Post Disaster Recovery Planning Toolkit

Step 2: Establish Post-Disaster Recovery Coordination

Step 2

Establish Post-Disaster Recovery Coordination

Step 3

Identify Recovery Sectors and Build Partnerships

Step 4

Communicate and Engage with Community Stakeholders

Step 5

Formulate Recovery Projects and Draft Plan

Step 6

Implement and Monitor Recovery

Glossary

Quick Links

Step 2

In this step, you will learn how to bring together the necessary stakeholders to create effective post-disaster recovery coordination.

By engaging all key stakeholders under an effective coordination structure, your community’s recovery capacity is markedly enhanced, and the likelihood of positive recovery outcomes increased. Access to recovery resources, including information, technical assistance, subject matter expertise, and funding opportunities are expanded. Communities need to identify effective leaders quickly and determine what system or structure best meets the recovery needs of their constituents.

Guiding Questions

Who leads long-term disaster recovery for your community, and how is that person or persons appointed?
Who is involved in long-term disaster recovery coordination, and what responsibilities do they have?
When and how do recovery efforts transition from the emergency operations center to the team, task force, organization, or committee?
How is the long-term disaster recovery organization established?
How are important long-term disaster recovery decisions made?How is long-term disaster recovery planning coordinated?

Checklist for Step 2

Activity 1: Identify and Appoint a Recovery Leader
Activity 2: Draft and Pass Recovery Regulatory Measures and Ordinances
Activity 3: Establish Recovery Coordination
Activity 4: Determine Recovery Organization Administration Structure
Activity 5: Establish Community Recovery and Resilience Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Activity 6: Transition Recovery Coordination Responsibilities Out of the EOC

Step 2, Activity 1: Identify and appoint a recovery leader

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to kick-start recovery efforts in earnest by identifying, appointing, and empowering an individual or core group of people who initiate recovery efforts and maintain needed momentum.

Tips

Ensure the appointment of a recovery leader complies with state and local ordinances and regulations and is properly aligned with the procedures and chain of command outlined in the community emergency operations plan (EOP) and/or recovery framework (if one exists).
For qualities to look for in a recovery leader see the Additional Guidance section of this step.
Although some recovery leaders may conduct their work on a pro-bono basis, there are options to fund this position (See FEMA Options for Funding the LDRM Position and for more information). They include Community Development Block Grants, community foundations, grant administration line items, Economic Development Administration support, partnering with multiple jurisdictions to fund a single shared position, Regional Planning and Development Council support, and others.

Why?
The selection and appointment of a recovery leader injects much-needed energy and positivity into the long-term community recovery processes and helps to increase support for the community recovery organization.
When?
After the Rapid Needs Assessment, or as soon as it is determined that long-term community recovery efforts will be needed. (Days 1-30)

How does my community do this?

Create a list of potential recovery leaders. Identify suitable recovery leaders if such a list is not already maintained in accordance with an existing recovery framework or plan. Your community’s chief executive, governing board, or council should identify these potential leaders, who are often (though not always) local government employees. For more information see the FEMA Local Disaster Recovery Manager (LDRM) Responsibilities.
Assess the qualifications and availability of the candidates and establish rank order. For more information see the LMI Research Institute Local Disaster Recovery Staffing Guide.
Select an individual who can commit to providing leadership services for the duration of the long-term recovery planning effort. Once a proposed candidate for the recovery leadership position accepts the assignment, the chief executive, governing board, or council issues a formal appointment to the position.
Announce the selection of a recovery leader. Your staff, team, or community should empower the new recovery leader by providing political support through briefings, press releases, and other methods of the announcement. The chief elected official, board, committee, and/or emergency manager further empower the recovery leader by facilitating access to relevant information and required resources (e.g., through integration with EOC operations and relevant recovery-related emergency support functions).

Community Call Out: San Miguel County, CO

The San Miguel County Disaster Recovery Plan highlights the role of the Long-Term Recovery Manager. In 2017, San Miguel County began to develop the County’s first Disaster Recovery Plan. The Plan utilizes an all-hazards approach and identifies the core activities necessary for successfully implementing the recovery process. In addition, the plan describes the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders including the County’s recovery management structure.

