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Introduction

The Economic Resilience Scorecard provides the first comprehensive regional framework for evaluating resiliency against a host of today's most pressing risks. Developed by the International Sustainable Resilience Center in partnership with StateBook International, the Scorecard enables organizations to assess resiliency across their local communities and the region as a whole.

The Scorecard also provides a valuable framework with step-by-step instructions and examples to maximize regional collaboration, preparedness, and response to today's dynamic and evolving challenges.

Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation is adopting the Economic Resilience Scorecard to maximize the resiliency and preparedness of the counties and cities it serves in California.

1. Have you established an economic resilience committee/task force? [Note: should include people with influence and authority who can provide resources necessary to commit to and carry out a resiliency plan should events arise.](Required)
If yes, please tell us if your resilience committee / task force includes any of the following:(Required)

On the next few pages, we'll ask you for more specifics about which entities and organizations are included from each category you selected above.

Local Community Representatives

Please indicate which local organizations are part of your economic resilience committee/task force:

Local public sector:
Local private sector:
Local philanthropic organizations:
Local emergency services:

County/Regional Representatives

Please indicate which county/regional representatives are part of your economic resilience committee/task force:

County/regional public sector:
County/regional private sector:
County/regional philanthropic organizations:
Hidden

Statewide Representatives

Please indicate which statewide representatives are part of your economic resilience committee/task force:

Statewide public sector:
Statewide private sector:
Statewide philanthropic organizations:
Hidden
2. Have you drafted a resilience action plan specifically for Economic Development, including resilience of the ED Organization? [Note: It is important for your organization - and your city as a whole - to have a continuity plan in place. This action plan will help you execute each of the following elements of your Resiliency plan.](Required)
3. Have you established a business emergency operations and business recovery center (either stand-alone or integrated)? [Note: This should be a physical place.](Required)
Purpose: This should be a physical place that acts as a command and communications center during a disaster from which to communicate with businesses in the community. You may use it to communicate about impending hazards, to provide information and instructions during a disaster, and to provide assistance immediately after a disaster.
Potential Partners: Many regions around the country have partnered with their local Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Development Center, and/or University to take on this role. A volunteer group trained in incident management may also be utilized.
Role: Partners are programmatically responsible for getting information out to businesses throughout and immediately after a disaster.
Cost/Funding: While having a place identified doesn’t have to cost you anything until a disaster hits, recovery funding to establish these centers may be available through the state Department for Emergency Management and/or FEMA
Examples: South LA BEOC at the South Louisiana Economic Council (www.slec.org)
4. Have you built an economic risk profile including identification and frequency of specific types of disasters and past impacts?(Required)
Purpose: To adequately identify and disclose economic risks in the region. FEMA has a tool called RAPT (Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool) to enable this level of risk profiling. See https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool to download, along with complete instructions.
Potential Partners: Local, and state disaster recovery officials, FEMA, Universities that can both verify and elaborate on the RAPT tool.
Role: Instigator and catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, tool is free to use
Examples: In Louisiana 2016 flood recovery, a similar analysis was performed by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette National Incident Management and Science center, which was used to Inform key industry of these likelihoods and work with them to better prepare for future flooding events.
5. Have you developed and shared resilience best practices of key resident industries and/or targeted prospective industries?(Required)
Purpose: To better inform business and industry of steps they can take to prepare
Potential Partners: Economic Development Administration Economic Recovery Support Function, International Economic Development Council's Restore Your Economy website (https://restoreyoureconomy.org/), FEMA, Disaster Recovery International (https://drii.org/), and National Hazard Mitigation Association (http://nhma.info/). Also resident industry leaders who may themselves have best practice preparation and response strategies.
Role: Convener and catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Examples: In Oklahoma after mass storms and tornadoes in 2013, a best practice guide to resilience was published by the Economic Recovery Support Function. While it is an overall guide, it does contain best practices. It is available upon request.
6. Have you integrated economic resilience into other types of planning efforts (land use, economic development, redevelopment, etc.)?(Required)
Purpose: Ensure alignment between economic resilience and all planning efforts
Potential Partners: City/County Planning Department(s), Chambers of Commerce, , Community Development Organizations
Role: Convener/Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff Time/EDA Planning Grants
Examples: Joplin, MO brought all planning together in recovery/resilience efforts
7. Have you integrated federal, state, and regional/local public sector emergency management and disaster recovery into your economic resilience planning?(Required)
Purpose: Ensure alignment between emergency management and economic resilience
Potential Partners: Local/County/State Emergency Management Agencies
Role: Convener/Collaborator
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Examples: In three separate Oklahoma Recovery efforts, the Oklahoma Emergency Management agency was a primary partner with economic development organizations
8. Have you ensured engagement of stakeholders including community organizations/nonprofits, workforce organizations, private infrastructure providers (85% is private), and regional EDOs?(Required)
Purpose:For effective economic resilience, stakeholders from the entire community must be engaged. The economy affects everything, and everything affects the economy
Potential Partners: All parties listed above plus any other organization affected
Role: Convener and Facilitator
Cost/Funding: Staff time, may wish to hire expertise in facilitation
Examples: The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council formed and oversees a comprehensive Regional Resilience Collaborative (https://www.ecfrpc.org/).
9. Have you developed a system for implementation and monitoring of the economic resilience strategy (#2 above)?(Required)
Purpose: To ensure actions in implementing the strategy are taken within timeframes and produce desired results—if not, using the system to make needed adjustments
Potential Partners: A performance subcommittee of the Economic Resilience Strategy task force, using a robust project management system
Role: System manager
Cost/Funding: +/-$2,500/yr. subscription, subcommittee members’ staff time. Private foundations at the community, state, and national levels may provide grant funding
Example: The Sustainability Institute offers a guide for regional resilience that includes monitoring of resilience initiatives (https://sustain.org/?s=regional+resilience+primer).
10. Have you provided for Public Private Partnerships to increase the effectiveness of physical and systematic resilience?(Required)
Purpose: Leverage resilience financing through public private partnerships
Potential Partners: Public and Private owners of infrastructure and facilities
Role: Convener and Catalyst-- Work to develop options for public sector participation in hardening private sector infrastructure, justified by reduced tax revenue losses Develop relationships with private sector investors who participate in public private partnerships, using parametric insurance or public sector risk reduction such as providing a partial guarantee against loss or that have significant investments in the community/region that may be damaged, or revenue interrupted, by lack of resilience capacity, and propose solutions that may involve their investment
Cost/Funding: Staff time; possibly contracting with expertise to analyze PPP options
Examples: In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida that destroyed the power grid in New Orleans, the City Council sent a Request for Proposals to provide an analysis of means to make the power grid, controlled by a private company, more resilient. This would include the use of public private partnerships.
11. Have you developed a funding mechanism for incentives to businesses to encourage their development of continuity plans?(Required)

