Planning for Community Infrastructure Resilience - NIST Guidance

In 2015 the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)  began a process to produce guidance on approaches to aid communities in improving their resilience to prevailing natural and man made disasters that could affect their jurisdiction.  NIST began to produce various guides to offer some processes for community planners to follow including understanding and assessing their current risks as well as develop plans to implement to improve their resilience.  Using the "Guides" the community planners can better integrate their resilience efforts into their economic development, zoning, and other local planning activities impacting buildings, public utilities, and other infrastructure systems.

Currently there are three NIST Guide documents to be summarized below in this Blog:

• Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems Volume 1. (11MB Download, 125 pages, Released October 2015)
• Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems Volume II  (14 MB Download, 273 pages, Released October 2015)
• Community Resilience Economic Decision Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems (1 MB Download, 69 pages, Released December 2015)

Volume 1

The first document produced by NIST is Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems Volume 1.   (11MB Download, 125 pages).  Volume I describes the methodology and has an example illustrating the planning process for the fictional town of Riverbend, USA.

As part of this methodology, Volume 1 includes a "Six-Step" Process to Planning for Community Resilience." (Shown Below).  Although the graphic is offering an elementary project planning structure, the contents and discussion of Volume 1 on how to approach the challenges of assessing and improving the resilience of the community is useful.

Volume 1 continues to provide the basis for this approach and also ensures that the reader does not fall into the trap of looking exclusively at "THINGS" such as bridges, roads, public works facilities, but instead helps the reader realize that the THINGS are based on and affected by the social aspects.  A particularly good graphic showing this "cause and effect" so to speak is below:

Volume II

Volume II of this Guide provides details for the planners on issues ranging from Understanding and Characterizing the Social Community (Chapter 10) to Dependencies and Cascading Effects to detailed information for various Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) including:

• Chapter 12 - Buildings
• Chapter 13 - Transportation Systems
• Chapter 14 - Energy Systems
• Chapter 15 - Communications Systems
• Chapter 16 - Water and Wastewater Systems

Each CIKR sector reviewed includes parallel analysis to include:

• Introduction to the Sector
• Infrastructure, Functions
• Performance Goals for the Sector
• Regulatory Environment
• Standards and Codes for New Construction and Existing Construction
• Strategies for Implementing Plans for Community Resilience
• References for the Sector

Finally, Chapter 17 includes a discussion on "Community Resilience Metrics" to include such metrics as:

• Time to Recover Function
• Economic Vitality
• Social Well-Being
• Environmental Resilience
• Hybrid Metrics

Economic Guide

The third Guide just issued in this series is focused on Economics and "Economic Decision Making."   Per the NIST announcement the Economic Guide "... provides a standard economic methodology for evaluating investment decisions aimed to improve the ability of communities to adapt to, withstand, and quickly recover from disasters."  The report is intended to frame the economic decision process by identifying and comparing the relevant present and future streams of costs and benefits with benefits realized through costs savings and damage loss avoidance.

As observed in the report benefits are primarily determined as the improvement in performance during a hazard event over the status quo, i.e., those obtained directly or indirectly by implementation of the new resilience strategy.

And for cost analysis, costs include all costs, including negative effects of implementing a resilience action. That specifically includes the initial costs, operation and maintenance costs, end-of-life costs, and replacement costs. In addition, any non-economic costs (e.g., deaths and injuries) and negative externalities need to be taken into account.

Who Are Served by These Reports?

These reports appear to be excellent resources for city, county, regional and national planners -- especially those examining disaster recovery and Continuity of Operations (COOP) policies, procedures and budgets.  Also, students of infrastructure management should find these reports to be very useful -- not only for their content but also for the references cited in the document and for each analyzed critical infrastructure in Volume II.

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Setting Your Goals for 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2016 is upon us and it is a time of revelry, celebration, departing the old year and preparing for the new one.  Of course, it is a time for new Goals for your profession, career, and personal aspects of your life.  However, how can you "build" a decent set of Goals that not only "work" but can be used to help you monitor your progress?

And yes, this approach to Goal Setting can be applied to critical infrastructure projects, advancing your career, etc.

For the past few weeks I did some serious study on the Internet/YouTube and other resources on Goal identification and development.  My favorite resources included Mr. Anthony Robbins, Stefan Pylarinos, Michael Hyatt, the book The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield et al,, and some personal notes I've accumulated over the years developing Goals for my career, employer and personal life.

With the ideas harvested from above, some key concepts surfaced as I began this year's effort to develop my own professional/career Goals as well as some personal ones.  Here are points to consider:

1. Start with a "Brainstorm" and list all of your goals you have for the next one, five, 10, 20 years.  Just write them down and perhaps categorize them into such areas or categories as Professional, Physical, Personal, Financial, Family, Spiritual, etc.
   