Critical to the success is the Long-Term Recovery Manager, whose primary role is to manage and coordinate the redevelopment and rebuilding of the community. The Manager is appointed by the County Administrator or their designee when recovery issues become more long-term in nature.

Step 2, Activity 2: Draft and pass recovery regulatory measures and ordinances

The purpose of this activity is to develop recovery-minded ordinances, regulations, and policies to ensure long-term recovery efforts.

Tips

Tailor orders or ordinances to the needs of your community and the event to the greatest extent possible. Try to include the following in the language: Purpose; Duration; and Procedures/Permitting.
Local jurisdictions cannot create emergency waivers that are dependent upon access to Federal funding. Instead, the waivers must be created to stand alone - with or without a Federal declaration.
Waivers can establish local thresholds that are used to determine when waivers are activated and when they end.
Documenting all impacts is an important component of community recovery efforts. Should the impacts of a local event overwhelm local capacities, the local government may apply to DHSEM for State assistance and the State may apply for Federal assistance. Recipients of State or Federal funding are responsible for maintaining accurate records of the disaster impacts that document and justify applications for assistance and support specific project funding requests.

Why?
This effort should build off of your existing pre-disaster and resilience planning efforts. For more information see the Community Readiness and Resilience Toolkit. It is essential that your community recovers in a way that is equitable, sustainable, and risk-informed. Most local policies and ordinances are created with non-disaster periods in mind. Following a disaster, however, there is a flurry of development that occurs in a time-constrained, politically contentious environment. Disaster-impacted communities need to understand why the disaster happened to ensure any recovery or reconstruction results in net risk reduction. The resulting delays can often conflict with a desire to quickly return to ‘normal.’
Without recovery-minded ordinances, regulations, or policies in place, the opportunity to create a more resilient community may be lost. Many of these legal and regulatory instruments are meant to introduce a more controlled pace of development and some focus on reducing bureaucracy or addressing strained government capacity. Communities need to consider what makes the most sense given the situation during each unique incident.
When?
After the disaster, following the establishment of the community recovery organization, and as needed throughout the course of long-term recovery. Ideally, some of this work would already have happened in the pre-disaster planning stage. (Days 1-60)

How does my community do this?

Assess current legislative and regulatory frameworks to determine long-term recovery suitability. Once activated, members of the long-term recovery planning organization assess local regulations, laws, and ordinances in the course of planning to address any areas where changes or additions to existing law are needed. Legislation may also include special assessments, impact fees, or other taxation schemes that help to support long-term recovery and disaster risk financing. The local government charter dictates how emergency orders, ordinances, and/or regulations are issued, passed, and implemented.
Identify options for legislative and regulatory action and assess each for benefits and impacts. During early recovery operations, the emergency manager and/or recovery leader work with your community legislative board or council to identify and pass emergency ordinances. Prior to the creation or activation of a long-term recovery organization, this helps to establish a foundation for sustainable, resilient long-term recovery. In addition to including recovery-specific provisions in the disaster declaration, this might include access restrictions in impacted areas to prevent looting or prevent tampering with the disaster scene, emergency building moratoria, and others.
Draft, introduce, and vote on recovery ordinances, or issue executive orders, as required. Local executive orders can address many of the immediate post-disaster legislative and regulatory actions that need to occur. An emergency or disaster declaration is often a precursor to such authorities. Ideally, communities will have passed one or more pre-disaster ordinance(s) prior to the event that addresses post-disaster recovery needs and activities. Learn more about pre-disaster response planning and pre-disaster recovery planning.

Community Call Out: Evans, CO

The City of Evans issued several emergency ordinances following the 2013 floods.

Step 2, Activity 3: Establish Recovery Coordination

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to create a recovery coordination organization.

