community, with the result that they may be less effective in the
    long run.

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-   Will the mitigation plan be **incorporated into another local
    planning document?** If so, which one?

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-   The comprehensive or land use plan?

-   The emergency management plan?

-   The capital facilities plan?

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-   This approach has the advantage of highlighting mitigation as a
    necessary component of all government operations. Mitigation can be
    more easily integrated into the day-to-day decision making processes
    of the community.

-   On the other hand, some communities view their land use and
    comprehensive plans only as general guides for local policy-making.
    In these communities, the mitigation plan may lose some of the force
    needed for full implementation.