Additional Guidance for Step 2

What are some additional key resources I could read to learn more?

• Planning for Hazards Land Use: Post-Disaster Building Moratorium Tool and Model Ordinance
• FEMA Community Disaster Recovery Planning Course, Recovery Coordination
• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) Long-Term Recovery Manual
• FEMA Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
• APA Model Recovery Ordinance

Who Should Lead Community Recovery?

Communities may choose to appoint or select two or more “leaders.” In such cases, one of these persons provides leadership for the day-to-day management of the recovery program. This would be a person with the necessary experience, like the city manager, county administrator, or community planning director. The other individual would act as the public face of the recovery effort. This would also be a person of respect and authority, and might be the mayor or county administrator, but could just as easily be drawn from the private sector.

Certain community members may be best-positioned or qualified to serve as recovery leaders. In some cases, but not all, the head of the community (i.e., Mayor, Head County Commissioner, etc.) is this person. Very often, however, recovery leadership is delegated to some other official. The selection of that person will differ by the nature of the disaster, and of the impacts that make recovery necessary. Where impacts are primarily economic, for instance, a leader may be recruited from the business or nonprofit sector.

What are the Qualities of an Effective Recovery Leader?

A recovery leader is someone who is characterized by the following qualities and traits:

• Residency and Availability: Recovery leadership should come from within the community and be willing to take on a long-term commitment. Although this may not be a ‘full-time’ job, it is likely to require several hours each week.
• Political and Public Confidence: A good leader must be able to direct and execute recovery, which requires political support and community recognition.
• Trustworthiness and Accountability: Community members will only follow the will and advice of a leader considered to be acting within the community’s best interests and not their own or those of their organization, political party, or company.
• Experience, Aptitude, and Attitude: A recovery leader needs management and community development skill sets, an ability to think strategically, and the patience, persistence, and understanding to work with a broad stakeholder audience.
• Ability to Drive Collaboration: Collaborative leaders are catalysts. They shed the authority or stature they hold in the outside world and assume the role of facilitator. In doing so, they more effectively foster openness, dialogue, and deliberation within the group. Collaboration works because it empowers participants and creates a sense of ownership and buy-in within the group. Decisions are a product of the group's efforts. Collaborative leaders understand this intuitively and promote the process by sharing inspiring visions, focusing on results, strengthening relationships, being open and inclusive, bringing out the best in others, and celebrating achievement.
• Ability to Motivate and Inspire: Motivational leaders have vision, integrity, courage, realistic expectations, and a sense of responsibility. Good leaders establish a sense of hope when it otherwise seems as if there is none.

How is a Recovery Leader Appointed?

Whether or not pre-disaster plans or local ordinances dictate the identity of the recovery leader, it will often be necessary for the chief elected official or local governing board to appoint this person. The appointment process should follow the same guidelines outlined in local ordinances that cover other officer appointments.

How does the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act Guide the Selection of a Recovery Leader?

Designation of a disaster agency under the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, 24-33.5-700, C.R.S., commonly involves designating an emergency manager for the jurisdiction. However, the act does not outline any specific recovery functions or requirements, nor does it define organizational reporting or hierarchy. This has resulted in several different models throughout the State. Responsibility for establishing a recovery leadership arrangement rests with the County Commissioners in each County and with municipal boards who determine the best structure given the recovery required. A few variations that are common in Colorado include:

• Recovery functions are embedded as part of the Office of Emergency Management.
• A designated Recovery Manager exists within the Office of Emergency Management or another county/municipal department.
• A Recovery Manager is appointed by the Board of Commissioners / Municipal Board on a temporary or full-time basis.

The chosen format should be formalized by resolution or city/county code and job descriptions created to ensure roles and responsibilities are clear.

What are the Primary Responsibilities of a Recovery Leader?

Identify coordination needs and lead the formation of a recovery coordination body.

• Manage the recovery aspect of damage and needs assessments, and ensure reporting (e.g., situation reports) represent recovery needs.
• Officially kick off your community’s long-term disaster recovery effort.
• Lead regular meetings with your community and the disaster recovery committee or team.
• Implement and manage the day-to-day activities of the community recovery program.
• Provide a single point of contact for state and Federal recovery staff.
• Serve as the public spokesperson for the recovery program.
• Track and manage community recovery projects.
• Assess and reassess community recovery goals and priorities.
• Establish partnerships with your community.

What are the goals of a recovery organization?

Some examples of recovery coordination goals include:

• Provide a common and centralized operational view of the ongoing recovery.
• Provide a structure through which stakeholders can participate or find representation.
• Enable the collection and sharing of information and resources.
• Build a cache of technical knowledge and expertise.
• Build relationships and promote collaborative decision-making.
• Improve recovery financing efforts.
• Facilitate the distribution of recovery resources.
• Implement recovery plans.
• Enable monitoring and accountability.

