National Disaster Recovery Framework Strengthening Disaster Recovery for the Nation September 2011 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Page ii National Disaster Recovery Framework TABLE OF CONTENTS. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION, PAGE 3. PURPOSE OF THE FRAMEWORK, PAGE 5. CORE PRINCIPLES, PAGE 9. ACHIEVING DISASTER RECOVERY, PAGE 13. RECOVERY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, PAGE 19. LEADERSHIP, PAGE 25. RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTIONS, PAGE 37. PLANNING FOR SUCCESSFUL DISASTER RECOVERY, PAGE 63. COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS, PAGE 71. ABBREVIATIONS, PAGE 77. DEFINITIONS, PAGE 79. GUIDE TO FIGURES AND TABLES, PAGE 83. APPENDICES, PAGE 85. Page I THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. Page II National Disaster Recovery Framework CHAPTER 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . Experience with recent disaster recovery • The overall process by which communities efforts highlights the need for additional can capitalize on opportunities to rebuild guidance, structure and support to improve stronger, smarter and safer how we as a Nation address recovery challenges. This experience prompts us to These elements improve recovery support better understand the obstacles to disaster and expedite recovery of disaster-impacted recovery and the challenges faced by individuals, families, businesses and communities that seek disaster assistance. communities. While the NDRF speaks to all The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) who are impacted or otherwise involved in is a guide to promote effective recovery, disaster recovery, it concentrates on support particularly for those incidents that are large- to individuals and communities. scale or catastrophic. The NDRF introduces four new concepts and The NDRF provides guidance that terms: enables effective recovery support to disaster-impacted States, Tribes and local • Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator jurisdictions. It provides a flexible structure (FDRC) that enables disaster recovery managers • State or Tribal Disaster Recovery to operate in a unified and collaborative Coordinators (SDRC or TDRC) manner. It also focuses on how best to restore, redevelop and revitalize the health, • Local Disaster Recovery Managers social, economic, natural and environmental (LDRM) fabric of the community and build a more resilient Nation. • Recovery Support Functions (RSFs) The NDRF defines: The FDRC, SDRC, TDRC and LDRM provide focal points for incorporating recovery • Core recovery principles considerations into the decisionmaking process and monitoring the need for • Roles and responsibilities of recovery adjustments in assistance where necessary coordinators and other stakeholders and feasible throughout the recovery process. • A coordinating structure that facilitates The RSFs are six groupings of core recovery communication and collaboration among capabilities that provide a structure to all stakeholders facilitate problem solving, improve access to resources, and foster coordination among • Guidance for pre- and post-disaster recovery planning EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 1 National Disaster Recovery Framework State and Federal agencies, nongovernmental recovery activities respect the civil rights and partners and stakeholders. Each RSF has civil liberties of all populations and do not coordinating and primary Federal agencies result in discrimination on account of race, and supporting organizations that operate color, national origin (including limited together with local, State and Tribal English proficiency), religion, sex, age or government officials, nongovernmental disability. Understanding legal obligations organizations (NGOs) and private sector and sharing best practices when planning and partners. The concepts of the FDRCs, SDRCs, implementing recovery strategies to avoid TDRCs and RSFs are scalable to the nature excluding groups on these bases is critical. and size of the disaster. The NDRF is a guide to promote effective The NDRF aligns with the National Response recovery. It is a concept of operations and Framework (NRF). The NRF primarily not intended to impose new, additional addresses actions during disaster response. or unfunded net resource requirements Like the NRF, the NDRF seeks to establish on Federal agencies. As responsibilities, an operational structure and to develop a capabilities, policies and resources expand or common planning framework. The NDRF change, the NDRF will be revised as needed replaces the NRF Emergency Support to ensure that it continues to provide a Function #14 (ESF #14) - Long-Term common and adaptable approach to Community Recovery. Key ESF #14 concepts disaster recovery. are expanded in the NDRF and include recovery-specific leadership, organizational structure, planning guidance and other components needed to coordinate continuing recovery support to individuals, businesses and communities. Fundamentally, the NDRF is a construct to optimally engage existing Federal resources and authorities, and to incorporate the full capabilities of all sectors in support of community recovery. The effective implementation of the NDRF, whether or not in the context of a Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) declaration, requires strong coordination across all levels of government, NGOs and the private sector. It also requires an effective, accessible public information effort so that all stakeholders understand the scope and the realities of recovery. The NDRF provides guidance to assure that EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 2 National Disaster Recovery Framework CHAPTER 2. INTRODUCTION. The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) of the NDRF, and to make recommendations describes the concepts and principles for improving the Nation’s approach to that promote effective Federal recovery disaster recovery. assistance. It identifies scalable, flexible and adaptable coordinating structures to align During the fall of 2009, DHS/Federal key roles and responsibilities. It links local, Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) State, Tribal and Federal governments, the and HUD sponsored outreach sessions in private sector and nongovernmental and each of FEMA’s ten regions and stakeholder community organizations that play vital roles forums in five cities across the country. The in recovery. The NDRF captures resources, objective was to offer stakeholders from a capabilities and best practices for recovering wide array of organizations and backgrounds from a disaster. It recognizes that significant the opportunity to provide up-front challenges confront all recovery efforts, from comments to the Working Group on ways to a relatively localized incident to a large-scale strengthen disaster recovery. DHS/FEMA and disaster that demands substantial resources. H U D also organized discussion roundtables Importantly, the NDRF is intended to address with professional associations and academic disasters of all kinds and sources, whether experts. The Working Group created a Web it is a major Presidentially-declared disaster portal, which enabled a large and diverse or a non-Presidentially declared incident. group of stakeholders to provide comments The NDRF is a companion document to into the development of the NDRF. Over the National Response Framework (NRF) and is six hundred stakeholders representing local, supported by the ongoing development of State, Tribal and Federal governments, as well detailed operational, management, field as public and private sector organizations guidance and training tools. from across the Nation contributed more than six thousand comments. In September 2009, President Barack Obama charged the U.S. Department The NDRF reflects as core principles nine of Homeland Security (DHS) and the significant themes and recommendations that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban emerged from these stakeholder outreach Development (H U D) to establish a Long- efforts. These principles are: Term Disaster Recovery Working Group (the Working Group). Composed of more • Individual and Family Empowerment. than 20 Federal departments, agencies and • Leadership and Local Primacy. offices, the Working Group was asked to develop operational guidance for recovery • Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning. organizations, which resulted in the creation INTRODUCTION Page 3 National Disaster Recovery Framework • Partnerships and Inclusiveness. The NDRF and supporting guidance and tools that follow its publication form the • Public Information. framework of a national disaster recovery strategy. • Unity of Effort. • Timeliness and Flexibility. • Resilience and Sustainability. • Psychological and Emotional Recovery. Built as a document to forge a common understanding of roles, responsibilities and resources available for effective recovery, the NDRF is designed for anyone who is involved in disaster recovery. Key concepts in the document are the need for: • Structure — Provided by Recovery Support Functions (RSFs). • Leadership — Provided locally and strengthened through support by the State or Tribal Disaster Recovery Coordinator (SDRCs or TDRCs); Local Disaster Recovery Managers (LDRMs); RSFs; private sector and nongovernmental organization (N G O) leaders; and when needed, the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator (FDRC). • Planning — Developed during both pre- and post-disaster phases. These concepts are explained and developed in the NDRF. When combined with the full involvement of all stakeholders, along with realistic and well-communicated expectations of desired outcomes, the concepts constitute the building blocks for a successful recovery. INTRODUCTION Page 4 SEE FOOTNOTE