1. Business continuity plans can make the difference between small business survival and failure. There are three elements to engage them—information, education, and incentives.

a. Information must be provided to dispel false notions about the cost and time involved in developing a continuity strategy

b. Education must be provided in how to develop a plan across multiple sectors

c. Incentives can provide balance in the eyes of small businesses by helping offset the perceived time and expense of developing and implementing continuity plans

d. Incentives may be in the form of limited tax abatement, such as exempting small retail businesses from sales tax for a month, or small manufacturers from a pro-rata property tax calculation for one month.

2. Encourage businesses of all sizes and types, including professional services and self-employed/home based businesses, to adopt continuity strategies.

Example: After Superstorm Sandy, the New Jersey Department of Insurance convened major insurers and worked with them to determine possible reduction in losses from continuity planning that could be passed on in the form of rate incentives to small businesses. The Resilience Innovation Hub (https://www.resilienceinnovationhub.com/) is currently working with the Insurance Information Institute to develop a national model to incentivize continuity planning.

12. Have you utilized tools such as FEMA’s Benefit/Cost Analysis to justify public and private investment to enhance resilience?(Required)
Purpose: To provide verifiable information on economic benefits of investment in resilient infrastructure and systems, and to qualify communities for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding
Potential Partners: FEMA, State and local governments, Industry Associations
Role: Catalyst—FEMA provides complete 9-session course presentations and materials (https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/benefit-cost-analysis/training)
Cost/Funding: Staff time—FEMA will assist including possibly providing instruction
Example: The Texas Economic Development Council is sponsoring a series of workshops in which the Benefit/Cost Analysis tool is introduced and demonstrated to Texas-based economic development organizations (https://texasedc.org/events/resiliency-and-recovery-workshop-dont-mess-with-texas)
13. Have you organized resources to protect, and quickly restore, essential services such as such as power, water, and telecommunications infrastructure?(Required)
Purpose: To work with private infrastructure owners to ensure it is strengthened and maintained using mechanisms such as parametric insurance and public-private partnerships. Present the case for strengthening and maintaining robust public infrastructure by citing the connection between failure of critical infrastructure and loss of tax and other revenue. Prepare specific information for businesses on back-up power, water, and communications, such as new solar/wind battery, satellite back-up telecommunication, and water purification technology
Potential Partners: State and local government, public and private infrastructure owners
Role: Convener and Catalyst, Facilitator
Cost/Funding: Staff time, Possible funding may be available for critical infrastructure through a DHS grant program (https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/02/25/dhs-announces-funding-opportunity-187-billion-preparedness-grants)
Example: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency offers a guidebook to creating these partnerships (https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sector-partnerships)
14. Have you developed emergency funding sources for small businesses in order to survive and/or reopen until federally backed funding (SBA Disaster Loans, HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funding) arrives?(Required)
Purpose: Provide small emergency loans and grants to bridge the “valley of death” between date of damaging incident and arrival of federally backed funding for businesses
Potential Partners: Local, state, and national philanthropic organizations, media channels, major industries, and finance/insurance institutions, securing commitments prior to disaster occurrence
Role: Convener and catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff and volunteer time/effort, possibly engage funding expertise
Example: After a tornado destroyed most of Joplin, MO, an emergency fundraising campaign was instituted including appeals by a national media personality. Small loans and grants in the $5,000-$10,000 range were made to businesses most impacted.
15. Have you provided information to businesses on types of insurance, such as business interruption and catastrophe bonds, specifically to provide protection in case of disaster?(Required)
Purpose: To fully educate businesses of benefits, and costs, of catastrophic-oriented insurance products such as business interruption, and explore bringing businesses together to explore costs and benefits of parametric insurance such as catastrophe bonds
Potential Partners: Insurance agencies and companies, state insurance agencies
Role: Catalyst/convener and facilitator
Cost/Funding: Staff time, possible cost of printing/digitizing materials
Example: Post Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, guides to both business continuity and insurance were prepared specifically for each of the state’s 8 dominant industry clusters
16. Have you used valuation of built and natural infrastructure and facilities to finance both resilience and recovery through securities and insurance?(Required)
Purpose: Both built (gray) infrastructure such as roads, electric grids, and water systems and natural (green/blue) infrastructure such as mangrove groves and coral reefs can be assigned a value through purchasing parametric insurance. Parametric insurance pays upon occurrence of a specific hazard such as flooding or wildfires upon meeting pre-agreed parameters such as inches of rain per hour. This coverage can allow financing of resilience and recovery investments into the built environment and into natural protective infrastructure
