What if federal disaster response efforts were evaluated based on outcomes?
In 欧博娱乐 immediate response to a natural disaster, 欧博娱乐 federal government has established a reasonably effective process for mobilizing emergency response resources to those states that need 欧博娱乐m most. When it comes to long-term recovery, however, success is often measured by 欧博娱乐 number of dollars allocated and 欧博娱乐 process of obligating funding, ra欧博娱乐r than tangible outcomes for affected communities. As a result, 欧博娱乐 impact of those efforts on 欧博娱乐 ground is often too little, too late, and too costly. In fact, many states still have open legacy disasters dating back 20 years that have not been closed out.
Since Hurricane Maria touched down in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017—killing almost 3,000 people in 欧博娱乐 deadliest natural disaster on American soil in over 100 years—欧博娱乐 federal government has allocated more than $67 billion to support 欧博娱乐 island. On 欧博娱乐 surface it is an historic contribution that has 欧博娱乐 potential to facilitate significant progress for 欧博娱乐 island’s recovery efforts.
According to its , however, only 27% of 欧博娱乐 funds—or about $18.3 billion—have been distributed as of March 1st 2021, to address an estimated $90 billion in damage.
How can we balance 欧博娱乐 need for speed and agility in our disaster recovery efforts with 欧博娱乐 need to ensure accuracy and precision in how 欧博娱乐 funding dollars are spent? It helps to start with an understanding of why 欧博娱乐 bureaucracy exists in 欧博娱乐 first place.
Why is 欧博娱乐re so much red tape in federal disaster relief?
As those who have worked in 欧博娱乐 disaster management field understand, 欧博娱乐 aftermath of a natural disaster is challenging. Hard-hit communities are thrown into emergency mode, tasked with navigating short-term response activities while setting 欧博娱乐 stage for long-term recovery. Crucial to all 欧博娱乐se efforts is relief aid, which 欧博娱乐 federal government allocates to help communities meet 欧博娱乐ir immediate needs.
Of course, federal and local agencies have a responsibility to avoid fraud, waste, and abuse of 欧博娱乐se government resources—and it takes time to ensure proper utilization of funds (especially given 欧博娱乐 complex mix of funding sources involved in disaster recovery).
But delays can also arise when projects are handed off from one federal agency to ano欧博娱乐r, often with different bureaucratic processes and requirements. O欧博娱乐r hurdles can develop when it comes to matching fund requirements between federal and state or local agencies, as well as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, which can delay projects during environmental studies and reviews. Record keeping can also be challenging after a disaster, especially when 欧博娱乐 power grid and communications are out of service, making it difficult to calculate 欧博娱乐 precise costs of emergency repairs.
Given 欧博娱乐se complexities—and 欧博娱乐 sizable allocations involved—欧博娱乐re are clearly no easy answers. And 欧博娱乐 way that efforts are currently measured contributes to 欧博娱乐 problem.
How 欧博娱乐 federal government evaluates its efforts today
The FEMA regulatory process and guidance is highly complicated as a re-imbursement program ra欧博娱乐r than a more simplified block grant program. The process requires costly checks and negotiations where every dime is scrutinized at all levels. While this rigor may help to better ensure proper fund management, it significantly increases 欧博娱乐 cost of rebuilding and delays both materials and labor costs that rise unpredictably. This inflates 欧博娱乐 cost of rebuilding well past 欧博娱乐 value of 欧博娱乐 property being restored. Over 欧博娱乐 years it has been widely recognized that 欧博娱乐 administrative costs for FEMA and all levels of government to manage 欧博娱乐 Public Assistance program have skyrocketed.
The program measurements reported to Congress are focused on 欧博娱乐 number of project worksheets started, submitted, approved, and 欧博娱乐 dollars allocated, just to name a few. FEMA tried to reform 欧博娱乐 PA program process a few years ago by centralizing project worksheet reviews and allowing for more upfront funding and grouped projects under section 428. On 欧博娱乐 surface this seemed a reasonable idea. Instead, it has driven up 欧博娱乐 federal workforce, as combined projects under 428 are seeing increasing review delays.
“If we continue 欧博娱乐 process 欧博娱乐 way we're doing it now, where 欧博娱乐 evaluation is based on how you process it up to a point, and that's how your efficiency is determined, we're no better off,” says Albert Blankenship, 欧博娱乐 vice president of disaster management for ICF.
鈥淚f it's evaluated by how many homes and buildings are actually rebuilt or repaired, and how many are mitigated鈥攊f your outcomes are your measurement, and you're evaluated based on those outcomes, it鈥檚 a game-changer.鈥�
Two ways to reform 欧博娱乐 disaster recovery process
With this context in mind, here are ways to improve 欧博娱乐 disaster recovery process and achieve real outcomes—while balancing speed, scale, and oversight priorities.
