Lg unit vii project continued

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Columbia Southern University

Executive Summary

The paper is focused on evaluating a service that is shared between a not for profit organization and the local government. The not for profit organization selected is that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which the local government selected is the government Louisiana state. Even though the two organizations differ in regards to their organizational structure, it is important to recognize that they have to work together in order to effectively deal with the challenge of disaster prevention and management. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States federal government which was formed in 1979 and is currently under the administration of the Department of Homeland Security. The state of Louisiana was selected because it is one of the states that have encountered disaster situations such as the Katrina which resulted in the loss of lives and property within the state. In order for the two organizations to work together effectively, it is imperative for the service and the local government to develop and implement an effective communication strategy that will improve their performance which will result to the success of their collaboration. This points out to the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with among the employees from the two originations. Technology systems, e-learning, and e-training can be used to improve the relationship among the employees so as to promote the success of the collaboration as a whole. Social media and TV commercials are effective in communicating with the internal as well as the external audiences. Effective management of these relations will go a long way in promoting the success of the two organizations thus realizing the desired outcome as far as disaster prevention and management are concerned.

Introduction

The project is focused on a shared service by the government and not for profit organization. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the shared service that will be covered in the assignment. The agency is under the Department of Homeland Security and was created by the implementation of two executive orders of 1978 and 1979, (Kapur & Medford-Davis, 2016). The main objective of the agency is to coordinate the response to disaster situations that would otherwise exhaust the local and state authorities. Moreover, it is also important to mention that for the agency to come into play, the governor of the affected state must declare a state of emergency and thereafter request the president to give the green light for the FEMA and the federal government to intervene. Therefore, the readers of the paper will have a better understanding of the activities of FEMA and how the organization partners with the local and state governments so as to execute its mandate.

The shared service that this paper details on is Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) whose role is to provide and also coordinate responses in times of disaster. History has shown that disasters strike when least expected and as such, it is imperative to have a system in place that helps the citizens to not only respond to disaster situations but also prevent the disasters that are looming. The Directorate of the organization is tasked with the responsibility of developing disaster mitigation procedures before a disaster strikes in order to identify the risk factors as well as the potential injuries of a particular potential disaster. For this reason, it is clear that the agency plays a significant role in the protection of life and property in the United States as argued by Lu (2017).

Federal Emergency Management Agency is designed in a manner that ensures the United States is able to respond to disaster situations in an orderly and systematic manner that results to the protection, safety and well being of the citizen as well as their property, (Waugh, 2015). In order to understand the Federal Emergency Management Agency better, it is necessary to focus its five major roles. First and foremost, it is the duty of the organization to declare disasters in the United States. Secondly, the organization also ensures that it coordinates with the affected communities so as to realize the desired outcomes in times of a disaster situation. Thirdly, the organization does not have the necessary resources and workforce needed to conduct recovery operations and as such, the organization coordinates the delegation of the limited resources where they are needed most. Moreover, Federal Emergency Management Agency is also responsible for promoting national security through the protection of the citizens and infrastructure from damages associated with disasters, (Lu, 2017). Last but not least, the organization also studies disasters that occurred in the past in order to develop more effective and sustainable solutions to the challenges associated with disasters.

Regarding the local government, it is imperative to recognize that Federal Emergency Management Agency works with all the local governments in order to meet its set goals and objectives. However, the particular local government that will be used for this assignment is the government of Louisiana State. It is imperative to mention that Louisiana State was selected because the state has experience disaster in the past where Federal Emergency Management Agency was actively involved in the emergency management process to rescue the affected individuals as well as prevent further losses that were associated with the Katrina. The service works together with the local government to enhance preparedness, recovery, protection as well as mitigation for disasters in the country (Linden, 2002). Furthermore the role and responsibility of the government to manage disasters directly complement what the agency does (Boris & Steuerle, 2006).

Communications Strategy

The success of the organization greatly depends on its ability to communicate its mission statement to the public and all the relevant bodies. The Federals Emergency Management Agency’s mission is “Helping people before, during, and after disasters.” As such, individuals, especially those who are collaborating with the service as well as those who are affected by disaster situations are able to understand how the service operates and what they should expect during such operations. The communication strategy used by the organization will also determine the success of the organization in regards to meeting the reaching out to the targeted population. There are various media platforms that can be used to communicate the mission statement of the organization to the external audiences. In order to improve the overall effectiveness of the communication, the organization will use TV commercials as well as social media marketing, (Kapur & Medford-Davis, 2016). This is because these media present an opportunity for the organization to reach out to a large group of the targeted population at any particular time.

Regarding the internal communication of the organization, the employees and all the relevant stakeholders will be constantly informed about the activities of the organization. This can be achieved through internal memos which can be put on the central employee notice board as well as sharing a copy of the memo to the employee emails. The move will see to it that the employees and all the relevant stakeholders are up to date on the activities of the organization as well as what is expected of them at any particular time.

Since the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinates disaster prevention and management activities, it is imperative for the organization to be on good terms with the local government. The move will see to it that the agency is able to overcome some of the challenges associated with interagency collaborations resulting from the difference in the organizational structures. As such, the agency needs to work closely with the local governments to see to it that they are able to develop effective communication channels and structures between the two organizations when they are working together. The move will see to it that the local government is able to advise the agency about the affected citizens in order priority thus improving the overall effectiveness of the activities of the agency. Moreover, the local government will also be able to assist immediately with the agency in order to prevent disaster situations among other function relating to the activities of the service, (Lu, 2017).