Potential Partners: Insurance companies/agents, FEMA, Department of the Interior, EPA (https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-funding-opportunities), and EDA, state economic development and natural resource agencies
Role: Convenor and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Several federal agencies are providing grants for such activities such as FEMA, EDA, EPA ((https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-funding-opportunities)), NOAA, and DOI.
Example: In Puerto Rico post Hurricane Maria, EDA’s Economic Recovery Support Function is supporting local organizations in restoring and protecting coral reefs using parametric insurance as a method of valuing the reefs based on protecting the island’s built environment/economic activities
17. Have you developed close working relationships between the EDO and public and private critical infrastructure organizations?(Required)
Purpose: To collaborate in supporting protection of critical infrastructure including power, water, telecommunications, and essential services such as trash disposal
Potential Partners: Power companies or authorities, water systems, communications providers, and healthcare facilities, both public and private, need to be intimately involved in both development and implementation of economic resilience strategies
Role: Convener and catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, grants to help strengthen critical infrastructure and systems
Example: In Newport, RI, the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Collaboration & Assessment (CIRCA) - Newport aligns resilience needs for the Newport community and Naval Station Newport and prepares both civilian and military communities to serve future extreme events (https://nps.edu › newport_one_pager.pdf)
18. Do you have a strategy to increase transportation and supply chain resilience through Public Private Partnerships?(Required)
Purpose: Develop a close working relationship with transportation, logistics, and distribution companies that supply the region and its businesses/industries. Work with these companies, and with the overall business community, to bring them together and collaborate in strengthening supply chain components. Consider public private partnerships that engage transportation grants and other public funding to offset cost of these investments
Potential Partners: County, State, and Federal transportation agencies, private transportation and logistics providers, and economic development organizations
Role: Convener and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, grant funding for transportation resilience analyses
Example: After massive flooding in 2016, the Louisiana Transportation and Supply Chain Council was formed to address transportation resilience issues. They secured recovery funding for a comprehensive transportation resilience analysis and were given authority by the state legislature to recommend resilience actions for the transportation system.
19. Have you implemented education and awareness initiatives for businesses on response and recovery operations/resources?(Required)
Purpose: Launch an awareness campaign including facts on business losses and failures due to lack of continuity planning Integrate messaging throughout all organizational communications on the importance of being prepared and the consequences of not doing provide live and virtual training sessions for businesses—ensuring they are concise—and offer rewards/incentives for businesses who participate. Do not ignore home-based businesses or professional/technology small firms
Potential Partners: Local media, social media influencers, and community organizations, FEMA and local/state emergency management and economic development agencies
Role: Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: Snohomish County, WA launched a web portal specifically to educate both employers and workers of resources available for recovery and resilience: (https://snohomishcountywa.gov/5605/Resources-for-Employers-and-Workers)
20. Have you developed close working relationships with local, state, and federal response and recovery agencies?(Required)
Purpose: To build trust, leverage capabilities, and focus efforts on business and the economy Potential Partners: local emergency managers, state disaster response and recovery agencies, FEMA representatives and lead agencies of each of the six recovery support functions (EDA, USACE, DHHS, DOI, HUD, and FEMA Planning) and engage them throughout all disaster resilience planning and implementation Role: Catalyst. Convener Cost/Funding: Staff time Purpose: To aid recover and local business resilience by instigating a disaster response, recovery, and resilience contractor academy to teach local contractors how to procure prime and sub-contracting work relating to disaster response, recovery, and resilience. Conversely, conduct an outreach campaign to both local/state and national/international companies that regularly provide recovery services
Potential Partners: Business associations, Small Business Development Centers, Regional State Economic Development Organizations
Role: Funding Seeker and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: $250K-$500K depending on number of participants
Example: Coastal Procurement Assistance Center in south Louisiana, that provides information and assistance for small contractors for opportunities in coastal restoration and protection (https://www.louisianactac.org/)
21. Have you developed assistance for local businesses in securing response and recovery contracting/selling opportunities?(Required)
