September 30, 1997

STRATEGIC PLAN

FY 1998 through FY 2007

With Operational Objectives through FY 2003

Partnership for a Safer Future

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Page ii Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page iii

Contents

Foreword vii

Who We Are and What We Do: Helping People Before, During, and After Disasters 1

The Agency 3

Risks We Face 5

Mission 7

Where We Plan to Go: Vision of a “Partnership for a Safer Future” 9

Values 11

Overview of FEMA’s Strategic Planning Template 13

Strategic Goals and Strategies 15

Strategic Goal 1. Protect lives and prevent the loss of property from all hazards. 15

Strategic Objective 1.1. By FY 2007, reduce by 10 percent the

risk of loss of life and injury from hazards. 15

Strategic Objective 1.2. By FY 2007, reduce by 15 percent the

risk of property loss and economic disruption from hazards. 15

Mitigation Strategy 16

5-Year Operational Objectives 18

Authorities 20

Technology 20

Program Evaluation 20

Preparedness Strategy 21

5-Year Operational Objectives 21

Authorities 23

Technology 23
Page iv Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Preparedness Strategy, continued

Program Evaluation 23

Strategic Goal 2. Reduce human suffering and enhance the recovery of

communities after disaster strikes. 24

Strategic Objective 2.1. By FY 2007, reduce by 25 percent

human suffering from the impact of disasters. 24

Strategic Objective 2.2. By FY 2007, through facilitated

restoration of eligible public services, increase by 20 percent the speed with which

individuals, businesses, and public entities are enabled to recover from disasters. 25

Response and Recovery Strategy 25

5-Year Operational Objectives 26

Authorities 28

Technology 29

Program Evaluation 30

Strategic Goal 3. Ensure that the public is served in a timely and efficient manner. 31

Strategic Objective 3.1. By FY 2007, improve by 20 percent the

efficiency with which FEMA delivers its services. 32

Strategic Objective 3.2. By FY 2007, achieve and maintain 90 percent overall

customer satisfaction, internal and external, with FEMA services. 33

Efficiency Strategy 33

5-Year Operational Objectives 33

Authorities 38

Technology 39

Program Evaluation 40

Customer-Service Strategy 41

5-Year Operational Objectives 41

Authorities 43

Customer Service Strategy, continued

Technology 44
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page v

Program Evaluation 44

How We Will Get There: Strategic Management 45

Partnerships and Cross-Cutting Functions 49

External Factors 53

Conclusion 55

Appendices: 57

A: FEMA Regional Offices 57

B: Development of the Plan 59

C: Resources 61
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Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page vii

Foreword

The first Strategic Plan in the history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) was published in December 1994. As part of the process of FEMA’s renewal,

“Partnership for a Safer Future” laid out the agency’s mission and vision. We recognized that

FEMA’s role in making a safer future would require us to lay a solid foundation on which to build

an effective organization of emergency management. We recognized that the organization would

need to lead and support the Nation in a comprehensive, risk-based emergency management

program. We also recognized that our mission to reduce the loss of life and property included

protecting the Nation’s institutions from all natural and man-made hazards. FEMA consequently

began to direct efforts towards creating an agency that would restore the confidence of the

American people and fulfill President Clinton’s promise to “be there” when America needed us.

During the intervening years, FEMA has enjoyed much success in its renewal. Internally,

we improved management systems and streamlined operations to function more efficiently and

with more accountability. Programmatically, we redirected our services to give priority to

identifying and meeting the needs of customers; and forged closer ties with State and local

governments, other Federal departments and agencies, business and industry, voluntary

organizations, and individual citizens. As a result, our response capability is stronger and more

effective. Our delivery of individual disaster assistance and assistance to States and localities has

been improved and the processes streamlined. Perhaps most important, the level of attention to

and resources for reducing disaster losses by mitigating hazards have increased dramatically.

FEMA is committed to reducing administrative costs of disasters and improving financial

controls associated with the Disaster Relief Program. We are concentrating activities to reduce

costs through mitigation, because no other approach is as effective over the long term. We

addressed flood hazards—the most frequent type of disaster—by launching two nationwide

campaigns. The first was to increase the number of flood insurance policies and thereby decrease

the costs of flood disaster relief to the Federal Government. The second was to purchase more than

20,000 parcels of property, voluntarily offered by owners, to remove homes and businesses from

the floodplains across the United States. FEMA also led an important National Arson Prevention

Initiative in response to the wave of church fires.

While we made operations more efficient and customer-oriented, we worked in concert

with our partners to respond to 200 disasters, register 2 million Americans in need of Federal

disaster assistance, provide assistance to more than 4,000 counties, and coordinate the distribution

of $12 billion in disaster relief funds.

We take well-earned pride in these accomplishments. They have made us ready for the

next step: to change the emergency management culture from one that reactively responds to

disasters, to one that proactively helps communities and citizens avoid becoming disaster victims.

FEMA will build on the successes of the past four years to lead the emergency

management community into the 21st century. The concept of disaster-resistant communities has

become a focus for delivering FEMA programs. We will bring together private industry, the

insurance sector, mortgage lenders, the real estate industry, homebuilding associations, citizens,

and others to create model communities in high-risk areas. We are beginning now to lay the

groundwork. We will work with seven communities in high-risk areas that are committed to

protecting their citizens, businesses, and infrastructure from disasters. Each community will

address the hazards to which it is most vulnerable: flood, earthquake, hurricane, or fire. The
Page viii Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

experiences of these communities will enable us to begin the development of transferable models

of disaster-resistant communities to the rest of the country.

Other steps leading to the creation of disaster-resistant communities include establishing a

Federal pre-disaster mitigation fund, and continuing to strengthen the public-private partnership for

emergency management. The time has come for business to increase its investment in its own

mitigation to protect against disaster damages that affect employees and profits. The concept of

disaster-resistant communities can and will work if everyone affected by disasters participates in

the partnership.

This strategic plan includes revisions to FEMA’s 1994 strategic plan and fulfills the

requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GPRA concepts also have

been extended to our grant agreements with the States through Performance Partnership

Agreements (PPAs). As part of the PPA process, our State partners are engaged in a similar

planning effort. The strategic goals and objectives contained in this plan will be reflected in future

Agreements.

We continue to welcome comments and recommendations for better serving the needs of

the emergency management community and the American people.

James L. Witt

Director

Written comments may be addressed to FEMA, Office of Policy and Regional Operations, Room 832,

Washington, DC 20472.

To learn more about FEMA and how to protect yourself in disasters, visit FEMA’s Website at

WWW.FEMA.GOV or contact the FEMA regional office nearest you. A map showing the location and address of

FEMA regional offices at Appendix A.
Who We Are and What We Do:

Helping People Before, During, and After

Disasters

Imagine that you were somehow able to watch, from a distance, a major disaster unfold.

You would see suffering and devastation—but that would be only part of the story. You also

would see lots of people move into action—people from government agencies, private

organizations, businesses and volunteer groups. You would see them working as a team to keep

essential services operating, provide first aid, food and water, clear debris, rebuild homes and

businesses, and prevent the disaster from happening again.

Over time, you would begin to see a pattern to the activity. You would see how people

work together when disasters occur. You would see “first responders” risking their lives to help

others. You would see the results of planning and coordination in the execution of an effective

response. And you would learn that communities and individuals could lessen the damage that

disasters cause, and sometimes avoid it altogether.

The pattern behind the activity is called “emergency management.” It is the process

through which America prepares for emergencies and disasters, responds to them, recovers from

them, rebuilds, and mitigates their future effects.

FEMA is the governmental unit that has leadership responsibilities for the Nation's

emergency management system. Local and State programs are the heart of the Nation's emergency

management system, and most disasters are handled by local or State governments. When the

devastation is especially serious and exceeds the capability and resources of local and State

governments, States turn to the Federal Government for help. Once the President has declared a

major disaster, FEMA coordinates not only its own response activities but also those of as many as

28 other Federal agencies that may participate. Federal agencies help States and localities to

recover from disasters by providing services, resources, and personnel to perform necessary

functions, such as transporting food and potable water to the area, assisting with medical aid and

temporary housing for those whose homes are uninhabitable, and providing generators for electric

power to keep hospitals and other essential facilities in operation. FEMA also works with States,

territories, and communities during non-disaster periods to help plan for disasters, develop

mitigation programs, and anticipate what will be needed when major disasters occur.

FEMA supports State and local emergency management programs by funding emergency

planning, training emergency managers and local officials, conducting large-scale tests, called

“exercises,” and sponsoring programs that teach the public how to prepare for disasters. FEMA

provides technical assistance to communities that promote safe and wise land-use planning in

designated floodplains as a condition for making Federal flood insurance available to residents in

participating communities.
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The Agency

FEMA has 2,400 full-time employees working throughout the country. It also has nearly

7,000 temporary disaster assistance employees (DAEs)—individuals who are ready to be called

upon at a moment’s notice to help when disasters occur. DAEs help to minimize disruption in

routine and ongoing FEMA operations when disaster strikes. Another way in which FEMA

minimizes disruption during disaster response is through the Executive Reserve force—a group of

individuals appointed by the Director and having high-level management experience in industry,

academia, and the military. Reservists volunteer their time as a service to the country. (The

Executive Reserve program is undergoing review to determine whether it can be made more

effective).

In addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., FEMA has 10 regional offices, area

offices in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, and several facilities, such as the National Emergency Training

Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and the Mt. Weather Emergency Assistance Center in Round

Hill, Virginia.

FEMA's job is to lead the Country in developing and maintaining a national emergency

management system that helps people protect themselves, their families, homes and businesses

from all hazards. More specifically, FEMA:

• Builds preparedness by ensuring adequate plans are in place for the continuation of

essential government functions during any emergency. A serious disruption of

government services could severely hinder emergency management assistance to the

American people.

• Promotes effective land-use planning, building codes and other means to minimize the

effects of disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. FEMA provides

technical assistance, nationwide flood-hazard mapping, training, and grants, directed at

reducing the impact of disasters, to government agencies throughout the country.

• Coordinates the Federal response to disasters that exceed the capabilities of State and

local governments, and assists communities to recover.

• Operates the U.S. Fire Administration, which supports the Nation's fire service and

emergency medical services communities. The Fire Administration conducts training,

public education, and research programs in subjects related to fire protection

technologies and emergency response procedures. The Fire Administration’s National

Fire Data Center coordinates the Federal, State, and local partnership in fire incident

data-collection and analysis, which is the National Fire Incident Reporting System.

• Operates the Federal Insurance Administration, which makes flood insurance available

to residents of communities that agree to adopt and enforce sound floodplain

management practices. More than 18,000 communities participate in the Federal flood

insurance program. More than 3.8 million National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

home and business policies are in effect.