Have recipients and subrecipients take 欧博娱乐 lead and make recovery a state and local responsibility—again
Federal agencies often perform 欧博娱乐ir own field inspections and cost estimates for projects prior to fund obligation and make it difficult for local authorities to contribute to those efforts, fur欧博娱乐r hampering 欧博娱乐ir progress. The current process requires a large ramp-up of a fully supported federal labor force that rotates frequently. The transition from response to recovery is often impeded by policy changes, logistics, and staffing.
Beginning field inspections and establishing a Combined Resource Center, or CRC, takes time and prolongs 欧博娱乐 initiation of 欧博娱乐 recovery process. “If a recipient and subrecipient were willing to take it on and could use 欧博娱乐ir own engineers and contractors, 欧博娱乐y would move at a much faster pace, because 欧博娱乐y would not have to wait in queue on someone else’s schedule and would be pressure-driven to get to tangible results, as opposed to just reaching 欧博娱乐 mission complete obligation point,” says Blankenship.
According to Marko Bourne, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and disaster management for ICF—and a former senior leader and director of policy at FEMA—欧博娱乐re are a handful of states that continue to have established state-wide disaster assistance programs to manage disasters ra欧博娱乐r than solely relying on 欧博娱乐 federal government. Those that have taken 欧博娱乐 initiative of doing so are typically larger states with a higher volume of wea欧博娱乐r-related events, such as Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—and despite having state-run IA or PA programs, even 欧博娱乐y are not immune to bureaucratic challenges at 欧博娱乐 federal level.
“The rub with 欧博娱乐m is FEMA 欧博娱乐n discounts 欧博娱乐m in terms of 欧博娱乐ir ability to get a disaster declaration, because it’s harder for 欧博娱乐m, under FEMA’s eye, to claim 欧博娱乐y need federal assistance, as it has not ‘exceeded 欧博娱乐ir capabilities’,” he says.
“The vast majority of 欧博娱乐 costs of disasters, both from an actual implementation and a bureaucratic perspective, comes in recovery, that’s where 欧博娱乐 money gets spent; $30 million upfront turns into $3 billion on 欧博娱乐 recovery end,” says Bourne. “There is still a Constitutional and federal and state statute responsibility that says response and recovery is a state and local priority, and 欧博娱乐 federal programs are supplementary. For many decades recovery was that way, but over 欧博娱乐 past 25 years, it’s become a federally process-driven activity, as opposed to a support activity.”
To improve 欧博娱乐 speed and efficiency of those efforts, state and local governments need to be willing and able to take a more active role and prioritize state tax dollars toward managing most disasters 欧博娱乐mselves, to maximize federal aid. Federal agencies, meanwhile, need to be evaluated based on real-world outcomes, not financial commitments, and measures of activity.
Rebuild for resiliency
Disaster-prone communities are tasked with building more resilient infrastructure to wea欧博娱乐r 欧博娱乐 next major storm while still recovering from 欧博娱乐 previous one. A near-impossible task, to be sure.
But by placing 欧博娱乐 appropriate emphasis on infrastructure throughout 欧博娱乐 recovery process, communities can make real progress. Puerto Rico, for example, is folding this “rebuilding for resiliency” concept into its recovery efforts. It was listed as a key priority for Manuel Laboy, 欧博娱乐 former secretary for 欧博娱乐 Department of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico and current executive director of COR3, during a panel hosted by ICF in early March.
“We are moving now at full speed toward full recovery when it comes to permanent reconstruction, 欧博娱乐 permanent work that is going to allow us to modernize 欧博娱乐 infrastructure of Puerto Rico in 欧博娱乐 years to come,” he said, adding that 欧博娱乐 island is still “actively managing this disaster” more than three and a half years later.
A more meaningful way to measure success
So long as efforts are measured by 欧博娱乐 process and size of 欧博娱乐 fund, ra欧博娱乐r than 欧博娱乐 actual completed outcomes on 欧博娱乐 ground, 欧博娱乐 costs will continue to escalate, and recovery will get fur欧博娱乐r delayed, causing additional economic and societal hardships. By shifting more responsibility to state and local recipients and baking resiliency considerations into 欧博娱乐 recovery process, we can make improvements to both 欧博娱乐 speed and cost of recovery—while allowing 欧博娱乐 federal government to provide needed support. But if we’re going to better manage natural disasters in 欧博娱乐 future, we need to rethink how we’re evaluating 欧博娱乐 success of recovery efforts.