Purpose: To aid recover and local business resilience by instigating a disaster response, recovery, and resilience contractor academy to teach local contractors how to procure prime and sub-contracting work relating to disaster response, recovery, and resilience. Conversely, conduct an outreach campaign to both local/state and national/international companies that regularly provide recovery services
Potential Partners: Business associations, Small Business Development Centers, Regional State Economic Development Organizations
Role: Funding Seeker and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: $250K-$500K depending on number of participants
Example: Coastal Procurement Assistance Center in south Louisiana, that provides information and assistance for small contractors for opportunities in coastal restoration and protection
22. Do you have ready-to-implement, open for business/buy local awareness campaigns to help businesses in recovery-including digital marketing?(Required)
Purpose: A ready to go plan to aggressively message citizens that businesses damaged or interrupted and/or in heavily damaged areas are open and need customers to continue operating. Include the advantages of buying locally, using both traditional and social/digital media, encouraging stakeholders to participate and post businesses that have reopened to their networks
Potential Partners: Local media, local government, schools, community/religious organizations
Role: Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: After a massive tornado damaged several businesses in Mayflower AR, the city led a locally based campaign to let citizens and area residents know businesses were open and needed sales to help them recover. Residents of nearby cities of Little Rock and Conway also participated
23. Do you have structures in place to ensure local businesses maintain access to supply chains through pre-incident contingency planning and identifying alternative suppliers should primary ones become incapacitated?(Required)
Purpose: To prevent business and industries from interruption due to lack of supplies. Working on the demand side, institute a program to help small businesses plan for finding alternative sources of critical supplies and inventory Bring businesses together to develop cooperative agreements to provide essential goods and services to each other in time of disaster
Potential Partners: Local government, state economic development departments
Role: Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: After tornadoes and storms in eastern Oklahoma County caused severe business disruption, efforts were undertaken to bring businesses together for mutual support, including sharing information on suppliers that may be used in time of disaster
24. Have you developed a program to assist businesses in proper record-keeping to meet public recovery assistance requirements?(Required)
Purpose: Promote the need for keeping detailed records of income and expenses to businesses that normally operate partially or fully informally. For all businesses, provide information on requirements to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA, SBA, and HUD disaster financial assistance programs
Potential Partners: Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations, FEMA, SBA, HUD
Role: Convener and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, possibly engaging a professional facilitator
Example: After the 2010 BP Oil Spill, economic development organizations and a nonprofit development finance organization worked together to teach fisheries how to keep records that would be acceptable to aid organizations such as FEMA, SBA, and HUD
25. Have you created resilience hubs for business training before disasters, and as a shelter and source of information after?(Required)
Purpose:To Provide emergency space for business owners/officers after disasters plus ongoing communications, either in, or separately from, business emergency operation centers, include tabletop exercises and training at the hub with groups of businesses to practice how they can minimize damage and reopen more quickly
Potential Partners: State Emergency Management and Economic Development Agencies, FEMA. HUD Disaster Recovery, and EDA
Role: Catalyst and Implementer
Cost/Funding: Depending on how it is implemented, minimal to $250,000. EDA has provided grant funding for Business Resilience Hubs, but communities have also developed “bootstrap” efforts at little or no cost.
Example: Two examples: 1) In Puerto Rico, EDA granted $3.5 million for development of a business resilience hub serving 12 communities in the Caguas region south of San Juan. The HUB is an expansion of an existing business incubator with ample space and utilities for businesses to temporarily relocate after disasters. 2) In the central Arkansas community of Vilonia (population of approximately 4,000), after an EF-5 tornado destroyed almost 80% of businesses, Vilonia High School donated its gymnasium, and approximately 20 businesses held limited operations there until rebuilding could occur. The expense was minimal, but many of the businesses stated that without that resilience hub, they would not have reopened.
26. Have you developed resilience networks for businesses to collaborate and cooperate in both recovery and resilience planning?(Required)
Purpose: Firms working together to provide mutual assistance, space, and capacity in recovery have proven to be effective. In addition, companies coming together can support each other in preparing for disaster through sharing continuity best practices. Resilience networks can lead to other opportunities for businesses to collaborate, which has been proven to help them increase revenue and profits, thereby strengthening the economy, a core element of economic resilience
Potential Partners: Business associations, local and state emergency management and economic development agencies, FEMA, EDA, HUD Disaster Recovery