In all of its activities, FEMA works in close consultation with partners in State and local

governments, business and industry, the American Red Cross and other volunteer and non-profit

organizations.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 3

Risks We Face

Natural disasters will always happen. Since the late 1980s, the United States has incurred

unprecedented devastation from major earthquakes, hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, landslides,

volcanic eruptions, severe winter storms, and wildfires. More than 500 people lost their lives

during these events. Moreover, an additional 4,500 people die each year due to residential and

structure fire. As the population and built environment increases, so will the risk1to lives and

property. Consider these situations:

• Floods occur in all 50 States and 8 U.S. territories. It is estimated that there are more

than 9 million homes and other properties at risk from the 1 percent annual chance

flood.

• At least 50 million homes may be located in counties at significant risk from

earthquakes. Major earthquake risk zones are found in the West, central Mississippi

Valley, New England, South Carolina, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a 90-percent probability that at least

one major earthquake will strike an urban area in California in the next 30 years.

• On average, 5 hurricanes strike the United States every 3 years. Hawaii and 18 States

along the East and Gulf Coasts, as well as the Territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands,

Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Northern

Mariana Islands have the greatest risk of being impacted by a hurricane.

• In many parts of the United States, valuable real estate property is located in areas that

are subject to frequent urban and wildland fires.

• Severe windstorms, often related to tornadoes and hurricanes, are a major cause of

fatalities and property loss in the United States. Tornadoes, which affect almost every

State, are the most common type of windstorm and result in the greatest amount of

property damage in the central United States.

• More that 65 active or potentially active volcanoes exist in the United States. The

cataclysmic Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 caused approximately 60 deaths and

over $1.5 billion in damage.

• Landslides occur in every State as well as in Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin

Islands and American Samoa. During the past 20 years, landslides have resulted in 38

disaster declarations. Roughly 40 percent of the population is exposed to the direct and

indirect effects of landslides.

 

1 “Risk” means the potential losses associated with a hazard and is defined in terms of expected probability, frequency,

magnitude, severity, exposure, and consequences. Hazards include natural disasters and accidental or man-caused events,

including any natural catastrophe (hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake,

volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, and drought), fire, explosion, or other catastrophe, including radiological

ones, in any part of the United States that causes, or may cause, substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons.
Page 4 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

• The threat of technological or man-made hazards, such as the potential release into the

environment of toxic materials, nuclear accidents, or the consequences of terrorism,

have expanded dramatically throughout the 20th century.

• The United States historically has had one of the highest fire loss rates of the

industrialized world—both in fire deaths and dollar loss. Most fires are relatively

small, and their cumulative impact is not easily recognized. However, the loss of life

and property resulting from fire far exceeds that of all other natural disasters

combined.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 5

Mission

The mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to

Reduce the loss of life and property and protect our institutions from all hazards by leading and

supporting the Nation in a comprehensive, risk-based emergency management program of

mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Mitigation Taking sustained actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people

and property from hazards and their effects.

Preparedness Building the emergency management profession to effectively prepare

for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from any hazard by

planning, training, and exercising.

Response Conducting emergency operations to save lives and property by

positioning emergency equipment and supplies, evacuating potential

victims, providing food, water, shelter, and medical care to those in need,

and restoring critical public services.

Recovery Rebuilding communities so individuals, businesses, and governments can

function on their own, return to normal life, and protect against future

hazards.

These functions also represent the “phases” of emergency management and comprise what

public officials and emergency management professionals call “Comprehensive Emergency

Management” (CEM). In 1993, FEMA was reorganized to refocus agency effort on its mission

and the strategies used by local, State, and Federal partners in the national emergency management

system. At the same time, the FEMA budget structure was simplified, and activities changed to

mirror the FEMA organization and, therefore, better support effective emergency management.

FEMA’s organization, budget structure, strategic goals, and implementation strategies are directly

aligned in support of the agency’s mission.
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Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 7

Where We Plan to Go:

Vision of a “Partnership for a Safer

Future”

The vision for FEMA is expressed in the title of the agency’s strategic plan:

Partnership for A Safer Future

The Nation's emergency management system is built on a partnership of local, State, and Federal

governments, voluntary agencies, business and industry, and individual citizens focused on saving lives

and property and reducing the effects of disasters regardless of their cause.

The vision of an effective "Partnership for a Safer Future" for America is:

• An informed public protecting their families, homes, workplaces, communities, and

livelihoods from the impact of disasters;

• Communities built to withstand the natural hazards which threaten them;

• Governmental and private organizations with plans, resources, and rigorous training and

exercising for disaster response; and

• Community plans, prepared in advance, for recovery and reconstruction after a disaster.

Disasters affect everyone.

We all have a role in Emergency Management.
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Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 9

Values

FEMA has eight core values that its employees strive to exemplify:

Quality Work We are dedicated to doing the best job possible.

Customer Service We value our internal and external customers, and strive to meet

their needs.

Creativity and New ideas and creativity are fundamental to continued

Innovation growth, continuous improvement, and problem solving.

Teamwork Each employee has something of value to contribute. By

working cooperatively together, we can better achieve the

agency's mission and goals.

Continuous Sustained development of personal/professional skills

Improvementand program delivery is key to better serving our customers.

Public Stewardship We are commited to prudent management of the taxpayers'

money and dedication to providing the public with the highest

quality service.

Diversity FEMA’s employees are its most valuable resource. The diversity of their

backgrounds, experiences, and skills enhances their value.

Partnership Reaching out and engaging FEMA’s partners collaboratively is

essential to our success and enriches our products.
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Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 11

Overview of FEMA’s Strategic Planning

Template

Over the 10-year period FY 1998 through 2007, FEMA will pursue 3 strategic goals. The

first two strategic goals are mission-related and the third is organizational. Each strategic goal is

supported by two strategic objectives with performance measures. These goals represent

performance outcomes sought by the national emergency management partnership that FEMA

leads and supports. Achievement of these goals and objectives will depend on many individuals

and organizations at local, State, and Federal levels. FEMA is working with its partners at the

State and Federal levels to adopt these goals in their own strategic plans and in PPAs.

To achieve each strategic goal, FEMA has formulated strategies that are implemented

through 5-year operational objectives (FY 1998 through FY 2003), which reflect FEMA’s major

activities and resources contributing directly to the partnership. Three strategies—mitigation,

preparedness, and response/recovery—are aimed at achieving the two mission-related goals. Two

strategies—customer service and administrative efficiency—are aimed at achieving the

management operations goal. Each 5-year operational objective is listed under the strategy (and

Goal) to which it relates. Each also is assigned to a responsible lead organization that is

accountable for ultimate performance and development of a 5-year action plan of activities.

Activities are achievable when anticipated resources are available. Resources are constrained to

the out-year levels provided to the agency by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

An annual performance plan will be prepared for each FEMA budget request to Congress.

The plan will illustrate how the annual performance goals (with performance indicators) and

requested resources will contribute to 5-year operational objectives supporting a strategy to achieve

a specific strategic goal. Resource levels will reflect the President’s budget request to Congress.

The legislatively mandated programs of the Federal Insurance Administration and the U.S.

Fire Administration provide a unique focus within the Federal government for flood and fire

programs, respectively. These programs do not appear as separate strategies, but are reflected in

multiple mission-related strategies.

The Federal Insurance Administration, which operates the NFIP, provides flood insurance

to accelerate recovery from floods, mitigate future losses and reduce the personal and national

costs of flood disasters. It contributes to achievement of the mitigation and the response/recovery

strategies. The U.S. Fire Administration provides training, public education and research related to

fire protection technologies and emergency response procedures. It contributes to achievement of

the preparedness and mitigation strategies.

FEMA’s mission-related strategic goals and associated strategies are:

Strategic Goal 1Protect lives and prevent the loss of property from all hazards.

Strategies Mitigation (supported by fire and insurance programs), and

Preparedness (supported by fire programs);

Strategic Goal 2Reduce human suffering and enhance the recovery of

communities after disaster strikes.
Page 12 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Strategies Response and recovery (supported by insurance programs)

FEMA’s management operations goal and strategies are:

Strategic Goal 3Ensure that the public is served in a timely and efficient manner.

Strategies Customer service, and Administrative efficiency.

In the sections that follow, each strategic goal is described. Descriptions include (1)

associated strategic objectives and their performance measures, and (2) strategies and their

associated 5-year operational objectives, shown by lead organization. External factors affecting

achievement of the goals and objectives, as well as resources required, are addressed in separate

sections of this Plan. The Annual Performance Plan illustrating how goals and objectives will be

achieved is a separate document.

Although legislation is pending that would, if enacted, affect FEMA’s public assistance

programs, this plan is necessarily predicated on extant authorities.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 13

Strategic Goals and Strategies

Strategic Goal 1:

Protect lives and prevent the loss of property from all

hazards.

The national emergency management community works to protect lives and prevent the

loss of property through the implementation of pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation measures.

FEMA coordinates and supports its emergency management partners in planning, marketing and

carrying out initiatives. Over time, such measures as early warning systems, evacuation plans,

building codes, fire prevention technology, and land-use policies reinforced by insurance

incentives, have reduced the loss of life and property from disasters.

Strategic Objective 1.1. By FY 2007, reduce by 10

percent the risk of loss of life and injury from

hazards.

Performance Measure. For this objective, risk will be measured by use of a model of

probable future loss of life and injury using a standardized, nationally applicable loss-estimation

methodology developed by FEMA, called “HAZUS” (Hazards United States). Initially, model

results will be limited to probable future loss of life and injury from earthquake hazards. The

baseline of probable future loss of life and injury from earthquake hazards will be available in FY

1999. The baseline will then be broadened by FY 2000 into an “all-hazard” methodology to

estimate the probable future loss of life and injury from all other natural hazards, including

earthquake. The HAZUS model will be continually refined as actual disasters occur and improved

risk-assessment methods are developed.

Although data on actual loss of life are available, it is necessary to use a model since actual

loss data do not reflect the risk of loss of life and injury.

Strategic Objective 1.2. By FY 2007, reduce by 15

percent the risk of property loss and economic

disruption from hazards.

Performance Measure. Successful accomplishment of this objective will be to

minimize property loss and economic disruption by focusing on disaster-resistant communities and

the mitigation of hazards before they occur, and on preparedness for risks that cannot be

prevented. Focusing on safer building techniques and improving the communities’ preparedness

for the risks they face should have a direct impact on reducing the risk of loss of property and

economic disruption.
Page 14 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

This objective will be measured in two ways. The first way is by measuring risk in terms

of direct and indirect dollar costs.