Furthermore, managing healthier relationships between the service and the local government will go a long way in improving the effectiveness of the disaster management activities. One of the effective ways of improving the relationship between the two bodies in through the sharing of the culture and values of the two organizations. Also, the two bodies can engage in joint learning and development programs that are aimed at improving the employee knowledge and skills on the specific issues associated with emergency situations and disaster management.

The use of technology can be used in the collaboration between the two institutions to improve the effectiveness of their activities. Technology systems can be used for internal as well as external communications. E-learning will be effective in the training activities aimed at promoting employees’ knowledge about the either of the organizations as the employees will be able to meet learn on their own at their own time without affecting their daily routine in the workplace. Moreover, re-training will be effective in training the employees from the two organizations on effective communication and interpersonal skills that will result in healthier relationships. Moreover, technology systems can be used to enhance coordination of activities and thus reducing the levels of friction, making interactions easy thus building better relationships and e-learning and e training can be used to help train all members to ensure consistency and coordination in the efforts of every individual (Linden, 2002).

There are various challenges associated with the grant for aid, fee for service and eligibility service models that can be used to improve the relationship between the agency and the local government. First and foremost, fluctuations in the economy affect the sustainability of not for profit organization thus having a negative impact on its outcomes. Also, the local government may face challenges associated with limited funds when faced with an emergency situation. As such the local government may not be able to engage in rescue activities or disaster prevention as intended. The situation will also affect the relationship between the local government and the service as the failure of one of the partners will affect the success of the partnership as a whole, (Kapur & Medford-Davis, 2016). Mover, the negative outcomes will affect the relationship between the two organizations as the employees are bound to point figure or blame the failures on the organization facing the challenges.

Overcoming these challenges will go a long way in building healthier relationships between the employees from the two different organizations. First and foremost, it is important for the local government to ensure that it has measures in place to identify disaster situations before they occur. This will create enough time for the proper evaluation of the disaster as well as avail the necessary financial resources needed to meet the desired outcomes. It is also important for the federal government to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is allocated enough resources. It is also imperative for the local government to ensure that proper budgeting processes are followed to ensure that a substantial amount of money is set aside to deal with disaster situations. This will see to it that there is enough money to cover any costs associated with disaster preparedness, prevention, and management.

As a government agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is not required to pay taxes to the government as an organization. However, it is important to recognize that the employees of the agency, just like any other civil servants, are subjected to the taxation of their income. There are not social economic or social regulations governing the activities of the agency. This is because as a government agency, the organization is focused on offering its services to the general public without any favor or discrimination based on an individual or group’s race, country of national origin, religion, social status and sexual orientation among many others. The United States is composed of a much diversified population and as such, equality especially when it comes to access to government services is paramount as a constitutional right of every American citizen as suggested by (Lu, 2017). Therefore, the agency develops and implements strategies that include all Americans across all the political differences as well as social, cultural and economic differences.

The fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the government of Louisiana State may have different organizational structures means that is it important for the two organization work closely in order to guarantee contracting and collaboration of their activities in regards to disaster preparedness and management. First and foremost, it is important for both organizations to have objectives that are clear, straightforward and linked to the desired outcomes. The move will see to it that the two organizations are able to focus on their individual roles in the collaboration which will result to their individual success as well as the success of the collaboration as a whole, (Waugh, 2015). The result will be the safety and well being of the citizen which is the duty of the local as well as federal government through the agency.

Reflection

The project was very informative because it presented an opportunity for undertaking extensive research in the area of disaster preparedness and management. Even though I was initially aware of the role of the government in regards to dealing with disaster, it is important to mention that the project was informative as I was able to take a deeper look into the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s role in managing and preventing disaster. I have to admit that I was surprised to learn that the agency cannot just come in at any time when there is an emergency. The agency will only come in when it has been directed by the president of the United States following the declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the affected state. Furthermore, it was also informative to find out that the agency does not have the resources to run its operation but rather depend on collaborations to execute its mandate.

The information I have gained will come in handy in my career because it will not only influence my decision making but also improve my understanding of the working procedures of the federal and local government. One thing that is clear is that effective disaster management and prevention greatly depends on the ability of all the relevant bodies to work together in order to achieve a common goal, the safety and well being of the citizens and their property. In addition, it is also necessary to mention that the information will be helpful in my career because I will be in a better position to build and develop healthier relationships among the two parties which will improve their overall effectiveness. I have also learned that there is a need for governmental and non-governmental organizations and that better results can be achieved that way and this is an aspect which I can use to capitalize on projects in my career.

References

Boris, E. & Steuerle, C. (2006). Nonprofits & government : collaboration & conflict. Washington, D.C: Urban Institute Press.

Linden, R. (2002). Working across boundaries : making collaboration work in government and non-profit organizations. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.

Lu, X. (2017). The US Federal Emergency Management Agency and the 2005 Great New Orleans Flood: A Deinstitutionalized Response Organization Facing Unknown Unknowns. In Managing Uncertainty in Crisis (pp. 51-84). Springer, Singapore.

Kapur, G. B., & Medford-Davis, L. N. (2016). Preparing for effective communications during disasters: lessons from a World Health Organization quality improvement project. In Effective Communication During Disasters (pp. 29-44). Apple Academic Press.

Waugh, W. L. (2015). Living with Hazards, Dealing with Disasters: An Introduction to Emergency Management: An Introduction to Emergency Management. Routledge.