Tips

Recovery planning organizations are much more effective when statutory authorities exist to guide their creation, their membership, and their function. Download a Pre-disaster Recovery Planning Ordinance Template.
Although a local government department or agency may assume recovery responsibilities in smaller events. In moderate to major disasters a new body is formed whose membership addresses a broad range of interests, skills, and capabilities present in your community.
A structure appropriate for recovery coordination may already exist if your community was previously impacted by a disaster, or if pre-disaster recovery planning was conducted.
The coordination team should be a “high-level problem-solving team that cuts across specialties to see the big picture and to understand how the parts fit together, comprised of people who are willing to tell top leaders when something doesn’t appear to make sense, who have good ideas, who can work together, and who can handle responsibility.” For more information, View the APA Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery Guide (Pages 127-128).
Function- or sector-specific structures may be formed to address more specific planning and decision-making needs.

Why?
Communities establish recovery coordination organizations to better organize the complex elements and activities associated with disaster recovery, and to enable the necessary elements to work together effectively. Recovery coordination organizations include human, procedural/ administrative, financial, and legal components. This may include the establishment of a community recovery organization and/or a disaster assistance center.
A recovery committee or organization is a representative and centralized decision-making body that ensures your community’s best interests are central to recovery, and that strives to make recovery as efficient and effective as possible. By bringing together the voices of all major stakeholder groups and coordinating recovery activities, the recovery organization helps to ensure that recovery is fair and equitable and proceeds in a way that is aligned with the community’s plans and strategies. It helps create both inclusion and oversight. Through the efforts of its members, recovery gaps are identified, redundancies are eliminated, synergies are created, and ultimately, needs are met.
When?
During early recovery, prior to when the community disaster response operations are demobilized. (Days 31-60)

How does my community do this?

Set up a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC), if needed. If the questions from and/or the needs of community members become increasingly complex and require subject-matter experts from a wide range of governmental and non-governmental entities, it may be helpful to set up a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC). For assistance setting up a DAC, contact your DOLA regional manager.
Identify recovery coordination needs. The establishment of recovery coordination is often the responsibility of the community recovery leader or manager.
Work with leadership to determine the coordination team’s size and type. The selected coordination structure should be appropriate for your community and the event.
Determine whether a suitable recovery coordination organization exists or whether a new one needs to be established.
Identify and recruit coordination team members. Recovery coordination will also require a significant amount of time from different government workers. The recovery leader should work with departmental managers and private and nonprofit sector stakeholders to identify team members and needed resources.

Community Call Out: Denver, Long-term Recovery Committee

A Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) was established in Denver in May of 2020 to address the coordination of recovery activities for the COVID-19 pandemic. Denver’s Mayor initiated the LTRC per the City’s emergency operations plan by appointing two officials, a city council member and the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, to co-chair the effort. Membership on the LTRC included representatives from executive city departments and agencies and several nongovernmental and private sector stakeholders.

The purpose of the LTRC is to oversee and advise the mayor on coordinated recovery strategies within the City and County of Denver, including economic recovery, ongoing public health support, government operations, and city finances. The committee’s initial work occurred while the Emergency Operations Center was still activated and led by an Emergency Operations Center Director. Upon Emergency Operations Center demobilization, the LTRC began reporting to the Mayor in coordination with the Chief of Staff.

The LTRC is supported by workgroups organized around objectives listed in the community recovery plan. The purpose of these workgroups is to complete the tasks listed under their assigned objective and advise the LTRC on further actions.

Step 2, Activity 4: Determine Recovery organization Administrative Structure

The purpose of this activity is to determine the appropriate administrative structure for your recovery organization.

Why?
Once a Long-Term Community Recovery Organization has been activated or established, the recovery leader and members of the recovery organization, along with other relevant stakeholders, establish bylaws, policies, and procedures according to which the organization operates. Just like the communities they represent, community recovery organizations are made up of stakeholders of varied backgrounds and with different interests, goals, and objectives. The outlining of practices and policies both increases the operational efficiency of the organization and reduces the likelihood of unresolved conflict.
When?
Ideally, bylaws, policies, and procedures for recovery coordination are established as part of a pre-disaster recovery planning effort. However, without an existing recovery framework, these should be formalized prior to or upon the establishment of the community recovery organization. (Days 31-60)

How does my community do this?