Before we can use actual historic data for measuring property loss and economic

disruption, problems with data inconsistency and gaps in data must be addressed. The data for

property and economic losses is complicated further by the lack of a standard, accepted definition

for those who collect and analyze these data in both the pre- and post-disaster environments. To

compensate for uncertainty about the data, FEMA intends to model risk-reduction progress using

HAZUS to estimate potential property damage and direct and indirect dollar losses associated with

the damages.

Estimates of national losses from earthquakes will be made in FY 1999. The results will be

compared, region by region, after mitigation projects are implemented in conjunction with

implementation of the Disaster-Resistant Communities concept, or after mitigation projects are

undertaken independently by States or communities. Comparison of FY 1999 data (by region)

with data collected after mitigation programs are instituted will yield a risk-reduction percentage.

Loss data from actual disasters will be used to establish benchmarks against which to measure

progress, and as the basis for calibrating estimation formulas used in the methodology. Flood-loss

data, collected through the NFIP, also will be analyzed and evaluated as a measure of flood riskreduction effectiveness. Wind and flood loss-estimation modules will be completed and available

as measures by FY 2000.

The second way of measuring this objective will be to assess State and local capability

against a baseline, using the Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR) process initiated in FY

1997. The output of this effort will be used to create national standards for emergency

management by which deficiencies can be identified and priorities for elimination can be set.

Elimination will result in at least a 20 percent improvement in the emergency management

capability of State and local governments by 2007, thereby reducing the risk of loss of life and

property.

Property, for the purpose of this performance measure, is defined to include commercial

and public buildings and facilities, private homes, and utility and transportation systems.

Mitigation Strategy

Mitigation actions protect life and property and reduce long term risks from hazards.

Typical Federal mitigation actions involve supporting local government officials’ efforts to:

promote the construction or siting of structures so that they have reduced chances of being

impacted by disasters; develop, adopt, and enforce appropriate building codes and land use

planning standards; and take action to correct inappropriate building designs.

Mitigation is achieved primarily through community actions, which can be greatly

enhanced by the support of individuals, public-private partnerships, and Federal and State

assistance. FEMA’s strategy for mitigation focuses on making it as easy as possible for

communities and their citizens to take informed and effective mitigation actions. FEMA will do

this by leading a national effort to:

• Identify and improve the understanding of the Nation’s hazards and their risks, by

community;

• Develop or improve techniques which mitigate those risks;
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 15

• Provide an environment conducive to applying those techniques;

• Provide financial and technical assistance—both pre- and post-disaster—to facilitate

application of those techniques; and

• Support the development of incentives and disincentives which make application of

those techniques a social, political and/or economic priority.

Insurance concepts and methods are also used to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to natural

hazards. The NFIP is implemented so that insurance and floodplain management policies and

operations are mutually reinforcing.

FEMA’s mitigation strategy has four areas of focus:

1. Federal Mitigation. FEMA will lead the effort to ensure that the authorities and

resources of the federal government which affect the built environment are supporting,

to the maximum degree practicable, community-based mitigation decisions/actions.

2. State Mitigation. FEMA will establish a collaborative partnership with State-level

mitigation stakeholders to develop criteria and incentives for the establishment of

comprehensive State mitigation initiatives which marshal the resources and authorities

of State government to support community-based mitigation decisions/actions.

3. Community Mitigation. FEMA will establish a collaborative partnership with

community-level stakeholders to develop a national initiative to reduce risk through

voluntary, community-based, incentive-driven decisions/actions.

4. Private/Public Mitigation Partnership. FEMA will lead an effort to identify and

maximize the contributions of the private sector to the national mitigation effort—

through business-driven construction and land-use decisions, as well as incentives for

mitigation decisions/actions through insurance and financial market instruments.

5-Year Operational Objectives

5-Year Operational Objective: Ensure that at least 50 percent of all

principal Federal departments and agencies that influence the built

environment (including FEMA) document the annually improved

contribution their programs have made in measurably reducing the

Nation’s risk from natural hazards.

This objective is designed to leverage the resources of the Federal Government to reduce the

risk in Federal facilities and, through Federal actions (regulation, financing, policies, etc.),

foster mitigation at State and local levels. FEMA believes that natural-hazard risk reduction

through mitigation is a national responsibility and, through this component of the mitigation

strategy, FEMA will work to assure that the national government is leading by example and

sending a consistent message of support for mitigation through its actions.
Page 16 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Lead Organization: Mitigation Directorate

Performance Measure: Improved risk reduction effectiveness of Federal programs

documented in a periodic Federal mitigation report.

5-Year Operational Objective: Ensure that at least 25 percent of all

States, Commonwealths, and/or Territories encourage and establish

an accelerated pattern of natural-hazard risk reduction within their

jurisdictions.

This objective is designed to leverage the resources of State government. Through FEMA’s

PPAs with the States, common goals for protecting life and property through mitigation can

and should be achieved through State-specific objectives tied to national performance

measures.

Lead Organization: Mitigation Directorate

Performance Measure: The percentage of States voluntarily developing and implementing

multi-hazard mitigation initiatives, documented through capability and inventory assessments,

demonstrates a trend towards increased risk reduction. A systematic approach to evaluating risk

in conjunction with the States will serve as a basis for prioritizing the efforts.

5-Year Operational Objective: Increase to 20 the percentage of “at

risk” communities that encourage and establish a voluntary,

incentive-driven, community-based mitigation program that

emphasizes public/private partnerships.

This objective is designed to leverage the resources of local government that directly control

the design, maintenance, and rehabilitation of buildings and infrastructure. FEMA expects to

achieve its greatest reduction of natural hazards risk by reinventing the National Flood

Mapping Program and by focusing on high-risk communities, such as those with frequent

flooding or high seismic hazards, and then transferring the knowledge to other communities.

Lead Organization: Mitigation Directorate

Performance Measure: Percentage of “at risk” communities participating in a voluntary,

incentive-driven, community-based mitigation initiative through which risk reduction actions

are documented.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 17

5-Year Operational Objective: Reduce by 5 percent the rate of loss of

life and property from fire and fire-related hazards.

Lead Organization: United States Fire Administration

Performance Measure: Trends in fire-related loss, utilizing data from the National Fire

Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and other nationally recognized sources of loss of life and

property due to fire. The rate of loss will be based on population density, i.e., deaths per

million. Data from calendar year 2001 will be used, the most recent year for which statistics

will exist.

5-Year Operational Objective: Through NFIP insurance and floodplain

management activities, reduce expected annual flood disaster losses

by $1 billion.

Lead Organization: Federal Insurance Administration

Performance Measure: The measure will be based on the difference between the loss

experience of insured, compliant post-Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) structures versus the

experience of insured pre-FIRM and non-compliant structures. Total improvement will be

gauged by inferring reduction in losses to the estimated total population of buildings

constructed to meet Program standards in participating communities.

Authorities

The legal authority supporting the mitigation strategy includes four principal statutes: (1)

the Earthquake Hazard Reduction Act of 1977, as amended; (2) the Fire Prevention and Control

Act of 1974, as amended; (3) the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended; and, finally,

(4) the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended. These

statutes, operating in combination, provide the principal pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation

authority for FEMA’s programs, functions and activities. These statutes through authorization of

technical assistance, research, disclosure of hazards to the public, and provision of grants are

designed to promote the concept of mitigation, principally in terms of minimizing average annual

damages from natural disasters.

Technology

FEMA intends to leverage new technologies toward the accomplishment of its strategic

goals to the maximum extent possible. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is fully

employed as a tool to support decision-making in all aspects of emergency management

(mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery). HAZUS is based on an integrated GIS concept.

FEMA has already provided this tool and the GIS technology on which it is based to all State

emergency management organizations.
Page 18 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

FEMA is also using the latest advances in remote-sensing technologies to support its

national floodplain mapping program and to assist in all-hazard risk assessments.

Program Evaluation

FEMA will evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of its mitigation programs in both preand post-disaster environments through regular contacts with State partners and other mitigation

program end users.

FEMA periodically asks outside experts, such as those from the National Academy of

Sciences and other nationally recognized “think tanks,” to review its programs. In FY 1999, FEMA

intends to commission the Academy to conduct a study on the true cost of disasters. This study

will address the issues that currently preclude FEMA from using actual data as the bases for

performance measurement.

Preparedness Strategy

In partnership with the States, FEMA will foster innovation and improvement to reduce the

gap between the capabilities required to respond to disasters and those in place. The focus of the

preparedness strategy will be on risk identification; emergency management professional

development; establishment of capability performance measurements and assessment through tests,

exercises and real world experiences; planning and public education; and partnerships with the

private sector and other nations. A collaborative framework of Federal, State, local, and privatesector (business, industry, and nonprofit organizations) resources will be used to yield a general

reduction in the risk of loss of life and property from all hazards and support development of

disaster-resistant communities. The strategy will foster a decentralized capability for State and

local preparedness and response for all but the most catastrophic disasters.

5-Year Operational Objectives

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve State emergency

management capability by 10 percent.

Lead Organization: Preparedness, Training and Exercises

Performance Measure: The baseline for this measure is 1997 data contained in the State

Capability for Readiness Report. Capability is measured in the following areas: law and

authority; hazard identification and risk assessment; hazard management; resource

management; planning; direction, control, and coordination; communications and warning;

operations and procedures; logistics and facilities; training; exercises; public education and

information; and finance and administration. Annual assessments will allow States and

localities to continually identify critical emergency management deficiencies, take necessary

corrective action, and build stronger programs of mitigation, preparedness, response, and

recovery.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 19

5-Year Operational Objective: Reduce by 5 percent the rate of loss of

life and property from fire and fire-related hazards.

Lead Organization: United States Fire Administration

Performance Measure: Annual reductions in the rate of loss of life and property using data

from the NFIRS and other nationally recognized sources. The rate will be based on population

density, i.e., deaths per million, using data from 2001.

5-Year Operational Objective: Provide emergency alerts and

emergency response communications nationwide or regionally by

such means as the National Warning System (NAWAS), Emergency

Alert System (EAS), and GIS.

Lead Organization: Information Technology Services Directorate

Performance Measure: Dissemination of NAWAS emergency alerts within 3 minutes of

receipt; relay of Federal emergency messages over the EAS within 10 minutes of notification;

provision of preliminary hurricane damage assessments and storm tracking modeling data to

States within 24 hours of a request; and delivery of maps, models, data and analyses as

requested to FEMA and emergency partners within 72 hours of notification.

5-Year Operational Objective: Ensure continuity of government and a

response capability required for national security emergencies.

