Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

FEMA's Logistics Management Process 
 

for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

OIG-10-101 July 2010 
Office of Inspector General 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528 

 

Inspector General 

July 7, 2010 

Preface 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) was 

established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) by amendment 

to the Inspector General Act of 1978. This is one of a series of audit, inspection, and 

special reports prepared as part of our oversight responsibilities to promote economy, 

efficiency, and effectiveness within the department. 

This report addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency’s Logistics Management Directorate’s process for responding to 

catastrophic disasters. It is based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant 

agencies and institutions, direct observations, and a review of applicable documents. 

The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our 

office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. We 

trust this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations. We 

express our appreciation to all of those who contributed to the preparation of this report. 

Richard L. Skinner 
 

Inspector General 
 
Table of Contents/Abbreviations 

Executive Summary.............................................................................................................1
 


Background..........................................................................................................................2 
 

Results of Review ...............................................................................................................4 
 

LMD Initiatives..............................................................................................................5 
 

Conclusion .........................................................................................................................13 
 

Recommendations..............................................................................................................14
 


Management Comments and OIG Analysis ......................................................................14 
 

Appendixes 

Appendix A: Purpose, Scope, and Methodology.......................................................15 
 

Appendix B: Management Comments to the Draft Report.......................................16 
 

Appendix C: FEMA Logistics Organizational Components.....................................19 
 

Appendix D: Major Contributors to this Report........................................................20 
 

Appendix E: Report Distribution ..............................................................................21 
 

Abbreviations 

CORE Cadre of On-call Response Employees 
 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 
 

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency 
 

FY Fiscal Year 
 

GSA General Services Administration 
 

LMD Logistics Management Directorate 
 

OIG Office of Inspector General 
 
OIG
 


Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

Executive Summary 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has made significant 

progress in enhancing its logistics capability and, based on recent 

initiatives, is better prepared now than at any previous time for 

dealing with a catastrophic disaster. Notwithstanding dramatic 

changes following a congressionally mandated reorganization in 

2007, which resulted in the creation of the Logistics Management 

Directorate, a number of persistent issues inhibit further 

improvement. 

The agency has made great strides to improve its logistics 

capability by: (1) increasing staff levels; (2) training and 

developing personnel; (3) enhancing coordination among federal, 

state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and 

the private sector; (4) developing plans and exercises to improve 

readiness; (5) utilizing interagency agreements and contracts for 

needed commodities; (6) conducting meetings and teleconferences 

with logistics partners; and (7) reviewing and evaluating 

performance. The logistics transformation that began in 2007 is 

expected to be completed by 2014. 

Despite progress at the federal level, corresponding improvements 

in many of the state and local governments have lagged behind due 

to staffing and budget restrictions. Another difficulty is the 

inability of the agency’s information systems to communicate 

directly with the systems of their federal partners. 

We are making two recommendations to assist FEMA in its 

management and oversight function. We will follow up on 

progress made in this area during our scheduled Federal 

Emergency Management Agency Disaster Preparedness 

Inspection. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

Page 1
 

Background 

In 2007, the House Committee on Oversight and Government 

Reform requested that the Office of Inspector General assess the 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency 

Management Agency’s preparedness for the next catastrophic 

disaster. In March 2008, we issued the report FEMA’s 

Preparedness for the Next Catastrophic Disaster (OIG-08-34) in 

response to that request. This follow-up report focuses on 

FEMA’s initiatives to increase its logistics preparedness for 

catastrophic incidents. 

Logistics deals with the procurement, supply, and maintenance of 

equipment and the provision of facilities; with the movement, 

evacuation, and supply/support of personnel and services; and with 

related matters. As defined by legislation,1

 a catastrophic incident 

is “any natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other manmade disaster 

that results in extraordinary levels of casualties or damage or 

disruption severely affecting the population (including mass 

evacuations), infrastructure, environment, economy, national 

morale, or government functions in an area.” By these criteria, 

Hurricane Katrina qualified as a catastrophic incident. 

