FEMA 266

Section 6
Staffing the Board
Typically, much of the seismic safety 
advisory board's initial work will be 
performed by board and committee 
members, drawing on their experience 
and expertise and providing their own 
support. As the board's responsibilities 
expand, however, members will 
probably no longer be able to provide 
the time and effort that may be 
required. The efficiency of a board 
made up of high-level, successful 
people requires support. Adequate staff 
support may have to be added. 
The board will require both 
administrative and technical support. 
Beyond the obvious need to make 
meeting arrangements, do 
correspondence, reports, keep financial 
records, and so on, the board's 
planning effort should determine 
which avenues of expertise are needed 
and which staff positions are required. 
This section will provide suggestions 
about staffing a seismic safety advisory 
board and using personnel effectively. 
Appendix F contains model duty 
statements for the positions described. 
Staff and Director 
Staff work can be done by employees 
from supportive state or federal 
agencies, by college-level interns, or 
volunteers. If funds are available, 
contractors may be a good way to 
provide staff and retain flexibility. 
A board will probably need to hire a 
director to plan, direct, and organize 
administrative matters related to the 
board's functions and responsibilities. 
These responsibilities would include 
hiring and supervising other staff and 
managing the board's office. The 
director would prepare grant proposals, 
and administer the budget. 
The director can also assist the 
board in searching for qualified 
personnel to serve on committees and 
for ex officio members. The director 
would be a primary contact with the 
public, media, governmental officials., 
and other entities. The director also 
will need to maintain contact with 
decision makers in the public and 
private sectors. The director will 
oversee the preparation and publication 
of reports and dissemination of 
information pertaining to the board's 
work. 
Probably most important, the 
director must be able to coordinate the 
day-to-day activities with those of 
other agencies with the intent of 
providing the leadership and 
coordination of public and private 
efforts necessary to attain higher levels 
of seismic risk management. These 
responsibilities will include meeting 
with and advising directors and 
officials of other state agencies as well 
as maintaining working relationships 
with other public or private 
organizations to further an effective 
seismic safety program. 
Technical and Professional Staff 
The mix of personnel needed on staff 
will depend on a board's strategic and 
risk management plans, the issues and 
tasks given highest priority, and the 
groups and entities that will be 
involved. The board does not need a 
large bureaucracy to function 
effectively. Some professional staff will, 
however, probably be essential. The 
need for staff positions must be 
documented and justified in terms of 
the work to be performed to maintain 
financial support. 
The board's staff will gather 
information, support the work of 
committees, help draft reports, and 
assist in disseminating ideas. This may 
mean taking technical data from 
scientists and engineers and translating 
it into easily understood and usable 
policy information. Therefore, staff 
members not only need to be 
conversant with specialized disciplines, 
but must also be generalists who can 
bridge between the technical 
community and policy makers. They 
will need strong writing and speaking 
skills and credibility among their peers. 
Preferably, staff members will have 
developed networks within their 
professions. 
Because of the multi-disciplinary 
nature of a board's work, it will require 
the assistance of skilled professionals in 
a number of areas. If the board's fiscal 
and organizational means are limited, 
it may be necessary to rely on the 
technical and professional resources of 
other public-sector agencies or those 
donated by the private sector. This may
require full-time staffers to perform 
more than one of these functions or 
outside professionals to perform such 
work. 
Particularly at the outset, staff 
members may need to be generalists 
who can deal with the myriad issues 
associated with the board's start-up.
However, the board may require 
assistance of the following professional 
and technical personnel: 
* Legal counsel 
* Engineering geologist 
Structural engineer
* Architect
* Legislative specialist
* Emergency response specialist 
* Recovery specialist 
Public information officer 
* Research writer and editor 
* Land-use planner
* Budget/financial analyst
* Grant writer 
Support Staff 
The board will need support staff to 
provide secretarial support for the 
board and the staff. Tasks include 
arranging meetings, responding to 
routine inquiries, handling 
correspondence, completing travel 
claims, making travel arrangements, 
and dealing with other fiscal and 
administrative matters. 
The support staff would also be 
responsible for screening calls and 
visitors, keeping appointment 
schedules, and referring calls to 
appropriate staff members or advisory 
panel members. The support staff may
include, if the staff is large enough, an 
office manager responsible for 
supervising the support staff. 
Another support staff duty is taking 
and transcribing the minutes of 
meetings and hearings as well as 
assisting with arrangements for locations, 
organizing and assembling 
meeting materials including agendas, 
minutes, reports, and background 
information for mailing. The support 
staff would typically make quorum 
checks and report advisory board 
members' attendance at meetings.