This objective will be implemented through FEMA’s performance of its role as Executive

Agent for Continuity of Government (COG); participation in national security emergency

preparedness programs, including interagency agreements and systems used for supporting,

locating, and identifying key government officials; upgrading facilities and systems at

alternate Federal Government locations; and supporting the Director of FEMA, the White

House, and National Security Council on national security policy and programs.

Lead Organization: Office of National Security Coordination

Performance Measure: Customer feedback and approval relative to successful execution of

agreements; provision of materials and services; and delivery, testing, and operation of

applicable support systems; timely publication of guidance in coordination with Federal

Executive Branch departments and agencies; successful demonstration of improved facilities

and systems to managers and users; acknowledgement of requests for advice/assistance within

24 hours; delivery of products and services within agreed-upon time frames; and identification

and resolution of intra-agency national security issues.
Page 20 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Authorities

The legal authority supporting the preparedness strategy includes (1) the Earthquake

Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, as amended; (2) the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as

amended; (3) the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended; (4) the National Security Act

of 1947, as amended; and (5) Title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency

Assistance Act, as amended. These statutes authorize training, grants, planning and other technical

assistance to Federal, State, and local emergency planners and responders, including courses,

exercises, and other types of assistance to facilitate effective and efficient response and recovery

operations in advance of the emergency or disaster. Additionally, through the NFIP pre-disaster

operation of an insurance mechanism allowing the purchase of flood policies allows individual

citizens to anticipate and budget for financial protection against flood losses.

Technology

To implement the preparedness strategy, FEMA uses the following technology:

• National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS), an integrated

automation system to support FEMA’s disaster mission: NEMIS will incorporate

the CAR and will facilitate the analysis of information collected on State capability;

• Distributed Group Collaboration System: This software will be used to review,

critique, and improve the CAR instrument, analyze and apply the lessons learned from

CAR analyses, conduct State and local surveys, and review the Emergency

Management Institute curriculum; and

• Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership: This established website will

identify issues pertaining to emergency management capability development from

interested parties throughout the world.

Program Evaluation

Preparedness performance will be evaluated through exercises that demonstrate Federal,

State, and local capabilities. The schedule of planned exercises is contained in the three-year

Comprehensive Exercise Plan. In addition, CAR data will be used to determine progress in

improving capability.

Strategic Goal 2.

Reduce human suffering and enhance the recovery

of communities after disaster strikes.

FEMA works with its emergency management partners to develop and maintain an

integrated operational capability to respond to and recover from the devastation of disasters. When

disaster strikes, the priorities are to ensure that the immediate needs of all disaster victims are

provided for and that communities are able to begin the process of rebuilding and returning to

normal as soon as possible.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 21

Strategic Objective 2.1. By FY 2007, reduce by 25

percent human suffering from the impact of

disasters.

Performance Measures. For the purpose of this objective, “human suffering” is

defined as the feeling of loss of control over one’s physical and economic state.

The objective will be measured annually by:

1. an assessment of the percentage of times that, within 12 hours of a disaster, the

agency and its partners act on all identified State and local government requests to

meet disaster victims’ needs for water, food, and shelter. The intention is to coordinate

the provision of these basic needs within 72 hours of the disaster;2

2. the annual percentage increase over the 1998 baseline of NFIP policies in force; and

3. the average length of time taken to provide individual assistance checks to eligible

applicants.

Strategic Objective 2.2. By FY 2007, through

facilitated restoration of eligible public services,

increase by 20 percent the speed with which

individuals, businesses, and public entities are

enabled to recover from disasters.

Performance Measure. The performance measure will evaluate the average length of

time before which State and local governments are able to provide basic public services that enable

communities to begin to recover following a disaster; e.g., access to primary roads, public

transportation, health facilities, utilities, water treatment, and public schools. The average length

of time for the delivery of assistance to State governments will also be assessed.

Each of the performance factors will be benchmarked and monitored during presidentially

declared disasters. The annual average for each factor will be indexed into a single performance

measure. FY 1998 is the baseline year.

One year after a non-flood event, long-term effects of disaster assistance on lives of

affected individuals will be measured.

Response and Recovery Strategy

Major weather and technological events during the past decade have resulted in an average

of 41 presidential disaster declarations per year, resulting in billions of dollars of individual and

public assistance. The statistics, however shocking, do not reveal the immense personal trauma,

 

2

 The effect of unusual situations will be considered when measuring against the standards.
Page 22 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

destruction, and loss affecting those whose lives are forever changed by these events—nor do they

measure the humanitarian response and recovery efforts that come together to stabilize

governments and restore community and individual self-sufficiency.

Response and recovery requires the efforts of many State and Federal agencies; private,

public, and non-profit organizations; and individuals. Following a presidential disaster declaration,

28 Federal agencies support State and local organizations through one or more of the twelve

Federal Response Plan (FRP) Emergency Support Functions. Private and voluntary organizations

provide appreciated goods and services to disaster victims.

All of these efforts are coordinated by FEMA’s Regional and Headquarters staff and

managed by a presidentially appointed Federal Coordinating Officer. The combined response

efforts assure the provision of safe water, food, and shelter to disaster victims and assist in the

restoration of basic, community services from sewage treatment to accessible roads. The recovery

effort aids the long-range restoration of eligible facilities including public roads, bridges, and

hospitals. Such efforts support the restoration of economic and community stability.

Through means such as standby resources, community outreach programs, teleregistration,

information centers, and town meetings, FEMA signifies its commitment to provide, to the fullest

extent that it can, support to its customers. This is accomplished by response and recovery actions

to:

• collect and provide information to the President in determining the need for a disaster

declaration;

• conduct emergency operations to save lives and property by positioning emergency

equipment, supplies, and personnel;

• provide accurate, timely public information;

• gather, analyze, and use data for the determination of applicant eligibility;

• provide, in collaboration with FEMA partners, individual and public assistance for

immediate needs and long-term recovery;

• manage loan and grant application, approval, and disbursement;

• assist in the restoration of communities so that individuals, businesses, and

governments can function on their own;

• manage response and recovery operations to assure compliance with laws and

regulations; and

• provide technical assistance to States.

5-Year Operational Objectives
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 23

5-Year Operational Objective: Ensure that Federal emergency

management support capabilities will meet the following

performance standards, and provide FEMA services to disaster

communities with an increase in timeliness over 1998 baselines.

Lead Organization: Response and Recovery Directorate

Performance Measure: FEMA surveys and review of selected reports indicating the following

performance: (1) act within 12 hours on all requests to meet needs of disaster victims for water,

food, and shelter; (2) process disaster housing applications from eligible individuals within 5 to

8 days of receipt; (3) make available to states 50-percent of the funding for identified

emergency work projects within 30 days of application; (4) make 80 percent of public

assistance funding determinations, on average, within 180 days; (5) close out the Public

Assistance Program for 90 percent of disasters within two years of the declaration date.

5-Year Operational Objective: Through planning, training, and

exercising, improve by 25 percent the Federal Government’s

capability to augment State and local response to disasters.

Lead Organization: Preparedness, Training and Exercises

Performance Measure: Assessment methods will include the CAR; regional, State, and local

self-assessments; and corrective actions identified through exercises and surveys. The

Corrective Action Program Support System will be used to track corrective actions identified

and completed.

5-Year Operational Objective: Increase the NFIP policies-in-force an

average of 5 percent per year.

Lead Organization: Federal Insurance Administration

Performance Measure: Annual increases as shown in year-end NFIP policies-in-force reports,

compared to the FY 1997 year-end policy count currently estimated to be 3,827,750.

5-Year Operational Objective: Expedite disaster operations with

enterprise-wide information and processing services provided through

NEMIS.
Page 24 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Lead Organization: Information Technology Services Directorate

Performance Measure: Implementation of a fully functional NEMIS, having operational

readiness for services in support of mission critical activities.

On implementation of Version I, NEMIS will expedite disaster response and recovery activities

by providing standard workflow procedures, automated business processes, and an enterprise

database that allows dispersed entities to use and share data. NEMIS will interface with

FEMA’s personnel, finance, logistics, and acquisition systems. The system will have the

flexibility to operate as a portable stand-alone system as well as being scalable to a fully

interconnected distributed system for large disasters, including providing a common toolbox for

automated interactions and business transactions with States, other Federal agencies, and

voluntary organizations.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve the timely, reliable and costeffective delivery of telecommunications and data infrastructure to

any FEMA location by 20 percent.

Lead Organization: Information Technology Services Directorate

Performance Measure: Implementation of modernization plan for the FEMA Switched

Network (FSN) by year 2002 to deliver full LAN/WAN backbone services, reduce maintenance

costs, consolidate disparate functions, interface administrative and program operations, extend

access of data services to entities outside FEMA, add new services and locations, and integrate

FEMA’s enterprise data network with the FSN voice network. Delivery of full range of

LAN/WAN and infrastructure support to any location anywhere within 24 hours of a request.

5-Year Operational Objective: Continue to provide exemplary

operational support and services in the areas of security, logistics,

occupational safety and health, and program services for all FEMA

employees, the emergency management community, and the public

to ensure successful accomplishment of FEMA’s all-hazards mission.

Lead Organization: Operations Support Directorate

Performance Measure: Feedback from agency-wide customer service surveys.

Authorities

The legal authority supporting the response and recovery strategy includes these principal

statutes: (1) the National Security Act of 1947, as amended; (2) The National Flood Insurance Act
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 25

of 1968, as amended; and (3) the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance

Act, as amended. These statutes, in combination with the technical assistance functions of other

departments and agencies (detection, monitoring, and decontamination of private citizens and their

property), ensure that Federal assistance to State and local governments will be available to ensure

that continuity of government, provision of financial and technical assistance, insurance, and other

assistance in the form of mass care, shelter, medical and food assistance is available through the

resources of the Federal Government by FEMA in coordination with the other Federal departments

and agencies. These statutes, together with a number of executive orders that delegate presidential

authority and provide interpretive operational guidance, fulfill the function under Article I, §8 of

the Constitution to honor the constitutional mandate to provide for the common defense and

promote the general welfare.

Technology

To implement more efficient and effective response and recovery strategies, FEMA

continues to integrate high-performance technology into its data collection and program

management activities. Resources in use, or being completed, include:

• GIS: sophisticated mapping technology enables high-quality imaging of areas affected

by disasters;

• Geographic Processing System: enables the location of damage sites and floodplains

to be pinpointed;

• Automated Disaster Assistance Management System: supports DFO management of

information about individual and public assistance applications;

• Automated Construction Estimate Software: palm pad technology allows housing

inspectors to estimate and forward to a central area damage estimates based on local

information;

• Integrated Financial Management system: allows tracking of budget accounts;

• Disaster Assistance Reporting and Information System: captures and archives

pertinent disaster-relief data;

• Automated Teleregistration: centralizes applicant registrations;

• Helpline: centralizes disaster applicant information, and is expected to consolidate

applicant information, enabling more efficient responses to applicant inquiries;

• National Processing Centers: centralizes processing of applicant claims;

• Computer networks: connect headquarters, regional offices, and DFOs to facilitate

information sharing;

• National Emergency Management Information System (in development): expected

to make possible cross-references among the systems listed above; and
Page 26 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

• Logistics Information Management System: provides for agency management of

personal property, disaster materiel, and logistics information.