The hurricane’s devastation overwhelmed the capacity of federal, 

state, and local governments to respond and recover. FEMA 

experienced significant challenges, some of which garnered media 

attention and invoked public criticism. Logistical shortcomings 

involved misplaced shipments, spoiled food that had to be 

discarded, and wasted truckloads of ice left to melt. The difficulty 

of responding to such a catastrophic event was a catalyst for 

changes in federal policy and reorganization within FEMA. 

A major change was the Post-Katrina Emergency Management 

Reform Act (see note 1), which required FEMA to lead and support 

the Nation in a comprehensive emergency management system of 

preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. The 

act further required FEMA to develop an efficient, transparent, and 

flexible logistics system for procurement and delivery of goods 

and services necessary to respond to natural disasters, acts of 

terrorism, other manmade disasters, and for real-time visibility of 

items throughout the logistics system. 

1

 The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-295), Title VI – National 

Emergency Management, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

Page 2 
In April 2007, as part of FEMA’s reorganization, the logistics 

function, which had been a small branch within the former 

Response Division, was elevated to a directorate. The Logistics 

Management Directorate (LMD) is FEMA’s major program office 

responsible for all aspects of logistics policy, guidance, standards, 

execution, and governance of logistics activities. 

Originally tasked with providing recovery assistance following 

major disasters, LMD’s new mission is to plan, manage, and 

sustain the national logistics response and recovery operations 

response to domestic emergencies and special events. In carrying 

out that mission, LMD serves as the National Logistics 

Coordinator and is responsible for coordinating with partners in the 

public and private sectors in order to strategically position initial 

and follow-on response resources based on anticipated need, and to 

distribute the assets to the states in a timely manner. The concept 

recognizes that LMD must collaborate with its national partners to 

promote a truly integrated disaster logistics approach. 

Figure 1 shows an organization chart of the new LMD. 

Figure 1: Logistics Management Directorate Organization Chart 

Source: OIG, prepared using FEMA data. A description of LMD’s major component 

units is contained in Appendix C. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 


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Results of Review 

FEMA has made great strides to improve its logistics capability by: 

(1) increasing staff levels; (2) training and developing personnel; 

(3) enhancing coordination among federal, state, and local 

governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private 

sector; (4) developing plans and exercises to improve readiness; 

(5) utilizing interagency agreements and contracts for needed 

commodities; (6) conducting meetings and teleconferences with 

logistics partners; and (7) reviewing and evaluating performance. 

Given the recent initiatives, FEMA is better prepared now than at 

any previous time for dealing with a catastrophic disaster. The 

logistics transformation that began in 2007 is expected to be 

completed by 2014. 

In keeping with the National Response Framework, which 

provides guidance for managing incidents, FEMA’s LMD is the 

National Logistics Coordinator, as co-lead of Emergency Support 

Function #7 with the General Services Administration (GSA). 

FEMA provides initial response resources and integrates the 

activities of the logistics emergency management community, 

which includes federal, state, nongovernmental, and private sector 

logistics partners. FEMA is also involved with increasing the 

states’ planning and execution capabilities. 

Despite FEMA’s recent initiatives, which are described below, a 

number of factors inhibit continued enhancement of the logistics 

community’s capabilities. Although FEMA and its federal 

partners have made progress, corresponding logistics 

improvements at the state and local levels have lagged behind. 

Some states do not have adequate logistics functions, and the 

situation is unlikely to change in the current fiscal environment. 

Another difficulty is the inability of FEMA’s information systems 

to communicate directly with the systems of federal partners, 

including GSA, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers. To address this issue, a 4-year development 

plan was recently assigned new contracts to reconfigure the 

software in a way that would allow FEMA to communicate with its 

partners’ systems. FEMA’s logistics system is not expected to be 

fully functional for several years. 

FEMA also faces internal logistics challenges. As part of the LMD 

transformation, FEMA identified the need for permanent full-time 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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regional logisticians to plan, lead, and coordinate activities during 

disasters and to assist state and local governments. 