2. Select 5 to 10 of the most important Goals identified -- especially those you want to accomplish this year. (Trying to do more than 10 may just overwhelm you)
   
3. Using these Goals you've developed, answer the following for each one -- you'll see this approach in the form shown below:
   
• What is the AREA of Focus?  Or, what is the "Headline" for the Goal?
  
• What is the DEADLINE?  Be sure to put a specific date, not just "This Year."

• Write down what the Goal is -- Use the SMART approach whereby the Goal should be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound -- Maybe consider writing down what you will "see" when the Goal is achieved (e.g., a bound/prepared report, or a waistline of 32 inches, or starting a new job, etc.)
  
• AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART -- WRITE DOWN WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.  TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHAT YOUR PASSION IS ABOUT THIS GOAL, AND WHY YOU NEED TO COMPLETE THIS EFFORT.  Take your time to really ensure you can articulate WHY this is important.  It will pay off later on.
  
• Fill in the necessary actions required to start, pursue and finish the Goals.  Consider set-up actions such as doing research, preparing files, etc.  Then, add a fairly detailed list of actions to take -- preferably in order -- to achieve the Goal.

But, this is just the beginning...

Take time to review your Goals, at least Monthly.  Ascertain your progress, problems, barriers, and successes.  Take the time to savor your wins and look at ways to achieve the "stretch" Goals.  

If anyone would like a .docx file of the above Goals form, please let me know via the comments to this post.

Lastly, I've used the above process and form to set up my Goals for 2016!  My goals are in the areas of physical health, personal habits, writing, photography, and trying to clean out my office and garage!  I'm excited about the new year and I hope you find this approach and the format above useful!

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The New, Improved Maslow's Hierarcy of Needs

########## NEWS FLASH!! ##########

In his seminal work A Theory of Human Motivation, Abraham Maslow introduced the world to his model depicting the hierarchy of needs required by humans.  However, after substantial analysis, re-analysis, and re-re-analysis a new foundational layer has been added to his model that is even more fundamental than a human's basic need for physiological elements such as air, water, etc.  

A new model has been developed and shown with the new foundational level below:

So, the next time you are surrounded by groups of humans you will almost always see them searching for the fundamental requirement of life....Wi Fi!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Taking Infrastructure Seriously

Remember the 2013 infrastructure grade report from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)?  A snapshot of the 2013 grades for the US were quite damning and are posted in the picture below:

My immediate response is WOW followed by an emoticon of sadness :-(

These grades are two years old and I suspect they have not improved and perhaps have gotten even worse.

Maybe with a new Speaker of the House perhaps some new attention on this national crisis will happen (?) -- I certainly hope so.

In the World Economic Forum AGENDA, there is an article by the Honorable Gordon Brown (former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) with the headline GORDON BROWN:  IT'S TIME TO TAKE INFRASTRUCTURE SERIOUSLY.

Mr. Brown's article offers a very critical and less than optimistic view of the world's current infrastructure crisis that prompted me to write this blog.  He offers some of the following facts:

• There is a $20 Trillion backlog in infrastructure maintenance/upgrade requirements running to 2030
• 18% of the world's citizens are left without electricity
• 11% of the world's citizens are left without clean water
• 20% are deprived of basic healthcare
• 58M children denied primary schooling

Gordon continues to observe that without action on improving this blight in infrastructure eradicating extreme poverty cannot not be achieved.

Ideas Needed

Yes, infrastructure capital projects -- new and upgrades -- are expensive and may be risky; however, interest rates are low and there is new emphasis on public-private partnerships to take necessary actions to at least improve the current situation.  Unfortunately, we are so far behind in the US let alone the other parts of the economically advanced nations that paying attention to the less developed countries may be obscured by the problems we face.

Leadership is needed tackle this issue in conjunction with climate change....they are both intertwined and I'd like to commend Mr. Brown and the World Economic Forum for raising awareness on this daunting issue.