Role: Convener and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: In Moore, Oklahoma after an EF-5 tornado destroyed and damaged several business, the Economic Development Corporation brought businesses together to explore opportunities for collaboration in preparing for disasters
27. Have you put in place mechanisms to with local and state agencies to streamline zoning/ permitting after disasters to hasten business recovery?(Required)
Purpose: Developing a faster way to grant permits and temporary waivers from zoning requirements can help businesses reopen and recover more quickly. Gathering data on the correlation between time to reopen and failure rates after disaster can educate local elected and appointed officials on this need
Potential Partners: Local, county, and state licensing and permitting authorities
Role: Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: In the afore-mentioned Joplin Missouri, the Chamber of Commerce convinced local and county permitting authorities to provide expedited services to help businesses relocate and/or reopen
28. Have you identified and positioned workforce training programs to quickly train workers in filling critical skill positions?(Required)
Purpose: Work with resident companies to identify most critical positions and skills needed to successfully fill them, then work with schools, technical colleges, community colleges, and universities to develop “ready to go” training programs that can be launched immediately in case disaster causes workforce to be displaced or leave.
Potential Partners: Regional Workforce Innovation Opportunity boards, schools, technical and community colleges, universities, business associations, EDA, FEMA
Role: Convener and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: After tornadoes and storms significantly affected central Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable worked with EDA Economic Recovery Support to identify needed skills for companies whose employees had been displaced or impacted.
29. Do you include training/information in individual resilience and strategies (transportation, childcare) so employees can better withstand incidents and return to work more quickly?(Required)
Purpose: Utilize available resources, primarily from FEMA, to provide businesses with ready to implement training on individual preparedness, and develop options for transportation (obtaining special re-entry rights and temporarily expanding public transportation routes) and childcare (temporarily using public facilities and volunteers) for workers to facilitate their return quickly
Potential Partners: FEMA, local and state emergency management, regional organizations, (economic development districts) and state economic development agencies
Role: Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: After hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, the Industry-University association representing the pharmaceutical industry worked to enable its members to provide resilience education to employees.
30. In your overall EDO strategy, do you include diversification via key industry clusters to enhance overall economic resilience?(Required)
Purpose: Identify resident industry concentrations using location quotient analysis and seek to recruit supporting and related industries that may more effectively supply and purchase from them, in peacetime or in disaster. Based on demographics, location, and advantages the community offers, seek new sectors to recruit, including those that may add to resident industry competitiveness
Potential Partners: EDA, Regional (economic development district) and state economic development agencies, International Economic Development Council, regional economic development organizations such as the Southern and Mid-America Economic Development Councils, and the Americas Chapter of The Competitiveness Institute (a global cluster practioner organization)
Role: Implementor
Cost/Funding: Staff time and promotional expenses, EDA may provide funding under Economic Adjustment or Disaster Recovery Supplemental funding depending on the size and scope of the disaster
Example: After Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey, the EDA Economic Recovery Support Function prepared and provided briefings on the eight leading industry clusters, including resilience guides for each.
31. Have you identified specific vulnerabilities in key resident and targeted sectors and taken action to mitigate those risks? (Required)
Purpose: To identify risks to both resident industry and targeted recruitment sectors to prove proactivity in helping them manage those risks. Research key areas of vulnerability in resident and targeted industries, such as flooding causing seepage at chemical plants. Using FEMA hazard mitigation and similar grant funding, work to address those hazards either through strengthening infrastructure and systems and/or programs to provide specific services that enhance resilience in those areas
Potential Partners: Industry associations, insurance and reinsurance organizations, International Economic Development Council (https://restoreyoureconomy.org/ ), ( U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Disaster Response and Recovery initiative (https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/topics/disaster-response)
Role: Lead organization
Cost/Funding: Staff time, possible contract expertise/grant writing consultant
Example: Noted Australian economic development expert Brian Roberts provides a guide to economic development organizations on regional disaster risk assessment for both resident and targeted industries (https://www.jstor.org/stable/23289514)
32. Do you provide information on most likely hazards, and specific efforts to mitigate them, to both resident and prospect industries?(Required)