LMD Initiatives 

To assess LMD’s progress, we reviewed the following key 

functional areas: 

Staffing, Training, and Credentialing 

Planning 

Coordinating 

Sourcing 

Tracking and Timing Deliveries 

Communications 

Evaluating Performance 

Staffing, Training, and Credentialing 

FEMA relies on a staffing combination of permanent full-time 

employees, temporary employees, and contractors to respond to 

incidents. Since FEMA reorganized in 2007, it has almost tripled 

the number of permanent full-time logistics staff from 54 to 150, 

and reprogrammed 15 headquarters positions to the field, where 

there was a greater need. In addition, FEMA has increased its 

experienced disaster temporary workforce, including hundreds of 

Cadre of On-call Response Employees (CORE). 

Table 1. LMD Staffing Totals 

LMD Staffing Totals 

Type of Appointment Allocated Positions 

FY07 FY 09 

Full-time Positions 67 163 

CORE Positions 184 321 

Totals 251 484 

Source: Prepared by OIG, from FEMA data. 

FEMA has also partly addressed staffing shortfalls through its 

training strategy. Staff rotations were arranged in order to train 

employees in multiple areas, and additional systems training was 

implemented. In 2009, FEMA hosted a National Training 

Symposium called “Boot Camp 09.” This event involved internal 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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and external partners, including more than 150 logistics reservists 

and staff from all 10 regions for predisaster synchronization and 

training. Topics of discussion included the latest logistics 

concepts, policy changes, new processes, and lessons learned. 

FEMA launched the Credentialing Plan, which aims to standardize 

the training, experience, and skill requirements for logistics 

personnel serving in disaster-related positions. The plan provides 

current and prospective workforce members with a clear 

understanding of the specific skill sets and experiences required 

and concise guidelines for each position. Training began at the end 

of 2009, with a goal of having 85% of all disaster assistance 

employees fully certified by the end of 2010. 

Planning 

In conjunction with FEMA headquarters and regions, LMD 

develops plans and coordinates exercises aimed at identifying 

limitations and enhancing readiness. Using lessons learned during 

exercises, LMD works with FEMA regional offices and state 

responders to conduct after-action reviews and implement 

corrective measures. The regional offices also determine likely 

disaster scenarios within their respective regions, taking into 

account the infrastructure, resources, and preparedness of the state, 

local, and tribal governments to respond to incidents. The regional 

offices are the primary conduit through which information flows 

between FEMA and emergency responders at the state and local 

levels. In 2008, FEMA established Regional Planning Teams to 

assist its regional offices in supporting their state, local, and tribal 

partners. 

Despite recent progress, FEMA is concerned that budget 

constraints in the current economic condition will hinder the ability 

of state and local governments to participate in future planning and 

exercises. 

Planning activities are closely coordinated with other FEMA 

directorates that set planning milestones, establish working groups, 

and conduct training exercises. FEMA also coordinates plans with 

its federal logistics partners: GSA, the Defense Logistics Agency, 

and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

Coordinating 

As the National Logistics Coordinator, co-lead of Emergency 

Support Function #7, FEMA relies on strong collaboration with 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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other federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, state and 

local governments, and the private sector to establish integrated 

disaster support supply chains. To improve coordination 

throughout the logistics process, FEMA conducted the first 

National Logistics Coordination Forum in March 2008, consisting 

of representatives from all supply chain partners. A subset of this 

forum, the Distribution Management Strategy Working Group, was 

established to analyze and develop a comprehensive distribution 

and supply chain management strategy. In April 2009, FEMA 

issued guidance for integrating the operations and logistics 

functions at the incident, regional, and headquarters levels. 

FEMA regional offices are responsible for coordinating with state, 

local, and tribal governments as well as channeling information 

between state and local responders and FEMA headquarters. The 

regional offices are also responsible for determining likely disaster 

scenarios in their geographic areas and assessing their state and 

local counterparts’ preparedness. 

