Disaster Recovery Planning – Toolkit
The Disaster Recovery Toolkit allows communities of every size access to practical state and federal resources that local governments can use to recover from a disaster. The resources are presented here in sections that offer:
- how to organize for an effective recovery,
- how to measure local impacts,
- how to make use of local expertise,
- how to reduce time to recovery,
- how to make the most of federal and state partners,
- how to build resiliency,
- and how to use other communities experiences, best practices, and lessons learned.
The toolkit complements the MACOG “Organizing Your Community for Disaster Recovery” training. For more information, contact your RPC!
Introduction To The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) And Missouri Disaster Recovery Framework (MDRF)
Information Sheet National Disaster Recovery Framework
“The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) provides context for how the whole community works together to restore, redevelop, and revitalize the health, social, economic, natural, and environmental fabric of the community.” This document summarizes the key elements of the NDRF and serves as a primer to the NDRF manual.
Missouri Disaster Recovery Framework Base Plan
“Based on the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), the Missouri Disaster Recovery Framework (MDRF) incorporates proven recovery principles, aligns with the national coordination structure to better address gaps and needs, avoid duplication of efforts, and leverage resources during long-term recovery. The coordination structure identifies leadership positions, defines roles and responsibilities, and encompasses all functions of a community.”
National Disaster Recovery Framework
“The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) establishes a common platform and forum for how the whole community builds, sustains, and coordinates delivery of recovery capabilities. Resilient and sustainable recovery encompasses more than the restoration of a community’s physical structures to pre-disaster conditions. Through effective coordination of partners and resources, we can ensure the continuity of services and support to meet the needs of affected community members who have experienced the hardships of financial, emotional, and/or physical impacts of devastating disasters.”
National Preparedness Goal 2nd Edition
Explains how the different missions of FEMA, from preparedness to recovery are applied across the disaster recovery spectrum.
Scope of Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit App A Chronological Checklist
“As part of the Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit, the Chronological Checklist provides a list of critical actions and allows the community to prioritize, assign and provide deadlines for each.”
Disaster Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit App B Resources and Tools
“As part of the Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit, an annotated bibliography of existing resources and tools provides a CDBG-DR grantee with description and links to case studies, tools, and resources used by other grantees.”
Disaster Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit App C Data Sources
“As part of the Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit, the Data Sources includes a list of commonly available data from federal, state and local resources across housing, infrastructure and the economy. It may be used to locate useful data sets to undertake an unmet needs assessment.”
Disaster Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit App D Sample Methodologies
“As part of the Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit, the Sample Methodologies for Determining and Prioritizing Needs provides mini-case studies, including links, of CDBG-DR grantees that have estimated, or in the State of Mississippi’s case, re-estimated their unmet needs.”
Disaster Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit
“The Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit helps guide Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees through a process for identifying and prioritizing critical unmet needs for long-term community recovery. It is designed to be used by grantees at any time following a disaster. However, the quality of the assessment is directly tied to the quality and completeness of the impact data available. Thus, an accurate assessment is typically not possible for months following a disaster. If during this time, the necessary information is gathered from various entities, the assessment should take into account work already accomplished, community.
Disaster_Recovery Disaster Impact Needs Assessment Kit App E Value Tool
“As part of the Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit, the Valuation Tool for Prioritizing Needs by Sector, Funding and Capacity is designed to help CDBG-DR grantees rank the strength of the community’s key sectors – housing, infrastructure and economy. The tool provides a series of worksheets that allow grantees to rank items and determine overall priorities.”
Post-Disaster Needs Assessment
“The overarching purpose of this guide is to provide technical support to practitioners as they plan for and implement the needs assessment and design the recovery framework. It is hoped that the guide will allow for a consistent and coherent approach to the post-disaster assessment, provide an objective and comprehensive estimate of recovery needs, while facilitating quick decision-making and action.”
This document presents a foundation for increasing individual preparedness and engaging with members of the community as vital partners in enhancing the resiliency and security of our Nation through a whole community approach. It should promote greater understanding of the approach and to provide a strategic framework to guide all members of the emergency management community as they determine how to integrate whole community concepts into their daily practices.
Organizing Disaster Impacts
The document covers the role of project champions in recovery, where to find them, what characteristics they typically have and engaging them in the long run.
Developing Recovery Steering Committees
“Cities and Towns impacted by disaster will find it useful to establish an ad-hoc (non-permanent) entity to lead their recovery efforts. Such groups, often referred to as Steering Committees, are needed because 1) it is unlikely that sitting City Council members have the requisite backgrounds needed to guide long-term recovery and 2) the amount of work involved – in leading a recovery effort AND tending to day-to-day city business – is too great for one group.” This document guides local governments in developing local steering committees.
Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources Guide
This document presents a foundation for increasing individual preparedness and engaging with members of the community as vital partners in enhancing the resiliency and security of our Nation through a whole community approach. It should promote greater understanding of the approach and to provide a strategic framework to guide all members of the emergency management community as they determine how to integrate whole community concepts into their daily practices.
Paying It Forward PDF Version for Print 2017
“The collection of stories in Joplin Pays It Forward provides us insight into Joplin’s incredible journey to rebuild in the wake of mass devastation. Among its many inspiring lessons, the stories tell us how Joplin was able to live up to its promise to re-open completely destroyed schools by the start of the school year; how Joplin worked with a state university to provide shelter, a surge medical clinic, and a volunteer coordination point; and how Joplin was able to coordinate the thousands of volunteers that flooded in to provide support. The authors of these chapters represent every facet of the community—from state and local officials, to volunteers, to the private sector. Because this book is so crosscutting, providing diverse perspectives and aspects of Joplin’s recovery, there is a lesson for everyone. Whether a novice volunteer or a veteran emergency manager, we can all learn from Joplin’s experience. “
–Rich Serino, Deputy Director, FEMA
RSF – Community Planning and Capacity Building
This document summarily explains the Community Planning and Capacity Building Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
This document summarily explains the Economic Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
This document summarily explains the Housing Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
This document summarily explains the Infrastructure Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
This document summarily explains the Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
RSF- Health and Social Services
This document summarily explains the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function including a list of objectives.
A Well Managed Recovery
Community Planning and Capacity Building – The Role of Local Government in Recovery
This document distinguishes between the two types of recovery: community wide and individual recovery and the role of local government in each.
“The lessons shared by managers interviewed in this report provide an opportunity to learn from a diverse group of dedicated professionals who have been tested. They spoke openly and honestly. They shared their stories in a sincere effort to help their colleagues, who may one day face an event similar to their event. They all demonstrated humility. They expressed admiration for the employees of their cities and appreciation for their peers who provided either direct aid or moral support. They represent the values of city management and show how managers can rise to the occasion when extraordinary events occur. Their work is inspiring.”
Developing Recovery Steering Committees
“Cities and Towns impacted by disaster will find it useful to establish an ad-hoc (non-permanent) entity to lead their recovery efforts. Such groups, often referred to as Steering Committees, are needed because 1) it is unlikely that sitting City Council members have the requisite backgrounds needed to guide long-term recovery and 2) the amount of work involved – in leading a recovery effort AND tending to day-to-day city business – is too great for one group.”
FEMA’s checklist for conducting a Community Recovery Planning Process
This document provides a detailed step by step process to working through a Community Recovery Planning Process including 20 separate steps (and their descriptions) through seven distinct phases.
Local Disaster Recovery Manager Guidance for Local Government
A summary of the pre- and post-disaster responsibilities of a local disaster recovery manager. The guide would serve local governments in creating a job description for the position.
Local Disaster Recovery Managers – FEMA
“The role of the Local Disaster Recovery Managers is to organize, coordinate and advance the recovery at the local level. The experience and skill set of these individuals should include a strong basis in community development and good knowledge of the community’s demographics. While these positions will often interact with the emergency management community, it is not necessary that these individuals be emergency management professionals.”
Local-Disaster-Recovery-Staffing-Guide from LMI
“The Local Disaster Recovery Staffing Guide helps local officials and community leaders identify and fill the human resource shortages associated with a disaster recovery operation. It is aligned with the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), which recommends activities that local governments should address—both pre-disaster and post-disaster—to achieve long-term disaster recovery.”
“To recover successfully from a disaster most Towns will need to use existing staff in new ways and hire additional staff, consultants, and volunteers. This form will help you think through these important and costly hiring and management decisions.”
4 Steps to Strategic Decision Making
This document provides information on the key steps to making good decisions in a resilient recovery. Those decisions revolve around: Getting Organized; Understanding the Situation; Defining Recovery Outcomes; and Prioritizing Recovery Solutions.
This document is from a series published by the APA on disaster recovery. It covers the visioning process that communities may use to engage the public. If focuses on these key points: Effective visioning may help expand the window of opportunity to marshal support for change after a disaster; Achieving a meaningful vision to enhance resilience typically requires effective direction and a solid framework for transforming ideas into action; The vision of the future of the community should somehow relate to policies already in place or added to the existing comprehensive and other plans the community has adopted; Building consensus and creating buy-in requires the inclusion of and full consultation with disadvantaged and minority populations.