What are some items we should consider in our recovery organization’s bylaws?

Like any other community organization, bylaws are written as a component of establishing the organization in order to clarify everything from what the organization calls itself to how activities are officially closed when recovery operations have reached their conclusion. Organizations with more formal structures will require more formal bylaws. If the community recovery organization will be established as a 501(c)(3) (nonprofit) organization, the bylaws will need to be more formalized, and it will be helpful to have legal counsel to assess them.

Items to consider for inclusion in the organization’s bylaws are:

• The name of the recovery organization.
• The purpose of the recovery organization.
• The procedures for and requirements of membership, including the provisions of rights and protections (including participation agreements, compensation, seconding, training, etc.).
• Procedures for filling and vacating of offices (officers).
• The governing structure.
• Meeting schedule and procedures.
• Procedures for committees.
• Decision-making processes.
• Processes for amending the bylaws when needed.
• Fiscal accountability and reporting.
• Information collection and reporting.
• Mechanisms for public participation.
• Ensure bylaws are fair and democratic.
• Make the most current version of the bylaws readily accessible to all members.
• Use bylaws to guide the organization’s efforts. If the bylaws do not address a specific need, amend them as necessary.

What structure should a community use for the recovery coordination body?

There are generally four different recovery coordination structures that are formed:

• Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC): Recovery committees are organized groups of people appointed or elected to make recovery decisions and manage resources on behalf of your community. Recovery committees may be involved in the coordination of activities surrounding the social, built, economic, or natural environments.
• Recovery Task Forces or Task Groups: A task force is a group of individuals with complementary knowledge or skills assembled to work on a single defined task or activity. In large-scale disasters, where the range of issues is too great for a centralized committee to handle effectively, multiple task forces may be created - typically reporting to the recovery committee – on an as-needed basis. A task force may also be formed to provide direct assistance, such as to individuals or households.
• Long-Term Recovery Organization (LTRO): These structures often take on a more active role in the administration of recovery efforts that go beyond decision-making and coordination of resources. Because they typically receive funding in the form of collected donations and in-kind resources from businesses, foundations, and individuals, it is often the case that they operate as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization or are formed within an existing organization that has the tax-exempt status. Recovery organizations typically have formal leadership that includes a board of directors. Recovery organizations will work to assess and identify unmet needs and apply resources from a common pool, to be disbursed on a case-by-case basis.
• Recovery Consultation or Advisory Groups: Your community may elect to create a group that provides coordination of stakeholder input by enabling community stakeholders to meet and provide views or guidance that shape the recovery process. Consultation groups serve the needs of or represent different community members (e.g., individuals, non-governmental organizations, businesses) in the recovery planning and decision-making processes. Recovery committees and task forces may choose to create a consultation or advisory group to work out specific issues that require public input or for which dialogue is desired. These groups may be assigned a specific focus, such as a Functional Needs Advisory Group or a Small Business Advisory Group, or they may act as a catch-all for ideas that are collated and summarized in a way that best informs the ongoing planning and operational efforts.

What is a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC)?

A Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is a fixed, one-stop location for community members to meet with agencies and organizations to obtain information and assistance related to insurance, housing, behavioral health, land rehabilitation, clean up, and grants, loans, and other types of assistance. The State OEM Regional Field Manager and the Division of Local Government (DLG) Field Representative assist communities in establishing a DAC and inviting key state agencies and non-governmental organizations to participate. Agencies and departments that are commonly involved in a DAC include:

• Colorado Department of Local Affairs
• Colorado Office of Emergency Management
• Local housing department or authority and the Colorado Division of Housing
• Local or regional Council of Governments (COG)
• Local and/or state mental health professionals
• Colorado Department of Human Services and local human services agencies
• Colorado Division of Insurance, Insurance carriers, and the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association
• Colorado Department of Agriculture
• County extension agent
• Local and/or state public health officials and community health centers
• Local building department
• Veteran Services
• Local Small Business Development Center
• American Red Cross, United Way, and other non-profit/non-governmental agencies
• Utility agencies
• Family Resource Centers
• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
• Federal partners such as FEMA, Small Business Administration, and USDA

What are some of the activities an EOC may do in the transition to recovery?

• Coordination of documentation (gathering and archiving all documents regarding the incident, including costs and decision-making).
• Archiving of data and contact information (ensuring that data and information such as “time snapshots” of geographic information systems (GIS) maps or contact names and numbers of those participating in EOC activities is captured and available for review and use through the recovery process).
• Conducting after-action reviews.
• Advocating for state and Federal Assistance when it is needed.
• Establishing Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs).
• Helping your community to manage expectations through public information efforts throughout the transition.

Great job! 

You have completed Step 2. 

Onward to Step 3.