FEMA works with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and with trade 

associations to build awareness of logistics processes and 

procedures. Biweekly “Vendor Day” meetings are held to invite 

private sector companies to share information on their products 

and services. 

FEMA also works closely with nongovernmental disaster relief 

organizations providing coordination and support. In 2009, a 

consortium of voluntary organizations active in disasters presented 

FEMA with its annual “Partner of the Year” Award for the 

agency’s assistance to the nongovernmental disaster relief 

community. 

Sourcing 

FEMA relies on four different sourcing methods to acquire 

commodities needed to respond to a disaster: (1) warehoused 

goods; (2) interagency agreements; (3) mission assignments; and 

(4) contracts. 

Warehoused goods are controlled by FEMA and are immediately 

available when incidents occur. However, most warehoused goods 

have a limited shelf life, and may have to be discarded if not used 

within that shelf life. Warehoused goods include Initial Response 

Resources, which are intended to sustain life and prevent further 

property damage. Table 2 shows a partial list of these items. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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Table 2. Initial Response Resources to Sustain Life and 

Protect Property 

Resources 

Water Cots 

Tarps Blue roof sheeting 

Meals Blankets 

Source: Prepared by OIG, from FEMA data. 

To ensure that Initial Response Resources are available where 

needed, they are strategically stored through FEMA’s Pre-positioned 

Disaster Supplies Program. Initial Response Resources are prepositioned at areas with high hurricane and earthquake risk, as well 

as at various locations ready for transport. Pre-positioned Initial 

Response Resources were delivered to Guam in preparation for a 

typhoon threatening the Northern Mariana Islands. 

FEMA uses interagency agreements to access contracts held by 

other federal agencies. For example (as shown in table 3), FEMA 

has interagency agreements with the Defense Logistics Agency and 

GSA for a number of items, including water and emergency meals. 

Table 3. Examples of Interagency Agreements, 2008 

Agency Good/Service 

Federal Protective Service Guard services 

General Services 

Administration Water 

Defense Logistics Agency Emergency meals 

Fuel 

Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement 

Transportation of the FEMA 

Administrator 

General Services 

Administration Contract support for operations 

U.S. Department of Housing 

and Urban Development 

Disaster Housing Assistance 

Program 

Federal Bureau of 

Investigation Processing of fingerprints 

U.S. Coast Guard Oversight of debris removal 

from navigable waterways 

Source: Prepared by OIG, from FEMA data. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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Mission assignments are work orders issued by FEMA to other 

federal agencies that direct the completion of a specific task and 

are intended to meet urgent, immediate, and short-term needs. 

They allow FEMA to quickly task federal partners to provide 

critical resources, services, or expertise. To expedite the delivery 

of federal assistance, FEMA has developed hundreds of prescripted mission assignments with 30 federal agencies (see table 

4). 

Table 4. Examples of Mission Assignments, 2008 

Agency Description of Work 

U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers 

Oversight of state and/or local 

entities’ debris operations; water 

U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers 

Planning and preparation for 

temporary roofing 

U.S. Coast Guard Mobile communication teams 

Federal Protective Service Contract security officers 

U.S. Department of 

Agriculture 

Personnel to control the spread of 

animal disease agents 

U.S. Forest Service Emergency road clearing 

National Geospatial 

Intelligence Agency 

Support for the FEMA Urban 

Search and Rescue operations 

U.S. Department of Defense Aircraft and personnel to support 

medical patient evacuation 

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services 

Medical evacuation of patients 

National Park Service Support of FEMA search and 

rescue disaster operations 

Environmental Protection 

Agency 

Conduct oil and hazardous 

materials field operations 

Source: Prepared by OIG, from FEMA data. 

As table 5 shows, FEMA also uses contracts, which can be 

activated following an incident to provide services such as 

ambulance and bus evacuation, facilities support, electrical 

generator maintenance, and temporary housing support. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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Table 5. Examples of Advance Contracts in Place, 2008 

Type of Service 

Disaster Legal Services 

Hotel Authorization (Intake Management) for Disaster Victims 

Housing Inspection Services 

Temporary Housing Support 

Maintenance of Disaster Housing 

Generator Maintenance 

Evacuation Planning and Operational Support 

Base Camp Support 

Ambulance Services 

Source: Prepared by OIG, from FEMA data. 