Program Evaluation

Response and recovery performance is evaluated in a number of ways. At the DFO, the

Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), supported by Emergency Support Function (ESF) #5—

Information and Planning, leads daily planning sessions with FEMA, State, and other Federal

agency staff and external partners. These meetings serve as a means to ensure that critical issues

are identified, discussed, and resolved in an expedient manner.

Following the closure of the DFO, the FCO is required, under FEMA Instruction 8610.2, to

submit a report that details the major national issues affecting response and recovery performance

to provide data for improved performance in similar future disasters. (Other agencies have similar

internal reporting requirements.) The FCO’s information is distilled into reports to agency senior

staff, program officers, and, where relevant, to other Federal agency contacts. At the request of

senior staff, group reviews of disaster responses are conducted in collaboration with other Federal

agencies. To enhance the collaboration of all Federal partners, FEMA also provides a forum for

additional exchange of response information among FRP partners.

Since 1994, FEMA has conducted surveys of applicants to determine their overall

satisfaction with FEMA’s services and their specific satisfaction with human services program

areas. Additional survey questions and instruments will be developed within the framework of the

agency’s Strategic Plan to further assess satisfaction, including that of FEMA’s State partners.

Survey methodology includes the use of focus groups and the development and use of interview

protocols and survey instruments.

These and other evaluation techniques provide FEMA and its partners with data from

which senior managers can make informed policy and guidance decisions to further improve the

quality and delivery of the assistance provided.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 27

Strategic Goal 3.

Ensure that the public is served in a timely and

efficient manner.

FEMA is striving to become an efficient, customer-driven organization. We seek to make

customer needs the basis for agency long-term planning and day-to-day management and decisionmaking. Goal 3 underlies this concept and serves to guide FEMA’s internal management

processes. The goal’s purpose is to ensure that customers receive the highest quality service while

the agency continues to reduce the cost of delivering its services. This applies to organizations

within the agency as they serve each other as well as the agency serving its external customers.

The goal is aimed at achieving a high degree of customer and employee satisfaction, loyalty, and

support for the agency while simultaneously reducing administrative costs. This can only be

achieved through a process of “continuous improvement.” This process involves:

• Customer feedback—listening to customers to identify their needs, expectations, and

levels of satisfaction at the beginning of the continuous improvement cycle and after

process improvements are made;

• Benchmarking—emulating similar processes from those considered the “best in

business”;

• Setting service standards—performance targets to ensure quality of service delivery

and inform customers regarding the level of service they can expect;

• Business process re-engineering—simplifying business processes focusing on what

adds value for the customer to reduce red tape, time, and unnecessary costs;

• Customer service training—training to cultivate excellent customer service values in

employees and give them the skills to deliver service across a wide range of customer

types and behaviors;

• Removing barriers—empowering employees to deliver excellent service and removing

managerial and workplace barriers that stand in their way; and

• Activity-based cost management—knowing the real cost of doing business by

capturing cost data.

Action to achieve this goal also includes maintaining a high level of stewardship for

Federal funds, which means improving management controls over FEMA programs and finances.

FEMA’s Strategic Plan is supported by a “Financial Management Status Report and Five-Year

Plan” dated September 1997, which outlines the agency’s actions and plans to:

• Improve financial management systems;

• Implement the Government Performance and Results Act;

• Issue accounting standards and financial statements;
Page 28 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

• Develop human resources;

• Improve management of receivables;

• Ensure management accountability and control;

• Modernize payments and business methods;

• Improve administration of Federal assistance programs; and

• Manage and administer the Disaster Relief Fund.

In March 1997, FEMA reported to Congress on actions taken regarding “Improving

Management Controls on the Disaster Relief Fund.”

Strategic Goal 3 will be accomplished in compliance with laws and regulations that apply

to agencies in conducting their affairs, including those promoting workplace health and safety,

non-discrimination and equal rights, fair competition in procurement, environmental protection,

and freedom of information.

Strategic Objective 3.1. By FY 2007, improve by 20

percent the efficiency with which FEMA delivers its

services.

Performance Measure. Over the next 10 years, each FEMA directorate and office will

reduce the per-unit cost of 2 to 3 major functions by 20 percent each. Operating and delivery costs,

technical requirements, equipment costs and improvements in work processes will be measured.

The directorates and offices also will demonstrate a 20 percent increase in productivity, either by

expanding services or by reducing burdens on customers and partners through such actions as,

improved decision-making, collecting and maintaining more consistent data, improving delivery

time, and reducing red tape. FY 1998 is the base year for this performance measure.

Strategic Objective 3.2. By FY 2007, achieve and

maintain 90 percent overall customer satisfaction,

internal and external, with FEMA services.

Performance Measure. Overall customer satisfaction with the delivery of FEMA

services will be assessed by surveys. Both internal and external customers will be surveyed in

person, or by telephone or mail. The change in customer satisfaction scores will be monitored over

time. An in-house tracking system will tabulate secondary performance measures that include

items such as employee attendance rates, equal rights and union complaints, employee ratings of

supervisors, and media reports.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 29

Efficiency Strategy

This strategy is aimed at improving the internal efficiency of delivering FEMA services. It

applies to delivering service both to external partners and customers, and to the services that are

provided by organizations within the agency as they serve and support each other. This requires,

first, that all FEMA organizations develop mechanisms to capture the cost of doing business.

Second, it means that each organization must identify one or more of its major business processes

and re-engineer them to achieve an efficiency improvement while maintaining a high degree of

customer satisfaction with the service.

The efficiency strategy does not include reducing benefits to the American public to save

money. It refers only to reducing the cost to the Federal taxpayer of delivering the benefit or

service set by law. Much attention has been focused on identifying ways to reduce the long-term

costs of disasters to the nation. This can only be achieved by investing more effort and resources

in building disaster-resistant communities. Reducing costs to the Federal taxpayer by reducing

program eligibilities and, therefore shifting the cost to State and local taxpayers or private entities,

is a decision only the Congress can make. FEMA’s role is to assure that benefits or services set by

Congress are delivered to the satisfaction of the public at the least possible cost.

5-Year Operational Objectives

5-Year Operational Objective: Decrease by 25 percent the average

time it takes to deliver pre- and post-disaster mitigation grants to

States.

Lead Organization: Mitigation Directorate

Performance Measure: Analysis of records in the mitigation grants database.

5-Year Operational Objective: Complete activities for the revision of

the NFIP to enhance the financial soundness and equity of the

Program.

Lead Organization: Federal Insurance Administration

Performance Measure: Completed development of required studies, analyses, legislative and

regulatory proposals and processes required for implementation of the program, e.g., studies of

alternative coverages and rates, and approval/acceptance of key products needed for

implementation.
Page 30 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

5-Year Operational Objective: Working with industry partners and the

Chief Financial Officer, confirm NFIP integrity and ensure that program

delivery efficiently meets or exceeds required customer-service and

other standards.

Lead Organization: Federal Insurance Administration

Performance Measure: Positive financial, customer-service, and other evaluation reports,

including unqualified audit reports.

5-Year Operational Objective: Refine response and recovery

program delivery to effect a 10 percent increase in cost efficiency.

Lead Organization: Response and Recovery Directorate

Performance Measure: Comparative analysis in cooperation with OFM of Disaster Relief

Fund administrative costs. The objective will be measured in 1997 dollars from the 1996-97

baseline.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve by 15 percent the efficiency

with which USFA delivers its services.

Lead Organization: United States Fire Administration

Performance Measure: Cost per user of the National Emergency Training Center, i.e., course

development, delivery, and administrative and educational program support.

5-Year Operational Objective: Provide policy guidance and support

to program offices in developing information technology investment

proposals to improve services and reduce per-unit costs.

Lead Organization: Information Technology Services Directorate
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 31

Performance Measure: Responds to requests for assistance in developing investment

proposals within 48 hours. Develops planning and budget analyses that support improvements

in information technology services or reductions in costs of 5 percent per annum.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve efficiency and reduce costs

by 3 to 5 percent each year for providing exemplary operational

support and services in the areas of security, logistics, and

occupational health and safety.

Lead Organization: Operations Support Directorate

Performance Measure: Feedback from agency-wide customer service surveys; cost savings as

reflected in annual operating and spending plans.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of the grants management process to both better

project costs and close out grants in an expeditious manner to reduce

costs.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: Number and percent of quarterly grant financial status reports that are:

received on time; identify problems requiring remedial action; and identify needs for which

remedial action is taken. Grants closed out at the end of the original grant period; accuracy of

grant dollars projected to be needed for each disaster; declining unexpended grant obligations;

and amount of grant dollars deobligated of unliquidated obligations.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of agency debt-collection and reduce the cost of

collections.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: Referring 100 percent of debts 180 days delinquent to Treasury for

collection; weekly submission of new debtors to the New Treasury Offset Program 120 days

after debt is incurred; number and percent of delinquent debts reported monthly to credit

bureaus 95 days after debt is incurred; number and percent of debtors who owe less than $3,000

sent to PAYCO for collection 180 days after debt is incurred and who owe more than $3,000
Page 32 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

who are referred to the Department of Justice 180 days after debt is incurred; amount of dollars

and percent of outstanding debt collected by each debt collection method; and cost of collecting

each dollar collected.

5-Year Operational Objective: Provide quality financial services to

customers using modern technology to speed transaction processing

and reduce costs.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: For travel vendor processing, 100 percent of completed travel

vouchers are paid within 5 days of receipt by the payment office. For vendor payment

processing, 100 percent of all payments are issued within 30 days, and the number of discounts

lost does not exceed 5 percent of the number of discounts taken.

5-Year Operational Objective: Decentralize and streamline the

procurement of goods and services using the Integrated Financial

Management Information System thus reducing costs of procurement.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: Number and percent of requisitions and commitments for services and

supplies completed at the program office level entered directly into the financial management

system; dollar value of purchases using commercial credit card above the FY 1997 base.

5-Year Operational Objective: Increase use of performance-based

contracts to provide more measurable contractor performance

standards and improve theoverall effectiveness of the agency’s

contracts.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: Number of contracts converted to performance-based concepts,

including well defined, measurable performance-based requirements; and the use of incentives

and improved administration to increase contract performance.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 33

5-Year Operational Objective: Provide accountability by implementing

comprehensive accounting standards issued by Treasury, the Office of

Management and Budget, and the General Accounting Office, which

require financial reports to demonstrate how FEMA’s money is spent.

