Disaster Recovery Workgroup Meeting Held In DC

NPS comptroller Bruce Schaeffer gathered representatives from many functional disciplines together in mid-January for a three-day-long disaster recovery workgroup meeting at Park Police headquarters in Anacostia, Maryland.  

Initially conceived to respond to the DOI Office of the Inspector General’s audit report on Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts, the workgroup was led by NPS budget officer David Harrington.  Participants were challenged to identify specific problems experienced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and to recommend policy and process changes that will accelerate NPS recovery efforts to any catastrophic event. 

Additionally, since rebuilding is a major goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill, President Obama’s economic stimulus effort, the NPS can use this process to eliminate unnecessary roadblocks, put Americans back to work, and improve park infrastructure.

The success of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after Katrina was featured in the OIG’s audit report. Jackie Parrish from the USFWS regional office in Atlanta was invited to participate and share the policies and procedures currently in place for disaster recovery efforts in her bureau.  She discussed the challenges they overcame and the formal processes they have institutionalized, which provided many valuable insights into a successful rebuilding effort. 

Workgroup members identified deficiencies in the current recovery process and discussed procedures for expediting compliance, planning and construction for recovery projects.  They recommended instituting a national team approach to financial oversight and overall program management, provided concise problem and solution sets, and suggested near-term deadlines for draft policy development.  Participants discussed a framework for regional teams to manage projects and provide technical oversight.

The workgroup will comprise the core element of a permanent cross-functional team to streamline communications when any emergency requires swift response to complex program management issues.