In August 2009, we issued a report2 that examined FEMA’s 

sourcing and concluded that the existing decentralized process 

suffered from inefficiencies, including poorly integrated 

information systems, and was susceptible to duplication and waste. 

FEMA agreed with our findings and is working with its partners to 

develop processes to make the planned Single-Point Ordering 

system a reality. Like some of the other initiatives, this system is 

not expected to be fully implemented for several years. 

Tracking and Timing Deliveries 

As part of the agency’s restructuring, FEMA set out to transition to a 

“21st century” logistics system that would incorporate modern 

efficiencies, allowing FEMA to store and ship fewer supplies, yet 

have greater assurance that they will arrive when and where needed. 

As a first step, in 2005, FEMA began implementing the Total 

Asset Visibility program, which is designed to provide asset and 

in-transit visibility as well as electronic order management for all 

primary commodities. 

Costs of FEMA’s Total Asset Visibility Program 

The initial attempt to implement this program cost FEMA 

$117.3 million over 4 years. FEMA transitioned the program into 

the Logistics Supply Chain Management System, or Phase II, 

which is designed to address earlier shortcomings such as 

2 FEMA’s Sourcing for Disaster Response Goods and Services, OIG-09-96, August 2009. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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information transfer, systems interaction, data entry, and data 

accuracy issues while providing data access to federal, state, tribal, 

and local logistics partners. Phase II is expected to cost 

$93.8 million and be operational by 2012. As shown in table 6, 

FEMA estimates that the continued operation and maintenance will 

cost $109.9 million. 

Table 6. Costs for Total Asset Visibility/ Logistics Supply 

Chain Management System 

Period Phase Actual/Projected 

Cost 

2005–2009 

Phase I $ 117,311,000 

2009–2012 

Phase II 93,832,000 

2012–2017 Operations, 

Maintenance, and 

Management 

109,938,000 

Total Costs $ 321,081,000 

Source: Prepared by Logistics Management Directorate. 

Phase II is not yet fully functional, which hinders FEMA’s ability 

to accurately report and facilitate decisions. FEMA has partnered 

with GSA and the Defense Logistics Agency as customers, and 

both agencies have responded positively to the system’s projected 

features. FEMA’s ability to respond to catastrophic disasters will 

be limited until the system is fully implemented. 

Given that the initial Total Asset Visibility project had to be 

directed into a second phase, it is unclear whether sufficient quality 

controls and assurances are in place to evaluate whether the system 

is being developed according to specifications, and whether it will 

deliver what the agency needs. We raised similar concerns about 

other information technology systems in 2006 and 20083

. It is 

important that LMD consult with FEMA’s Chief Information 

Officer to determine whether Phase II is progressing on schedule 

and whether an independent evaluation of the system is warranted. 

3 FEMA’s Progress in Addressing Information Technology Management Weaknesses, OIG-07-017, 

December 2006; and Logistics Information Systems Need To Be Strengthened at the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, OIG-08-60, May 2008. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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Communications 

Recognizing that communication was the single largest failure 

during the 2005 hurricane season, the LMD has taken a number of 

positive steps. To facilitate communication, it holds weekly 

teleconferences between headquarters and regional staff, as well as 

other federal agencies involved in logistics. Several regional 

managers we spoke with expressed satisfaction with recent 

communications initiatives, reporting good interactions between 

headquarters and the field, improved communications, active 

regional involvement, and finally having “a voice at the 

headquarters level.” 

LMD also hosts periodic “summit” meetings featuring 

presentations by FEMA and other federal partners, including GSA, 

the Defense Logistics Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers. These meetings are a platform to discuss ongoing 

initiatives, solicit ideas, and discuss lessons learned. Recent 

discussions have included: (1) other federal agencies’ roles to 

leverage buying power for improved response and lower costs; 

(2) providing emergency resources; and (3) deploying facilities for 

storing and distributing emergency commodities. 