Lead Organization: Office of Financial Management

Performance Measure: Level of formalization and documentation of accounting and reporting

procedures; timely preparation of trial balances and annual reports for all statements;

completion of audited financial statements for all FEMA activities, including the Disaster Relief

Fund and the NFIP, beginning in 1998 and continuing annually thereafter; preparation of

consolidated accountability report; unqualified audit opinions beginning in 1999.

5-Year Operational Objective: Manage the agency’s strategic

planning process to meet the requirements of the Government

Performance and Results Act and ensure consistency with state

Performance Partnership Agreements.

Lead Organization: Office of Policy and Regional Operations

Performance Measure: Plans in place that meet statutory requirements; PPAs with the states

that reflect the strategic goals and objectives contained in this plan.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve operational efficiency by 10

percent.

Lead Organization: Each directorate and staff office

Performance Measure: Comparative analyses of administrative costs.

5-Year Operational Objective: Streamline and improve the professional

quality of the environmental review function.

Lead Organization: Office of Policy and Regional Operations

Performance Measure: Cost and time required to process environmental reviews.
Page 34 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Authorities

The legal authority supporting the efficiency strategy includes the Government

Performance and Results Act; the Chief Financial Officer Act of 1990; the Electronic Freedom of

Information Act; the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996; the Inspector

General Act of 1978; and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Recent congressional and

Executive Branch efforts have placed a new emphasis on ensuring that all Federal departments and

agencies, when managing their personnel and financial resources, improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of their programs, functions, and activities; and make their operations more

responsive to the citizens of the United States.

Technology

FEMA develops and applies information technology to facilitate and improve control of

business processes. In line with the provisions of the Clinger-Cohen Act and Office of

Management and Budget guidance and to maximize limited resources, FEMA develops

information technology (IT) assets as a coherent, unified, business portfolio.

The core of the agency’s IT approach has been the development of the FEMA IT enterprise

architecture, by which the planning, budgeting, and development of information services will be

organized. The objectives of the architecture are to provide a standardized infrastructure, leverage

current capital investments, empower a more robust exchange of information within FEMA and

with its customers, and to provide a blueprint for specific technology solutions. By pursuing an

integrated agency-wide approach to IT enterprise architecture, FEMA has identified the potential

for sharing resources, for eliminating redundant capabilities, for realizing significant cost savings,

and for expanding the range of services and operations.

To be effective and realize the strategic objectives, FEMA will plan, develop, and operate

the information services in a technical and corporate management environment. FEMA no longer

plans, budgets, builds, and operates IT projects independently of each other or of the agency

architecture, nor does FEMA build and operate them solely by program office.

Year 2000 Compliance

FEMA has implemented a program management plan to ensure Year 2000 compliance.

The approach is based on life cycle management, with each phase of the life cycle having a series

of recommended steps, measurable objectives, and estimated timelines. The plan includes a

project schedule that includes performance measures and timelines associated for each phase and

step.

The effort has promoted awareness of the extent of the problem in the form of guidance and

on-site visits, and provided oversight through the use of a uniform methodology and a standardized

process for project management, assessment, dissemination of information, and reporting. Data

collection and performance measures will be defined and baselines established against which

future performance can be measured. The planned resolutions include (1) replacement of the

present operational systems by the year 2000 with newly developed systems and applications that

will process dates correctly in the year 2000; (2) repair of systems (re-code existing code) that

cannot be replaced by the year 2000, so the system will function beyond the year 2000 without

disruption of operations; (3) retirement of systems, that are found to be redundant; and (4) move

users to other operational or newly developed systems to save on re-coding and development costs.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 35

FEMA has implemented a baseline standardization program that has minimized Year 2000

noncompliance at the individual workstation level. Products in the standardization program are or

will be Year 2000 compliant. Waivers are required for use of non-standard hardware or software.

Information Security Strategy

FEMA information security strategy focuses on protecting major applications systems that

are, by definition, high risk because of the magnitude of harm may result from the loss, misuse, or

unauthorized access to or modification of information in the applications. In compliance with

OMB Circular A-130, FEMA requires security controls in parallel with application systems lifecycle process. Managers are responsible for integrating security safeguards into every phase of

each application’s life cycle to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information

resources used in support of FEMA’s mission.

As FEMA develops and integrates major applications and information systems into an

enterprise network, the information security program must identify and assess the vulnerabilities

within the enterprise network. A formal risk analysis has identified the following vulnerabilities:

physical, remote, and local access; application level control; communications links; and data entry.

Data entry is controlled so that only designated personnel may change or edit data entered

previously. Data entry activities are separate from the approval of a financial transaction to reduce

opportunities for fraud. Audit trails are exist for each user and each transaction.

Because of FEMA’s disaster response functions, the agency must use distributed and

remote data processing, which introduces vulnerabilities through the communications links that

connect these facilities. Data and application protection is needed to prevent unauthorized access

to the systems. To ameliorate the possibility of contamination of data, FEMA programs run on

dedicated hardware. The FEMA Switched Network allows for dynamic routing and redundant

paths through the network, which reduce the likelihood of network communications disruption.

Too, FEMA has established an enterprise security manager position and an incident response team.

Internet firewalls protect agency data from unauthorized intrusion. FEMA also has installed intralata firewalls to protect sensitive data, financial records, and classified operations.

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation for this strategy involves implementing the principles of activity-based

cost management. This means being able to chart business processes accurately, baselining costs

of current processes, streamlining procedures, monitoring life-cycle costs, and managing to contain

costs. These concepts will be applied in all FEMA organizations over the life of this Strategic

Plan. This approach, however, is not currently in place within the agency. Efforts to implement

the Government Management Reform Act and the Chief Financial Officers Act have begun to put

mechanisms in place to increase evaluation efforts to support this efficiency objective.

Customer Service Strategy

Customer service is a key element of FEMA’s strategic plan. FEMA’s initiatives include

benchmarking performance, setting standards, and surveying internal (FEMA employees) and

external (the public and emergency management partners) customers to determine the extent to

which customer satisfaction is improving. It also focuses on building skills and instituting

programs that provide high-quality service that exceeds the expectations of FEMA’s customers.

The customer service program supplies valuable information that assists in identifying barriers to

performance and measuring progress towards achieving the agency’s strategic goals.
Page 36 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

The customer service strategy seeks to:

1. Create a highly productive, customer-driven workforce that provides services that meet

or exceed customer expectations.

2. Institutionalize better and more cost-effective service-delivery systems. 

3. Refine data collection, databases and performance measures for the agency’s strategic

plan and establish baselines against which future performance can be measured.

5-Year Operational Objectives

5-Year Operational Objective: Institutionalize and manage an

agency-wide customer service program that produces a better and

more responsive service delivery system.

Lead Organization: Preparedness, Training and Exercises Directorate

Performance Measure: An agency-wide process for continuously identifying customer

satisfaction and making needed improvements.

5-Year Operational Objective: Achieve at least 90 percent overall

internal and external customer satisfaction.

Lead Organization: Each Directorate and staff office

Performance Measure: Customer service surveys and customer service database.

5-Year Operational Objective: Create and reinforce existing

partnerships, implement an outreach, information, and coordination

program that assures regular, effective communication with those

concerned about the NFIP.

Lead Organization: Federal Insurance Administration

Performance Measure: Survey measurements of selected constituencies, development of

baseline indices of awareness and support, and setting of objectives for percentage increases.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 37

5-Year Operational Objective: Enhance reliability and timeliness of

FEMA’s operations by improving and expanding FEMA-wide customer

services for information technology operations, trouble reporting,

maintenance, or technical services.

Lead Organization: Information Technology Services Directorate

Performance Measure: Response by Help Desk to trouble calls within 24 hours and resolution

of problem on first visit 80 percent of the time. Availability of on-line services at 98 percent;

reduction of mean length of downtime by 20 percent. Customer ratings for timeliness, courtesy,

appropriate mix of services, and expertise of 80 percent. Improvement in accessibility by the

disabled to FEMA’s public information and on-line services.
Page 38 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

5-Year Operational Objective: Revise and coordinate changes to key

Executive Orders, principally E.O. 12148 and E.O. 12656, to support

Strategic Plan objectives.

Lead Organization: Office of the General Counsel

Performance Measure: Concurrence of draft Executive Orders by other Federal Departments

and agencies and signature by the President.

5-Year Operational Objective: Improve workplace health and morale;

achieve full, efficient, and effective compliance with various Federal

statutes that have an impact on the Federal workforce and workplace;

and reduce overall formal and informal litigation caseloads, adversary

proceedings, and administrative claims and appeals by establishing an

agency-wide risk management program.

The purpose of the risk management program is to enhance morale and reduce claims and

accidents by systematic introduction of risk management concepts into daily administration of

FEMA programs, functions, and activities. Compliance with Federal health, safety,

environmental, security, equal rights, ethics, and other generic Federal standards applicable to

the Federal workforce and facilities management will be addressed.

Lead Organization: Deputy Director, with support of all directorates and staff offices

Performance Measure: Reduction of claims, reported incidents, litigation and other disputes,

and non-compliance with Federal workforce and facility management statutes.

Authorities

The legal authority supporting the customer service strategy is the Executive Order, Setting

Customer Service Standards, dated September 11, 1993. This Executive Order is aimed at

improving satisfaction among customers and the public with the activities of the Federal

Government. A presidential memorandum, Improving Customer Service, for heads of Executive

departments and agencies, dated March 22, 1995, required training, changes in processes and

procedures, and, in some cases, redesign of program delivery procedures to improve customer

satisfaction.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 39

Technology

Software, such as the DGCS, will be used to establish the baseline from which to measure

customer satisfaction and to periodically assess progress. The EIIP will supplement direct

information available from customers served by FEMA.

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation for this strategy consists of surveying internal and external customers

periodically to determine levels of satisfaction. The measures will be evaluated through scheduled

surveys and periodic information obtained by the DGCS software.
Page 40 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

How We Will Get There:

Strategic Management

FEMA’s strategic plan is the cornerstone of its management system. The basic concepts of

strategic planning are being integrated throughout all levels of the agency. The purpose of

stressing strategic planning is to focus all agency management and evaluation processes and

resources—fiscal, technological, and human—on achieving a single set of goals.