Determine who will draft the organization’s bylaws, and who will approve them. The first step of a recovery organization is for chairs or leadership to meet and make basic decisions about the organizational structure and provisions, including meeting time logistics, selection of organization leadership, and establishing the mission, goals, and objectives of the organization. See a template.
Write a first draft of the bylaws for review and allow for member input. See the Additional Guidance section for more information.
Approve bylaws through member consensus. Consider using the “I can live with it” baseline where members work to agree on bylaws by consensus. If a dispute arises, members must consider if they can “live with it”. If not, it is their responsibility to create an alternative proposal. Work through outstanding issues in this manner until the members reach a consensus. See the recovery organization bylaws template.
Assess and update bylaws periodically. Changes are to be expected as the recovery process progresses. Making space and time to update the bylaws will help keep up with these changes.

Community Call Out: Black Forest, CO

Black Forest Together, Inc. is a long-term community recovery organization formed by citizens of Black Forest to facilitate recovery from the 2013 Black Forest Fire. The community established this organization as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 charitable organization effective August 15, 2013.

Step 2, Activity 5: Establish Community Recovery Vision and Goals

The purpose of this activity is to develop your community’s recovery vision and goals.

Tips

A vision is meaningless without buy-in from all or most community groups so this effort includes significant community engagement at every juncture. This requires dedication on the part of recovery leaders, coordinators, and citizens alike. See an example from Palo, IA Long-Term Community Recovery Strategy, Pages 13-18 (Visioning Process).
The vision does not need to be perfect, because it can be revised during the course of recovery as new information becomes available and engagement is increased. A vision is a living, dynamic process.
Some people will want the community to go back to being exactly as it was before the disaster, while others will see the event as a chance to transform and incorporate technologies and practices or to address shifting economic and social dynamics. The recovery vision should be framed to pursue both stances, allowing community members to feel their wants and their needs have been heard and considered.
Vulnerable groups often find it difficult to have their voice heard in the visioning process and in identifying goals and objectives. Recovery, however, cannot be considered successful if some groups are left behind. Consensus-building efforts need to ensure an inclusive process to address the needs of the disadvantaged and vulnerable. (See Step 5)
Your community’s goals and the objectives through which they are achieved may be adjusted across the course of recovery as projects are completed and new information comes to light.

Why?

Recovery efforts provide your community with an opportunity to establish a renewed vision for its future and can be the impetus for future community resilience. Long-term recovery is complex and heavily influenced by unpredictable factors, including community dynamics, individual needs, political pressures, new hazard information, legal and regulatory provisions, and even changes in the natural environment. The creation of a vision and goals establishes the necessary framework to ensure decisions and actions can occur organically without resulting in haphazard outcomes. Without a common target, conflicts and cross-purposes are much more likely to occur.

When?

At the first official meeting of the new long-term community recovery organization, and as needed throughout the course of recovery. (Days 31-60)

How does my community do this?

Create a community engagement plan to guide the visioning process. Community buy-in is crucial to ensuring the recovery of your community. Your planning efforts should reflect the values and priorities of the broader community and they should help guide the visioning process as a whole. This should be achieved using a thorough, equitable, inclusive, and transparent engagement process that moves beyond informing to empowering. (See Step 5) Community recovery leaders and organizations can solicit input through a variety of methods including workshops, in-person meetings, focus groups, online surveys, and other methods of engagement. For more information see APA Briefing Paper 12: Visioning.
Facilitate equitable, effective, and transparent community meetings. It is important that this process be equitable and inclusive of all community stakeholders including frontline community members (see definition of this term). See the Step 4 for best practices.
Draft a community recovery vision and goals for the community recovery plan. Communities may begin with a vision already in place through general or strategic planning processes. Recovery visioning is an opportunity to reassess that long-term outlook in light of changes that have occurred in your community and unexpected opportunities that exist as a result of the disaster. (See Step 5 for guidance on implementing an inclusive and equitable visioning process.)
Identify common and overarching recovery goals for the different recovery sectors according to which recovery objectives, namely projects, can be developed
Review and edit the vision, goals, and objectives. During the planning process and implementation, make sure the vision, goals, and objectives remain relevant.