In an effort to standardize and disseminate best practices, LMD has 

issued a number of guidance documents. In FY 2009, it issued 

several guidance documents, including the Temporary Housing Unit 

Concept of Operations, the Logistics Operations Manual, and the 

Logistics Management Center Standard Operating Procedures. 

Evaluating Performance 

Following each exercise or actual incident, LMD conducts afteraction reviews to discuss with supply chain partners any challenges 

encountered, where corrective actions are needed, and what best 

practices should be applied moving forward. Corrective actions 

are monitored, and when successful, incorporated into procedures, 

policies, and training. 

Through face-to-face meetings, FEMA works with regional 

logistics staff to identify areas needing attention, including the 

states’ capabilities. Plans are then designed and implemented to 

address areas of need. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 


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FEMA generators are unloaded from a C-17 military cargo plane in American 

Samoa to help provide electric power to disaster survivors following the 

September 2009 tsunami. Photo by Casey Deshong/FEMA 

Conclusion 

FEMA has made substantial progress in the logistics area, but 

continues to face challenges as it enhances preparedness. In 

carrying out its role as the National Logistics Coordinator, LMD is 

responsible for coordinating with public and private sector partners 

to provide a truly integrated approach to disaster logistics. 

FEMA faces challenges regarding its inability to communicate 

directly with the information systems of its federal partners. 

Because of the importance placed on the yet-to-be completed Total 

Asset Visibility program and because it is expected to cost more 

than a quarter billion dollars over the 7-year development stage, it 

is important that LMD consult with the FEMA Chief Information 

Officer to determine whether the proposed Phase II has the ability 

to support logistics operations, whether it is progressing on 

schedule and whether an independent evaluation of the system 

should be conducted. 

Some state and local jurisdictions’ logistics capabilities are 

deficient because of staffing and budget shortfalls. FEMA is 

aware that those deficiencies detract from the concept of 

community integration. FEMA needs to explore alternative ways 

to identify state and local shortcomings and to help those 

jurisdictions to enhance their capabilities. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 

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Recommendations 

We recommend that the Administrator, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency: 

Recommendation #1: Evaluate whether the Total Asset Visibility 

system being developed is on track to support logistics operations. 

The evaluation should include such functions as 

information technology systems’ requirements, 

staffing needs, and 

coordination with emergency management partners. 

Recommendation #2: Work with state partners to identify and 

overcome state and local logistical deficiencies. 

Management Comments and OIG Analysis 

FEMA concurs with our recommendations and will provide us 

with a detailed corrective action plan, with timeframes, in 90 days. 

We consider the two recommendations resolved but open, pending 

receipt and review of FEMA’s corrective action plan. 

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Appendix A 

Purpose, Scope, and Methodology 

The objectives of our audit were to determine (1) the status of 

LMD’s strategic plans, accomplishments, partnerships, 

performance, and existing challenges, and, (2) determine LMD’s 

progress in preparing for the next catastrophic disaster. This is the 

first comprehensive review of FEMA’s LMD since it was elevated 

from a branch within the former Response Division to the 

directorate level. 

We reviewed the following key functional areas: 

Staffing, Training, and Credentialing 

Planning 

Coordinating 

Sourcing 

Tracking and Timing Deliveries 

Communications 

Evaluating Performance 

Audit fieldwork was conducted in the Washington, DC, area, 

where we interviewed FEMA officials from LMD as well as other 

agency components. We also interviewed regional FEMA officials 

and representatives from federal partner agencies and 

nongovernmental organizations. 