Implementing the Plan

All organizations within FEMA have specific responsibilities to ensure that the Strategic

Plan is implemented effectively. The Office of Policy and Regional Operations is responsible for

coordinating the agency’s approach to strategic management for the Director. That role includes:

• Guiding the agency’s managers and staff through a process of strategic planning to

obtain commitments on performance requirements of GPRA;

• Involving our partners in emergency management and major constituency groups in

the development and execution of the Strategic Plan;

• Ensuring that Performance Partnership Agreements with State and local emergency

management organizations support the Strategic Plan;

• Insuring that the plan is communicated within and outside FEMA;

• Assigning responsibilities in the GPRA process;

• Monitoring progress of organizations with FEMA that have the lead responsibility for

various aspects of Strategic Plan implementation;

• Overseeing the agency’s program evaluation process and changes to the Plan;

• Insuring coordination with the Chief Financial Officer to insure that efforts to meet

requirements of the GPRA, the Chief Financial Officers Act, the Government

Management and Results Act, and the Clinger-Cohen Act are well coordinated;

• Monitoring efforts to re-engineer FEMA management systems to support FEMA’s

strategic management approach; and

• Controlling changes to the Plan and coordinating changes with all interested parties.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 41

Communicating the Strategic Plan

To FEMA Employees

 FEMA employees have had the opportunity to contribute in the process of developing the

Strategic Plan—both directly as individuals and as part of their respective organizations. Managers

normally engaged in the budget formulation process have been informed of the content of the plan

and they are now preparing future budget requests (FY 1999 and beyond) to track with the

Strategic Plan and the 5-year operational objectives for their respective function. Once the plan is

finalized and submitted to Congress, a major effort will be undertaken in the agency to make all

employees aware of it and their roles in obtaining the performance sought. The Office of Policy

and Regional Operations is responsible for efforts to communicate the plan. This effort includes:

• Preparing a summary of the Plan in a simplified form;

• Giving every employee a copy of the Plan;

• Posting the Plan to the agency’s internal electronic bulletin board;

• Notifying employees about the Plan in the Director’s Weekly Update (FEMA’s most

widely read internal newsletter);

• Briefing FEMA employees on the Plan in routine staff meetings;

• Developing a summary training module to be used in conjunction with other employee

training; and

• Videotaping a segment about the plan for use at remote locations.

To Constituency Groups and the Public

Throughout the development of the Strategic Plan, FEMA has sought input from our major

partners and constituency groups. Interactions have focused most intensely on our other Federal

agency partners and our emergency management partners at the State and local level. Through its

intergovernmental role for the agency, the Office of Policy and Regional Operations will distribute

the final Strategic Plan to Governors of all States and territories and the State Directors of

Emergency Services through the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).

Distribution and presentations on the plan will also be made to professional associations such as

the National Coordinating Committee on Emergency Management (NCCEM), the National

Association of Counties (NACO), the International City Managers Association (ICMA), National

Association of Flood Plain Managers (NAFPM); the National Public Works Association (NPWA),

and associations representing the nations emergency first responders such as fire, emergency

medical services, and law enforcement. The FEMA Strategic Plan will be available to the public

through the Internet on FEMA’s website.

Program Evaluation and Monitoring Performance

When FEMA drafted it first Strategic Plan in 1994, a thorough review was made of all

program evaluation related documents. These included after-action evaluations identifying
Page 42 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

problems in disaster responses to Hurricanes Hugo, Andrew, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The

National Association of Public Administration (NAPA) evaluated FEMA performance after

Hurricane Andrew in a 1993 report titled, “Coping with Disaster: Building an Emergency

Management System to Meet People’s Needs in Natural and Man-made Disasters.” An internal

FEMA Emergency Response Study Group conducted its own evaluation that also summarized the

findings of all other evaluations available at that time. The General Accounting Office published a

report in July 1993 titled “Disaster Management: Improving the Nation’s Responses to

Catastrophic Disasters.” The Congressional Research Service (CRS) summarized evaluations of

FEMA in a CRS Issue Brief in 1994 titled “Disaster Management.” These evaluations helped

shape FEMA’s reorganization and first Strategic Plan which is updated in this version.

In addition to the attention given FEMA programs by outsiders such as the GAO,

evaluations are conducted by the FEMA Inspector General and program evaluation is a continuous

effort at FEMA. After each disaster operation, evaluations are conducted to identify problems that

need to be corrected. FEMA routinely conducts or participates in national exercises or emergencyspecific exercises. In the course of these events, after-action reports or a list of remedial actions

are generated to highlight and call attention to operational deficiencies and areas needing

improvement. Such deficiencies are automatically addressed in due course, before the next

exercise cycle. This serves as an automatic, self-evaluating process for program improvement.

Evaluation systems for identifying corrective actions for emergency management are an essential

part of emergency management doctrine, training and operations.

In addition to these traditional evaluation methods, FEMA will continue to invest

significant effort in the evaluation approach involved in what is commonly known as “Business

Process Re-engineering (BPR).” FEMA will use such processes to streamline programs and

processes in order to improve customer service, reduce administrative costs, increase management

and financial controls, and better comply with Federal laws and regulation. A major training

program in management techniques will soon be started. Program evaluations and re-engineering

are currently underway in the Disaster Assistance Program (the Public Assistance Grant Program

and disaster closeout process), the agency’s grants management activity and the environmental

review activity.

FEMA has attempted to devise objectives that include their own performance statements.

The data collected as part of the measurement process will immediately indicate success or failure

with little additional analysis. The data will indicate the results and program evaluation will focus

on identifying the most cost-effective approaches to getting results.

 Performance of FEMA organizations in implementing the Strategic Plan will be reviewed

formally by the Director on an annual basis with the head of each FEMA organization. This will

be done in conjunction with the budget formulation process before submission of the budget

request to OMB in September of each year. Each Associate Director, Administrator and Office

Director will review their organization’s performance at least semi-annually. The results of these

reviews will be published in an agency performance report.

Re-Engineering to Support the Strategic Plan

To support the agency’s concept of strategic management, internal processes are being

designed to support and reinforce implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Employee

Performance System has been redesigned to more closely connect accomplishment of goals,

customer service, work process improvement, and agency values into the performance rating

process. The Rewards and Recognition System has been re-engineered. Contribution to FEMA

strategic goals and agency values is now the only way to earn a monetary or non-monetary award

in the agency.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 43

Focus will shift to insure that information and financial processes capture performance data

that can be related to financial data for audited financial statements. It is anticipated that the

Strategic Plan will promote changes in the agency’s account code structure, but no changes are

anticipated in the agency’s budget structure. Major changes were made in the budget structure in

1995 to align it with the agency’s organization and strategies for obtaining goals and objectives.
Page 44 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Partnerships and

Cross-Cutting Functions

FEMA’s mission is to lead and support various elements of society in responding to and

recovering from disasters rather than be responsible for reducing the loss of lives and property.

This mission mandates that FEMA’s work be inseparable from that of other entities having a role

in dealing with the consequences of disasters. The partnership concept, therefore, is embodied in

values, strategies, and in cooperative planning with other Federal, State, and local groups and

representatives; voluntary organizations, such as fire departments and the American Red Cross;

business and industry; professional organizations, such as those that recommend building codes,

develop consensus construction standards, and make land-use determinations; and other

responders. The concept of partnerships is strengthened in FEMA’s Vision statement and, indeed,

titles this plan.

Some of the specific, ongoing partnerships in which FEMA engages are:

• FRP. A consortium of 28 Federal agencies, led by FEMA, developed and continues to

maintain and revise the FRP as needed. FRP planning is conducted cooperatively,

through a group consensus process.

• Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP). The FRERP is an

interagency Federal plan in support of State and local governments for responding to

radiological emergencies.

• PPAs with the States. These Federal/State agreements set out long-term goals,

objectives and strategies that address the impact of hazards. PPAs, a product of the

National Performance Review, changed the assistance relationship between the Federal

government and the States to give the States more flexibility and reduced

administrative burden in exchange for increased accountability for achieving

measurable results.

• Cooperative Agreements (CAs). Through CAs, FEMA provides Federal funding and

technical assistance to each State for activities that contribute to accomplishment of

State objectives in the PPA.

• Advisory groups. FEMA makes broad use of public advisory groups to ensure that the

widest possible spectrum of stakeholders have a say in the way FEMA carries out its

responsibilities. The Technical Mapping Advisory Council, for example, reviews and

makes recommendations regarding agency activities related to floodplain mapping.

One of the most notable partnerships is with the insurance industry. FEMA mitigation

programs, which are designed to reduce losses, are tied to insurance. The partnership is necessary

to ensure that FEMA Disaster Relief Fund grants do not duplicate insurance reimbursements. The

Federal Insurance Administration that provides flood insurance in return for floodplain

management is a unit of FEMA; and insurance is considered by many to constitute an aspect of

mitigation.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 45

Other especially important partnerships are those with agencies that help to predict areas in

which natural disasters are likely to occur and in analyzing their effects. The National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce is particularly helpful when

hurricanes and tsunamis threaten coastal areas. The U.S. Geological Survey, a part of the

Department of the Interior, helps to deal with seismic events—earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The National Weather Service shares information as it monitors impending and active events, such

as tornadoes and cyclones. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) conducts

research in the building sciences and contributes to the development of performance standards for

buildings and lifelines.

Mitigation is also seen as primarily a community activity supported by individuals, States,

and FEMA. FEMA facilitates effective community action by supplying data and information

about mitigation, such as construction standards and techniques to improve the resistance of

structures to the effects of natural hazards and disasters, and techniques to reduce the vulnerability

of specific locations (e.g., coastal zones) to disasters. FEMA also facilitates effective local

mitigation through programs to educate the public about the need for mitigation and encourage

local elected officials in vulnerable communities to make mitigation a public policy priority. This

kind of partnership is integral to FEMA’s mission and goals.

FEMA’s partnerships with States and groups representing states are strong as well. FEMA

provides funding for State Hazard Mitigation Officers, who form the core contact points for our

partnerships with States. States, under grant arrangements through the PPAs, have agreed to adopt

these strategic goals in their own emergency management efforts. This means that States and

FEMA will be working toward the same goals, although their quantitative objectives may differ.

Further, the States and FEMA will work jointly to (1) develop a universally accepted risk

assessment methodology—thus standardizing this component of disaster management and

eliminating costly negotiations; (2) consider and implement ways in which to improve

collaborative processes; and (3) establish a mechanism by which barriers to collaboration will be

examined systematically and then eliminated or alleviated.

NEMA and the Association of State Floodplain Managers are two of the groups comprising

State officials that meet regularly with FEMA staff. A formal partnership with NEMA was

established at FEMA’s suggestion, and was defined in “A Call to Action” issued by NEMA in July

1997 and endorsed by FEMA. The partnership team meets periodically to reflect, review, critique,

and recommend relevant and realistic changes to the way programs are conducted to achieve a

more effective national mitigation capability.