Purpose: To better inform resident and prospective industries of risk and provide them with ideas on how to account for interdependencies and reduce disaster risk. From historical records from both NOAA and FEMA, determine the 4-5 most likely/frequent hazards (fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, earthquakes, oil spills etc.) Develop and implement a comprehensive information campaign featuring public service messages, social media posts, printed materials, and events to educate both resident and prospective industries, plus citizens, on economic resilience efforts to lessen he negative impacts of natural and man-made disasters
Potential Partners: Local and State Emergency Management, NOAA Storm Events Database (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/ftp.jsp), FEMA Resilience Analysis Planning Tool (https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool)
Role: Producer
Cost/Funding: Staff time, optional media purchases
Example: As referenced earlier, FEMA’s Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) can provide detailed analysis of disaster risk at the county and community level (https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool)
33. Do you chart industry interdependencies and opportunities to enhance resilience via industry/government partnerships?(Required)
Purpose: Conduct primary (business surveys) and secondary (industry associations) research on how interruption of one business/industry affects other businesses (secondary impacts). Develop strategies to reduce risk from interdependencies between sectors and utilize public/private partnerships to implement them based on reducing negative impacts to public revenue
Potential Partners: Industry associations, local, county, and state governments, emergency management and economic development agencies, economic development districts, EDA, IEDC.
Role: Catalyst and Producer
Cost/Funding: Staff time, impact analysis may be funded by FEMA and/or EDA grants
Example: The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council developed an economic impact report on higher temperatures and resulting weather events that negatively impact regional industries, using that information to inform businesses of those impacts to encourage collaboration (https://www.tbrpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Taking-Stock-Economic-Impacts-of-Climate-Driven-Heat-Impacts.pdf)
34. Do you actively promote ongoing research, innovation, and actions to strengthen resilience, and recruit and/or grow a base of companies in the disaster recovery and resilience industries?(Required)
Purpose: To provide new approaches to resilience via research, and develop a base of response and recovery business that can enhance response and shorten recovery time
Potential Partners: Area universities, resident businesses, prospective businesses in the response, recovery, and resilience industries
Role: Catalyst and Implementer
Cost/Funding: Development, marketing, and recruitment costs—EDA grants may be available
Example:After massive flooding in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, a group, the Resilience Innovation Hub (https://www.resilienceinnovationhub.com/), was formed to implement a competition for ideas to help increase economic resilience, engaging professionals, funders, and incubators/accelerators for the most innovative ideas, and work with resilience partners to support their development. They also work with the insurance industry to encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to identify and address areas in which they may identify and take advantage of opportunities within the resilience industry.
35. Do you have a mechanism to provide a live, updatable resource guide for businesses both prior to and after incidents?(Required)
Purpose: To provide comprehensive information to businesses on how and where to seek assistance. The guide would provide information on FEMA, SBA, EDA, and HUD programs that can provide financial assistance, directly or indirectly, in time of disaster, and provide sources of information on business preparedness/continuity, community resilience, infrastructure, economic strengthening/diversity, and employee resilience. Also will include information on how the national disaster recovery framework functions and role of federal agencies involved. Digitize the guide so it may be continuously updated as resources are added and/or changed
Potential Partners: FEMA, SBA, EDA, HUD Disaster Recovery, local and state emergency management agencies, other state and federal agencies involved in disaster recovery
Role: Researcher/producer
Cost/Funding: Staff time, potentially funding consultant to research and publish/digitize
Example: The Texas Economic Development Council obtained a grant from EDA and contracted with a resilience firm to prepare, publish, and distribute a comprehensive resource guide, and made it available in PDF format.
36. Have you worked with local/state government to develop a detailed response effort to help adapt businesses and citizens to changes brought about by pandemics, including social distancing, digital business models, and similar measures?(Required)
Purpose: To address the specific issues created by pandemic events, drawing on experience from COVID19, and including public private partnerships to help business and industry adapt to recommended standards such as social distancing. Research successful practices regarding business and economic development from COVID19, and create a response plan that could be quickly implemented should another pandemic occur
Potential Partners: FEMA, CDC, DHHS, EDA, local and state emergency management and economic development agencies, resident businesses
Role: Coordinator and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, federal and/or private foundation grants may be available for implementation