We conducted our audit between January and September 2009 

under the authority of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as 

amended, and according to Government Auditing Standards issued 

by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

Page 15
 

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APH 3 0 2010

MEMORANDUM FOR: Mall Jadaeki

Deputy Inspector General

Office of Emergency Management Oversight

Office of Inspector General

tUrc;:~ &-

FROM: 'David 1. Kaufman ,I

Director

Offieeofl>olicy and Program Analysis

SUBJECT: Comments on DIG Draft Report, FEMA 's Logislics

MmwgcmCIII Processfor NcspoJldiJlg /0 Cfl/os/rQphic

DisaSlers

Thank you for the opportunity to review and eommelll on the Office of Inspector

General's (OIG's) subject draft audit report, As the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) works toward refining its programs, the DIG's independent analysis of

program perfonnanee greatly benefits our ability to continuously improve our activities.

Technical comments have been provided under separate cover.

FEMA concurs with the draft report's two recommt."11dations and has taken actions to

implement them. While we will be providing corrective aetioll plilt1s in our 90-day

response, we provide the following infomlation rclalive 10 the lWO recommendations:

Recommendation I; Evaluate whether the Total Asset Visibility (TAV) system that is

undt.'T development is on track to support logistics operations. Thc evaluation could

include such functions as:

lnfonmuion technology systems' requirements,

Staffing needs. and

Coordination willt cmergeney management partners.

Response: Actions arc ongoing to implement recommendation onc. TAV (renamed

Logistics Supply Chain Management System/LSCMS) has undergone extensive reviews

by FEMA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) executivc Icvels to include the

Acquisition Review Boards, Enterprise Arehiteelurc Boards. and Office ofChief

Infonnation Officcr (OCIO) program rcviews. We have also been ineludt.'(\ in the FEMA

Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

Page 16
 

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acquisition portfolio review process. During these reviews, information technology

systems' requirements, staffing needs, and coordination with emergency management

partners have been, and continue to be, carefully and closely scrutinized. Our next DHS

portfolio review is scheduled for May 27, 2010. In addition, during the course of this

audit, we provided the orG team access to our SharePoint and all ofOUT signed approved

documents and processes. The following documents contain the current performance

metrics and can be found on the LCSMS SharePoint sile:

• Operational Requirements Document

• Exhibit 300

• Acquisition Program Baseline

• Performance Management Plan outlines our metrics strategy and is very detailed.

This document is neither required by DHS nor FEMA. However, the Logistics

Systems Program Office recognized the need for a definitive plan to accomplish

measurement tracking. This document is currently in draft and scheduled for a

preliminary review during 3rd quarter FYI O.

• Master Schedule - monitored weekly by the Property Management Officer and

bi-weekly by OCIO.

The FEMA OCIO has appointed a dedicated Delivery Manager to the LSCMSrrAV

Program. Additionally, we conduct weekly Eltccutive Reviews at which the Chief

Information Officer (CIa) personally participates. We also conduct bi-weekly meetings

at which the project managers, along with OCIO key players, participate. The FEMA

CIa attends and Co-Chairs these meeting.

Recommendation 2: Work with state partners to identify and overcome state and local

logistical deficiencies.

Response: With a long-term goal of creating a logistics technical assistance program, we

have been working with the states to develop and implement the Logistics Capability

Assessment Tool (LCAn. The LCAT provides states an automated capability to selfassess their logistics maturity in five key areas: logistics planning, operations,

organization, property management, and distribution management. We have also created

a Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) that assists the states with the emergency

supplies grant approval process as they determine their needs through the selfassessment.

This is the second year ofthe Demonstration Program/LCAT. This initiative is a result of

the Congressional Conference Report 109-699, pg 162, directing FEMA to develop and

conduct a Demonstration Program with regional and local govenunents ''to improve

readiness, increase response capacity, and maximize the management and impact of

homeland security resources." Drawing upon input from select FEMA regions and

states, FEMA developed a collaborative tool for use by states to help evaluate their

current disaster logistics readiness, identify areas for targeted improvement, and develop

a roadmap to mitigate weaknesses and enhance strengths. As of February 2010, FEMA

Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

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has trained all 10 ofits regions, conducted briefings for 35 states and territories. and has

facilitated 12 two-day LCAT focus sessions with states and territories. See attached Fact

Sheet.