This document is from a series published by the APA on disaster recovery. It covers strategies to engage the public. It focuses on these key points: Design the public engagement process with the end in mind; Select tactics that invite a broad range of stakeholders to participate—what’s the approach; Framing and reframing—what are our shared interests; You’ve been heard and here are the results—what’s the status of implementation?
This document is part of the APA series on disaster recovery and provides information around four key points:
- Determine how decisions will be made and who leads in local recovery management.
- Clearly define the organizational structure for local recovery management.
- Legalize the authorities for local recovery management.
- Formalize and engage partnerships into local recovery management.
CDBG Disaster Recovery Proposal Template
Used as an example, the content of the form is a good depiction of what funding agencies are looking for when a community is proposing a project and requesting financial assistance. The need, impact, beneficiaries, cost and financing plan are elements common to any funding agency when submitting a preliminary proposal.
Emotional Phases of a Disaster
The graphic illustrates the general progression of the disaster effects and reactions on communities from the pre-disaster or warning phase through the reconstruction phase.
Financial Recovery Post Disaster
This paper is part of a recovery series published by the APA and describes the impacts of disaster on finances and discusses key points in addressing the fiscal impacts:
- Know the various funding available for post-disaster recovery and how to get them.
- Understand the overall damage and fiscal and economic impacts of the disaster on the entire community.
- Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery financing strategy.
- Ensure transparent and accountable approaches to local recovery financing.
Long-Term Community Recovery Self Help Guide
“As projects are identified and developed, priorities will need to be established and a recovery value can be identified for each project. The LTCR team will need to evaluate and prioritize each project. Material in this section can assist in determining the value of each project regarding the community’s long-term recovery. (pay specific attention to Chapter II, Step 8 – Identifying, Evaluating and Prioritizing the LTCR Projects)
Long-Term Recovery Toolbox FEMA
Disaster recovery creates new challenges for communities. Coordinating projects, activities and issues of residents and local government become new priorities. Due to these challenges that arise after a disaster, this ToolBox was created to help communities manage recovery activities. The ToolBox is intended for use by community members, local leaders and state and federal agencies involved in long-term community recovery. Long-Term Community Recovery Process. LTCR is a federal, state and local initiative that provides unique support to communities recovering from a disaster. LTCR is a holistic process that utilizes LTCR professionals to assess disaster impacts, build community capacity and connect resources to support recovery. The LTCR process gradually transitions into a community led implementation process with ongoing federal and state support. LTCR is a community-driven process that helps:
- Articulate a post-disaster community vision.
- Identify disaster-related projects to achieve the vision.
- Identify opportunities that become possible through recovery.
- Facilitate partnerships to coordinate and optimize resources.
Measuring Success Post Disaster
This paper is part of a recovery series published by the APA and describes the necessity and process behind creating a system of measures to indicate recovery success.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
“This planning guide is designed to help local governments prepare for recovery by developing pre-disaster recovery plans that follow a process to engage members of the whole community, develop recovery capabilities across governmental and nongovernmental partners, and ultimately create an organizational framework for comprehensive local recovery efforts.”
Project Development Infographic
The infographic shows the steps in the project development process from the point that project concepts come out of the recovery Plan to their implementation and closeout.
Public Participation Toolkit APA
A comprehensive guide to gaining optimal public participation and tools for building consensus.
This infographic portrays the peaks and valleys of response and recovery and highlights the human reactions to each.
Steps of Project Development – Energy
The infographic depicts the steps of project development in a manner.
Sample Project Plans
The file contains examples of pre- and post-disaster plans in use in other communities. The file also contains a case study regarding one of the post-disaster plans offering insight to the reader on the lessons learned in developing the document.
Douglas Co Colorado Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan
Joplin CART Report to the City Council
Lessons Learned
“Although more governments everywhere are experiencing natural disasters, the process of learning from these experiences has barely begun. Recovery remains surprisingly difficult for all governments, including, in the United States, the local and state governments at the front lines of recovery implementation. What has been missing is a broad examination of government experiences coupled with analysis that can drive improved disaster recovery outcomes in light of shared best practices and pitfalls. To meet that need, this article describes why recovery remains so difficult and offers practical lessons learned from our experience in supporting implementing governments.”
General Resources
Disaster Recovery Funding Links
Resources described in the document contain a wide range of federal, private, and non-profit funding, program and technical assistance resources that may be available pre and/or post-disaster.
Partner Programs and Funding Guidance for Local Governments
The document provides a brief explanation and listing for assistance programs focused on disaster recovery.
“The CDL Program provides operational funding to help local governments that have incurred a significant loss in revenue, due to a major disaster, that has or will adversely affect their ability to provide essential municipal services.”