Example: EDA-affiliated economic development districts across the country have developed pandemic measures as a part of their comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) resilience development component. One example is the recently completed Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation, or YSEDC (https://www.ysedc.org/) Pandemic Economic Recovery & Resiliency Plan, published as an addendum to their current CEDS report. YSEDC was also the first economic development organization in the nation to implement this Economic Resilience Scorecard.
37. Have you created a contingency plan for infrastructure adaptation, such as expanding healthcare and education facilities, to address issues caused by pandemics using public private partnerships?(Required)
Purpose: To address issues caused by COVID19 for healthcare facilities, schools, public transportation, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution due to COVID19. Work with local and state partners to develop and prepare for implementation strategies to provide additional investment needed to expand and adapt critical facilities and operations to Pandemic-induced protocol such as social distancing and related restrictions
Potential Partners: Public and private owners of critical infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, utilities, telecommunication, water and sanitation, and transportation infrastructure
Role: Convener and catalyst
Cost/Funding: Various federal agencies may provide matching funding via public private partnerships with private owners, or public-public partnerships between local, state, and/or federal governments
Example: In Seattle, public private partnerships were utilized to provide both supply of and locations to receive COVID19 vaccinations. Leading business organization Challenge Seattle published a playbook that provides guidance on similar PPP efforts. (https://21652974-25d8-4ff1bbc08687c8ec1f64.filesusr.com/ugd/e29733_85ddb1ac8ee54759a971e885f1b6b32c.pdf)
38. Have you developed pre-registration programs for businesses, individuals and community organizations in advance of major disasters and pandemics so that they may return immediately after areas are declared safe?(Required)
Purpose: Whether a natural or man-made hazard, a pandemic, or another disruptive incident that would force people to leave their places of employment or ownership, having business owners/managers and employees pre-register so that they may return as soon as safely possible can shorten the recovery cycle and prevent ongoing business disruption
Potential Partners: Local and state emergency management and public safety/police agencies, FEMA, public and private infrastructure owners/operators
Role: Catalyst and implementer
Cost/Funding: Private firms specialize in re-entry mechanisms, funding may be available from FEMA or state emergency management agencies
Example: Re-entry services were provided for Louisiana and Mississippi in partnership with FEMA, state emergency management, and state public safety/police agencies
39. Have you mapped and developed contingency plans for critical infrastructure interdependencies such as redundant power for telecommunications, ensuring fuel can be provided to generators, emergency medical facility resilience, etc.?(Required)
Purpose: To identify key interdependencies such as communication in attempting to identify power failures, outages affecting water systems, and lack of water crippling emergency and long-term healthcare facilities. Develop strategies to address these potential failures, along with contingency funds to provide needed resources for implementation
Potential Partners: Public and private critical infrastructure owners, local and state emergency management agencies, FEMA, EDA, and DHS Critical Infrastructure Unit4
Role: Instigator and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time, funds for resources when needed, possible funding through public private partnerships
Example: After hurricanes Irma and Maria, DHS Critical Infrastructure staff worked closely with EDA Economic Recovery Support to develop contingency scenarios for Puerto Rico’s COR3 recovery operation
40. Have you established a real-time, ongoing monitoring system to ensure all disaster resilience efforts are current and change them to effectively address ongoing changes in disaster risk?(Required)
Purpose: To digitize all resilience strategies and contingency plans in a single portal that can be continuously updated as changes in risk, and changes in response due to new innovations in resilience occur. Promote use of the portal by the business community, public sector leaders, community-based organizations, and citizens so they all understand and can support economic resilience efforts.
Potential Partners: FEMA, local and state emergency management and economic development agencies, regional economic development districts, business associations /chambers of commerce, plus local, county, and state governments.
Role: Catalyst, facilitator, possibly owner
Cost/Funding: Costs to digitize and maintain the portal, possible EDA, FEMA Hazard Mitigation, or HUD Disaster Recovery funding, local/regional/national private foundations
Example: The National Center for Disaster Philanthropy has information on successful efforts (https://disasterphilanthropy.org/)
41. Have you created and implemented a comprehensive cyber-security strategy including critical infrastructure and public services?(Required)
Purpose: To address a serious threat to business operations and security. Cyber criminals, acting either alone or with backing of rogue states, pose a serious hazard that must be treated as all other hazards. To ensure the latest and most powerful cybersecurity systems are implemented to protect critical infrastructure and systems, work with private owners of critical infrastructure to support their cybersecurity efforts, including possible incentives for implementation
Potential Partners: Local, county, and state emergency management agencies, universities, telecommunications providers, and industry associations
Role: Catalyst and content facilitator