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FEMA Damage Assessment Operating Manual - Comments Requested

The FEMA Damage Assessment Operations Manual is part of a greater effort to provide a user-friendly, streamlined post-disaster damage assessment process that builds on the existing knowledge and expertise of State or Tribe and local partners to identify damage after a natural or man-made disaster. Eligible Tribes and U.S. territories are considered the same as States for application of FEMA programs; the Manual is aimed at clarifying FEMA damage assessment guidance, promoting standardized information collection, and assisting in the development of requests for federal disaster assistance. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking comments from state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management practitioners on the draft FEMA Damage Assessment Operating Manual. The manual establishes national damage assessment standards developed from historic lessons learned and best-practices already in use by state, local, tribal and federal emergency management agencies. The manual is built using a framework that encourages local information collection, state or tribal verification, and federal validation. Previous versions of such manuals have focused exclusively on the federal role. This document better highlights and provides guidance to state, local, and tribal governments on their role in the assessment. The draft manual is posted here. Comments should be added to the comment matrix, and submitted by Nov. 14, 2015.

The document appears to provide a very thorough user guide for handling disaster assessments. The book is 160 pages long and includes the following (from the Table of Contents):

• Introduction
• Concept of Operations
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Evaluating Damage and Impact for FEMA Public Assistance
• Evaluating Damage and Impact for FEMA Individual Assistance
• Damage Assessment Methods
• Integration of Geospatial Analysis and Technology
• Integration of Mobile Technology
• Appendices A, C, D = Checklists
• Appendices E, F = Matrices
• Appendix H = Process Charts

Overall the document is a useful starting place; however, it does appear to have some gaps in chapter content, formatting, etc. But, then again, the document is out for review and comment.

This could be a useful tool for the student of Disaster Assessment and Recovery due to the checklists and discussions about the more contemporary use of GIS and cellphones for data gathering.

You are encouraged to take time and at least page through this document and offer your thoughts, ideas and feedback. Perhaps someday you will be using this manual for your own disaster assessments.

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FEMA Bits and Pieces

For those of us in the "infrastructure community" we seem to be drawn to issues involving different critical infrastructure sectors along with broader issues such as emergency preparedness, disaster response and business continuity, government financing, climate change impacts, etc.

A useful resource is FEMA's Higher Education Program Bits and Pieces newsletter published by Barbara Johnson at the FEMA National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, Maryland.  

The newsletter - often produced weekly on Fridays - not only includes information on FEMA training opportunities but it also weaves in timely  "bits and pieces" of information on emergency planning, critical infrastructure protection, etc.  The report also highlights any recently issued Congressional Research Service reports that may be of interest to the emergency planning/critical infrastructure protection professional.

Instructions on how to sign up for the email subscription service are below:

Sign up via our free e-mail subscription service to receive notifications when new information is available from the Higher Education Program and FEMA.gov.

You will receive Activity Reports and other pertinent information concerning professional development. You also have the option of signing up for additional e-mail updates from FEMA and EMI. Visit the subscriber settings page to sign up for additional e-mail notices. Once there, you can also receive e-mail updates targeted to your geographic area by clicking on “subscriber preferences” and inserting your state and ZIP Code where requested.

The links above will guide you through various aspects of the Higher Education Program. If you have any questions, please contact Barbara L. Johnson at Barbara.Johnson3@fema.dhs.gov.

Please note: Some of the websites linked from the Higher Ed courses, documents, presentations are not Federal government websites and may not necessarily operate under the same laws, regulations and policies as Federal websites.

Many thanks to Barbara for this useful service!  Well done!

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A Time for Ethics

Normally my blog posts are focused on news and facts but this article will be a bit of a diversion.  Thanks for bearing with me!

As I listen to the news about the VW emissions scandal, and hear about deflated footballs I am disappointed that honesty is being pushed aside.  I mentioned this to an aquaintance and their response was, "If you're not cheating you're not playing the game."

Well, I was frankly stunned at that response...to the point that I asked if they had a CISSP certification (CISSP = Certified Information Systems Security Professional issued by ISC2).  Fortunatey they didn't; however, the reason why I asked is because the CISSP Code of Ethics is a strong foundation for honestly dealing with your peers, customers, and employers -- as well as families, friends and fellow citizens.

The CISSP Code of Ethics includes a Preamble and Canons.  They are repeated below:

Code of Ethics Preamble

Safety of the commonwealth, duty to our principals, and to each other requires that we adhere, and be seen to adhere, to the highest ethical standards of behavior.  Therefore, strict adherence to this doce is a condition of certification.

Code of Ethics Canons

*  Protect society, the commonwealth, and the infrastructure

*  Act honorably, honestly, justly, responsibly, and leagally

*  Provide diligent and competent service to principals

*  Advance and protect the profession

So, if you are not aware of the CISSP Code of Ethics, you may want to consider it for your future decisions.  If you possess a CISSP then these should not be a surprise.

As my dear friend and mentor Mr. Kirk Bailey (CISO, University of Washington) has offered, whenever you are presented with a problem, "....always do the right and ethical thing..."

May you make the "right and ethical" decisions!

Cheers!