FEMA has leadership responsibility for the nation’s emergency management system, which

includes Federal agencies as partners. Emergency management roles are specified for all agencies

in various executive orders, especially EO 12656. Disaster response and recovery roles cross-cut

28 Federal agencies and the Red Cross, which participates with FEMA in disaster operations

guided by the FRP. Great effort is made before disaster strikes to ensure that every agency

understands its role and that unnecessary duplication is eliminated and not overlapping.

The U.S. Fire Administration works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing

and Development in support of improved fire safety in manufactured housing; NIST in efforts to

improve fire and life safety through advanced research and development; the National Fire

Protection Association, in support of codes and standards development, a major tool in mitigating

the effect of fire in the United States; the Consumer Products Safety Commission in identifying

consumer products experiencing fire problems and taking actions; and the National Association of

State Fire Marshals, which serves as a liaison between Federal interests and the men and women

providing a wide range of emergency services in virtually every community in the United States;

and with major groups representing the fire community. NFIRS represents one of the most

successful Federal, State, and local partnerships. It is managed through a partnership between the
Page 46 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Fire Administration and the National Fire Information Council, an organization comprising State

and Metropolitan Fire Department NFIRS program managers.

FEMA has reviewed the strategic plans of 15 Federal agencies having major roles related to

emergency management. Several have identified their disaster-related roles. None of the plans

duplicates or adversely overlaps FEMA functions. Agencies either identify distinctly different

functions, which contribute in a partnership to the emergency management mission, or they

complement FEMA objectives. A summary of the analysis of agency plans is available on request.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 47
Page 48 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

External Factors

Many challenges must be overcome before the vision of a “Partnership for a Safer Future”

becomes a reality.

The first challenge is the effectiveness of the emergency management partnership. How

well the entire emergency management community functions will affect FEMA’s ability to meet

the goals and objectives stated in this plan. Although FEMA provides leadership and coordination,

State and local governments are ultimately responsible for protecting their citizens from harm.

Only when their capability and resources are not adequate to respond to a disaster does the State

turn to the Federal Government for assistance; and only then does FEMA step in to coordinate the

Federal response and provide recovery services. For example, decisions about land-use and the

adoption and enforcement of building codes are generally made at the local and State levels. The

Federal government can provide leadership to increase awareness of the need to adopt and enforce

sound measures, provide incentives and limited funding, and lead by example with regard to

mitigating Federal facilities. Individuals, businesses, and community officials, however, are

ultimately responsible for the zoning and building practices that will reduce or increase the

potential for a community to be damaged by a disaster.

The second challenge is the availability of resources. Like the Federal government, State

and local government resources are being stretched and are in growing demand. The ability of

State and local governments to effectively carry out preparedness, mitigation, response, and

recovery responsibilities may be diminished and require them to increasingly turn to the Federal

Government for assistance. The continued support of the Administration and Congress will be

necessary to ensure that significant downsizing in the Federal government does not impact its

ability to carry out its emergency management responsibilities. Resource levels of FEMA to plan

and execute its mission may shrink, or at best, may remain constant. This opens the possibility of

severe impacts on FEMA operations and ultimately on our customers. If FEMA’s full-time

personnel resources are reduced further, the agency’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to

major unforeseen events may become impaired.

The third challenge in achieving the goals and objectives of this strategic plan is the

frequency and magnitude of disasters. FEMA’s response and recovery objectives are based on

“typical” disasters, not on extraordinary or historically unprecedented ones. At every level of

government, many of the individuals who are preparing for disasters or trying to mitigate their

effects are the same individuals that must stop their work and respond on an emergency basis.

Many of the individuals who are working to re-engineer plans and processes must give first

priority to the operational requirements of the crisis of the day. By its very nature, emergency

management requires shifting resources to insure that the current disaster operation is well served.

It is very difficult to predict the level of effort available to build and improve the performance and

efficiency of the national emergency management partnership when resources remain constant or

decrease when the disaster operations workload seems ever increasing and compounding.

The fourth challenge relates to new systems development. One of the major ways that

FEMA has succeeded in reducing administrative costs is to capitalize on new technology to reduce

labor costs and speed up business processes. This often requires an increased short-term

investment in hardware and software to get a longer-term savings. Major investment in new

electronic systems, such as those underway at FEMA, often require many years to amortize and

return savings. Anticipated efficiency gains contained in this plan are built on many assumptions

regarding the time required and costs associated with new systems development and

implementation. Although these assumptions and objectives are reasonable, a great deal of
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 49

uncertainty and risk are associated with them. Efforts to overcome these uncertainties include

expanding management controls in the development process, expanding the use of outside experts,

involving users extensively in identifying systems requirements, making maximum use of off-theshelf software, using state-of-the-art development tools and processes, and using third party

evaluation and cost estimates.
Page 50 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Conclusion

FEMA has an important place in our governmental system. The preamble to the

Constitution specifies the duty of the Federal Government to “promote the general Welfare” of

citizens. In helping communities to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the horrific

consequences of disasters, FEMA plays a central role in promoting the general welfare.

Even though nature’s fury cannot be controlled, we know how to reduce the potential for

tragic losses from natural hazards and the disruption of families and communities. As new

knowledge emerges and technologies evolve, we will continue to do it better. This plan and its

integration into all management systems and decisions at FEMA focuses our efforts on that priority

and on the outcomes that Americans expect from their emergency management system: protection

of lives and property, reduction of human suffering, help for communities to recover, and fast,

high-quality service.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 51
Page 52 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Appendix A:

FEMA Regional Offices
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 53
Page 54 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Appendix B:

Development of the Plan

When James L. Witt was sworn in as FEMA Director in April 1993, through direct

consultations with our State and local partners, he established a vision for emergency management,

an agency mission and goals that were reflected in the first-ever FEMA Strategic Plan, published in

1994.

Also in 1994, as a result of the Vice President’s National Performance Review, FEMA

moved to implement Performance Partnership Agreements (PPAs) with the States. As part the

PPA process, nomenclature and definitions used were consistent with the Government

Performance and Results Act, and grants to the States were tied directly to FEMA’s strategic goals

and objectives.

During the development of this Strategic Plan, training was provided to ensure consistency

and a common approach. Over 300 individuals in the States and in FEMA headquarters and

regions received training on the principles of strategic planning and development of performance

measures.

The updated draft plan, dated May 15, 1997, was distributed to 50 States, 20 outside

constituent organizations, 55 emergency management officials, 32 Federal agency GPRA points of

contact, and approximately 2,400 FEMA employees. Consultations were held with the Consumer

Product Safety Commission, Small Business Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and

the Environmental Protection Agency. The draft plan was also posted on the FEMA Website; 591

individuals logged on and called up the plan. The availability of the plan was also announced to

the FEMA Internet news distribution list, including 2,700 organizations and individuals around the

world.

Distribution of the May 15, 1997 draft plan was made to the following U. S. House of

Representatives Committees: Appropriations Subcommittee on HUD, VA and Independent

Agencies; the Transportation and Infrastructure, Full Committee and Water Resources

Subcommittee; and Science. Distribution was also made to the following U.S. Senate Committees:

Appropriations, Full Committee and Subcommittee on HUD, VA and Independent Agencies;

Environment and Public Works; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Government Affairs; and

Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

A total of 52 comments were received on the draft plan. Commentors included 13 Federal

departments and agencies; 11 States; 4 localities; 8 private organizations; 1 business/commercial

interest; and 15 individuals. Comments were also received from, and discussions held with, the

General Accounting Office and the U.S. House of Representatives staff.

The comments indicated general concurrence with the vision, mission, goals, objectives

and strategies set forth. Major issues raised in collaborative discussions included the need for

greater specificity in the discussion of performance measures, strategies, program evaluation, and

major management issues. Based on the discussions, further detail was provided in the final

version of the plan.

This Strategic Plan was developed internally by FEMA managers and employees. Some

contractor assistance for training was provided.
Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997 Page 55

Appendix C:

Resources

Introduction

This Appendix describes the general level of resources that FEMA expects to devote to

various strategies to meet strategic goals. The precise funding for any year in the future is

unknown at this time. Therefore, it is impossible to predict the resource allocation over the

complete life of the Strategic Plan. The Annual Performance Plan submitted with the President’s

budget request to Congress will outline the anticipated distribution of resources by Strategic Goal,

Strategy, 5-year Operational Objective, and Annual Performance Goal for that budget year. The

approximate percentage of resources presented below provide a general perspective of how the

President’s request to Congress for FEMA for FY 1998 supports each Strategic Goal and Strategy.

These percentages will change to reflect the budget actually passed by Congress, and approved

spending plans.

Goal 1

Mitigation

For FY 1998, approximately 17 percent of FEMA’s total workyears (less temporary

workyears supported by the Disaster Relief Fund) are devoted to the mitigation strategy. Skills

required to carry out the strategy include engineering (hydraulic and structural), land-use planning,

earth science (geology, geophysics, seismology), modeling, and geographic information system

computer skills.

Approximately 15 percent of FY 1998 Emergency Management Planning Assistance

(EMPA) funding will be allocated to carry out the mitigation strategy.

Preparedness

For FY 1998, approximately 35 percent of FEMA’s total workyears (less temporary

workyears supported by the Disaster Relief Fund) are devoted to the preparedness strategy. Skills

required to carry out the strategy include emergency management planning, exercise design and

evaluation, technical knowledge in the health effects and protective measures associated with

hazardous materials (e.g. nuclear, biological, and chemical agents), safety concerns related to

nuclear power plants and chemical weapons disposal, disaster response and recovery operations,

training design and delivery, and customer service principles and techniques.

Approximately 78 percent of EMPA funding will be allocated to carry out the preparedness

strategy.
Page 56 Strategic Plan, September 30, 1997

Goal 2

Response and Recovery

For FY 1998, approximately 43 percent of FEMA’s total workyears (less temporary

workyears supported by the Disaster Relief Fund) are devoted to the response and recovery

strategy. Additional workyears for disaster reserve employees are supported by the Disaster Relief

Fund. Skills required to carry out the response and recovery strategy include intergovernmental,

interagency, and media relations; management of temporary work teams; ability to provide

customer service; and specialized skills, such as those required for incident command, emergency

operations, disaster field operations, logistics, and urban search and rescue.

 Approximately 6 percent of total EMPA funding will be allocated to carry out this

strategy. In addition, the Disaster Relief Fund and the Emergency Food and Shelter appropriations

will be devoted to this strategy.

Goal 3

Efficiency and Customer Service

It is estimated that approximately 5 percent of FEMA workyears will be associated with

efforts to improve operating efficiency and customer service.