To further help improve state and local readiness, beginning in FY2009, critical

emergency supplies, such as shelfstable food products, water, and basic medical supplies

are an allowable expense under the State Homeland Security Program. Prior to Grant

Programs approving grant funding, FEMA Logistics conducts a technical review to

ensure the state has offcred a viable inventory management plan, an effective distribution

strategy, considered sustainment costs, and has logistics expertise. FEMA Logistics

continues to assist Grant Programs in monitoring and reviewing progress ofthe program.

FEMA Logistics is also working with National Preparedness to publish a Logistics

Comprehensive Planning Guide (CPG 201) to funher suppon state logistics planning and

preparedness. This guide includes a standard logistics plan template, with instructional

information on staging areas, points of distribution (PODS), LeAT, Critical Emergency

Supplies (CES), United States Army Core ofEngineers predictive modeling, and more.

Thank you again for the opponunity to comment on this draft report and we look forward

to working with you on other issues as we both strive to improve FEMA.

Attachment

Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

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Appendix C 

FEMA Logistics Organizational Components 

Below are descriptions of LMD’s major organizational components. 

Office of Logistics Transformation and Initiatives – Acts as the primary LMD 

transformation agent by researching, recommending, and integrating emerging 

concepts and initiatives to enhance the directorate’s mission. 

Distribution Management Division – Manages the FEMA warehousing and 

transportation systems used to receive, store, maintain, issue, distribute, and track 

supplies, as well as servicing material and equipment. The division is comprised 

of the following branches: Transportation Management, Supply Chain 

Integration, Regional Distributions Centers, and Maintenance. 

Business Management Division – Provides comprehensive administrative 

support for LMD’s fiscal, human capital, professional development, and training 

functions. It manages and integrates human resource objectives and formulates 

and oversees the budget. The division is comprised of the Human Capital and 

Training Branch and the Budget, Programs & Analysis Branch. 

Logistics Plans & Exercises Division – Develops and provides plans and 

exercises to the field aimed at identifying limitations and enhancing partners’ 

readiness. From lessons learned during the exercises, the division implements 

corrective actions and conducts post-action reviews. The division is comprised of 

the following branches: Plans & Exercises and Assessment & Analysis. 

Logistics Operations Division – Manages and executes the command, 

coordination, tracking, and reporting for all-hazards operations. It serves as the 

central reporting element for the National Response Coordination Center on all 

logistics actions and operational activities and manages FEMA’s temporary 

housing unit program, maintaining custody of manufactured housing. The 

division is comprised of the Current Operations and the Logistics Support 

branches. 

Property Management Division – Provides oversight, internal control, and 

technical services to manage personal property assets and enhance its 

accountability, reutilization, and disposal. The division is comprised of the 

Logistics Systems Branch and the Inventory Management Branch. 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 


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Appendix D 

Major Contributors to this Report 

Donald Bumgardner, Director 

Eric Young, Supervisory Auditor 

John Meenan, Senior Program Analyst 

Alexandra Vega, Program Analyst 

Kimberly Gilliland, Program Analyst 

Nathaniel Nicholson, Auditor 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 


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Appendix E 

Report Distribution 

Department of Homeland Security 

Secretary 

Deputy Secretary 

Chief of Staff 

Deputy Chiefs of Staff 

General Counsel 

Executive Secretariat 

Director, GAO/OIG Liaison Office 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Policy 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Public Affairs 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Legislative Affairs 

FEMA Administrator 

FEMA Audit Liaison (08-142-EMO) 

Office of Management and Budget 

Chief, Homeland Security Branch 

DHS OIG Budget Examiner 

Congress 

Congressional Oversight and Appropriations Committees, as 

appropriate 

FEMA’s Logistics Management Process for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters 
 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND COPIES 

To obtain additional copies of this report, please call the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at (202) 254-4100, 

fax your request to (202) 254-4305, or visit the OIG web site at www.dhs.gov/oig. 

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