Community Call Out: Lyons, CO

The Town of Lyons experienced significant damages during the 2013 floods when stream flows within the town limits crested above all previous records. The town, which operates on an annual budget of approximately $1 million, sustained almost $50 million in damages to public facilities (not including insured losses), much of which occurred in town parkland. The planning community used the existing master plan and other planning efforts as a guide for the community participatory process. The outcome was the Lyons Recovery Action Plan which created the vision of recovery as one of “recovering stronger, more sustainably, and more resilient than before.”

Step 2, Activity 6: Transition Recovery Coordination Responsibilities out of the EOC

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to decommission the EOC and transition its responsibilities.

Tips

A lack of policy to guide the transition from the response and short-term recovery (which have timelines measured in weeks or months) to long-term recovery (which has a timeline measured in years) is a common transition challenge.
How the EOC and emergency management professionals (and elected officials who supervise these functions) communicate ‘What’s Next’ to community stakeholders can help determine how a disaster will be viewed immediately and for many years.
Emergency management staff can help the transition by participating in the recovery visioning process.
At the local level, ESFs may transition to Recovery Support Functions (RSFs), which have a longer duration than ESFs and are focused on more specialized tasks requiring technical expertise, such as economic redevelopment, environmental rehabilitation and housing development, and involving a wide range of stakeholders, agencies, and departments.
To enhance coordination, community recovery efforts can align with the recovery functions. See how it is outlined in the State Emergency Operations Plan (SEOP).
Transition plans should ensure that public information capabilities are sufficient to process and respond appropriately to queries.

Why?

There will inevitably be some overlap between emergency operations and recovery efforts. Emergency operations centers (EOCs) are increasingly playing a role in facilitating early recovery and supporting long-term recovery efforts through the work of the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). Emergency response and many short-term recovery operations will likely be led by the emergency management organization within the EOC. At the same time, some short-term recovery operations and nearly all of the ongoing long‐term recovery operations will be coordinated by the long-term community recovery organization and organized within the context of the community recovery plan. When the transition from response to recovery becomes complete, there needs to be a clear division of resources (especially staffing) and a way to ensure that any operations that started under one management structure are able to continue under the next. Having a transition plan in place can help to ensure that recovery progress is sustained and the recovery gains made during response are protected.

When?

All disaster incidents are different. When this transition occurs it may be a matter of days, weeks, or months. Planning for this transition should happen prior to the demobilization of the EOC. Ideally, this will have already been established during the pre-disaster recovery planning process. For more information, see the FEMA Transition Guide. (Days 31-120)

How does my community do this?

Establish a transition working group. Response and recovery leaders should work together to facilitate the transition.
Draft transition procedures and processes. Formalize the transition process using the community emergency operations plan, ensuring that any provisions are aligned with existing recovery plans or frameworks that have been developed. Establish transition policies for each ESF that have relevance to long-term recovery operations to address: information management; project oversight; budgetary, human, and other resource issues; public engagement; and others as necessary.
Response staff will remain engaged in a recovery role following the demobilization of the EOC.
Identify potential transition risks and/or challenges. Do your best to foresee potential challenges and find the right people to help address those challenges as this transition happens.

Community Call Out: Fairfax County, Virginia

The Fairfax County, Virginia, Pre-disaster Recovery Plan includes detailed provisions on the transition from response to long-term recovery operations. Transition is linked with activation of the recovery organization, recognizing that the process actually occurs over multiple steps requiring time and not in an instant. It also recognizes that situations will differ in each unique incident and that response and recovery stakeholders will need to work together to address the transition needs that arise. The transition procedures contained in this plan cover many issues that can be found in the Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan.

Great job! You have completed step 2. Onward to step 3.

Additional Guidance

Click on the question to expand the answer.

+ 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.
[NVOAD Long-Term Recovery Manual]4.
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.