Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101
Step 1: Form a Collaborative Planning Team
Case Study: A Small Community
Planning Team
A small community took the following
approach to forming its planning team:
Who was involved in the core planning
team?
The core planning team was composed of
any department or office that was likely to
be involved in most, if not all, responses.
The five to seven most central people in
this community were: the Fire and Police
Chiefs, the Emergency Manager and the
Planner, and the Head of Public Works.
What did they do?
Studied the composition of the
population within the community
Provided information to create a
complete draft plan
Answered questions about the
community for the draft plan
Provided additional commentary on
roles and responsibilities
Gave information about the
community’s standard operations
Clarified command structures
Provided information about resources,
capabilities, threats, and risks
Gave writers information for integration
Who participated in the expanded
planning team?
The expanded planning team included
responders and stakeholders who might
become involved in a major incident. In this
case, the community used a 10- to 20-
member group that included emergency
managers from surrounding communities,
business leaders, secondary responders,
representatives from industry, community
leaders (including leaders from the
disability community), and community
contractors.
What did they do?
Reviewed the full plan
Provided insights and
recommendations for improvement
Integrated additional perspectives
Agreed to provide additional support
Experience and lessons learned indicate that operational
planning is best performed by a team. Using a team or group
approach helps organizations define the role they will play
during an operation. Case studies and research reinforce this
concept by pointing out that the common thread found in
successful operations is that participating organizations have
understood and accepted their roles. In addition, members of
the planning team should be able to understand and accept
the roles of other departments and agencies. One goal of
using a planning team is to build and expand relationships
that help bring creativity and innovation to planning during
an incident. This approach helps establish a planning routine,
so that processes followed before an incident occurs are the
same as those used during and following an incident.
A community benefits from the active participation of all
stakeholders. Some tips for gathering the team together
include the following:
• Plan ahead. The planning team should receive plenty of
notice about where and when the planning meeting will
be held. If time permits, ask the team members to
identify the time(s) and place(s) that will work for the
group.
• Provide information about team expectations. Planners
should explain why participating on the planning team is
important to the participants’ agencies and to the
community itself, showing the participants how their
contributions will lead to more effective operations. In
addition, budget and other project management concerns
should be outlined early in the process.
• Ask the senior elected or appointed official or designee
to sign the meeting announcement. A directive from the
executive office carries the authority of the senior official
and sends a clear signal that the participants are expected
to attend and that operational planning is important to the
community.
• Allow flexibility in scheduling after the first meeting.
Not all team members will need to attend all meetings. In
some cases, task forces or subcommittees can complete
the work. When the planning team chooses to use this
option, it should provide project guidance (e.g., time
frames, milestones) but let the subcommittee members
determine when it is most convenient to meet.
• Consider using external facilitators. Third-party
facilitators can perform a vital function by keeping the
process focused and mediating disagreements.
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