Cost/Funding: Staff time, potential incentives developed in partnership with local, county, and state governments.
Example: Louisiana Tech University established ACE, the Association of Cyber Engineers as a student organization, to provide information and services to businesses in establishing Cyber Security Efforts (http://orgs.latech.edu/ace/)
42. Have you put in place training and assistance to enable businesses and industries to create their own cyber-security plans and attack responses?(Required)
Purpose: To provide small to medium sized businesses with hands-on training and assistance in implementing cyber security efforts. Hold workshops/seminars to inform businesses of cybercrime dangers plus solutions, and utilize traditional and social media to inform/educate SMEs on the latest cybersecurity measures and how to implement them
Potential Partners: Universities, business associations, The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under DHS, the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, another Federal Agency dedicated to cyber protection.
Role: Catalyst and content provider
Cost/Funding: Staff time, promotional resources for information campaigns
Example: Texas A&M University Engineering Extension Center established the Cyber Readiness Center to provide training and technical assistance to businesses on cyber readiness (https://teex.org/program/cybersecurity/)
43. Have you developed alternative sources of power, such as microgrids, satellite communications capability, and water availability in the event of a cyber-attack?(Required)
Purpose: To ensure continuation of power should the electric grid, water systems, telecommunications infrastructure, Automated Financial Machines, gas stations, and grocery stores be disabled due to cyber incursion. Developing backup systems such as microgrids that can be activated to provide power and power water systems, and satellite-based communications systems in case of broadband and/or cellular failure due to cyber attack should be staged and ready. Breakthroughs in battery storage capability make battery-based backup power feasible, which is also necessary to power telecommunications. Pursue funding for development of alternative sources of power such as solar-powered high storage batteries and small power natural gas generators that can be activated until recovery from attacks is complete.
Potential Partners: Utilities, telecommunication providers, local, county, state governments, industry associations, and impact investors who may be attracted to public private partnerships backed by parametric (event driven) insurance.
Role: Catalyst/Content provider
Cost/Funding: Depending on the size of the community, from thousands to multiple millions. Funding may come from potential partners.
Example: In the Puerto Rico Island of Culebrita, one of two small islands off the coast, after extensive damage (though not from a cyber-attack, principles are the same) to the electric grid, an EDA grant was utilized to install a solar-powered microgrid that provides complete power to the island.
44. Have you collaborated with emergency management agencies to create a contingency plan for businesses in case of terrorist attacks?(Required)
Purpose: To ensure terrorist attacks do not cause widespread damage to the economy or long-term damage to a community’s reputation. Develop contingency plans and train business leaders in how to deal with severe trauma and potential destruction that may occur in event of terrorism or upheaval. Encourage active collaboration between business and first responders including police and fire professionals to ensure coordinated response in case of attack. Implement a campaign to inform businesses of assistance available to help them recover from impacts of such attacks
Potential Partners: Local and state first responders including law enforcement and emergency response agencies, including fire and paramedic units, local and state emergency management agencies, and regional economic development districts.
Role: Catalyst and advocate
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce established a close working relationship with the Oklahoma Emergency Management department, law enforcement, and firefighters to embrace and support affected businesses and recognize their trauma would take time to heal.
45. Do you have a plan to provide supplies of water in case of severe drought or terrorist-related water contamination?(Required)
Purpose: To ensure critical water supplies are available in case either drought, a slow- moving event, or terrorist-related contamination, a rapid event, occurs. Though both are life-threatening, different timelines require different responses. For drought, long-term supplies need to be secured via pipelines and transport via truck and/or rail. For contamination, keeping emergency supplies of fresh water available to ensure health care facilities and other essential services have enough water to avoid catastrophe. Drought can cause catastrophic damage to economies.
Potential Partners: FEMA, EDA, Local and state emergency management and local/county government to secure safe space and storage containers on site for contamination, state and federal agencies to address long-term water supply challenges due to drought.
Role: Catalyst/Instigator
Cost/Funding: From tens of thousands of dollars for water storage and treatment to millions for long-term response to drought. Federal and state funding may be leveraged through public private partnerships.
Example: The 10X consortia brings agencies from 9 states across the southernmost United States to address the problem of eastern states having too much water and western states not having enough. See https://www.10xwatersummit.com/about
46. Have you created a program to incentivize/assist businesses to create a continuity plan specifically for cyber or terrorist attack?(Required)
Purpose: Most continuity plans are designed for natural disasters, perhaps less utilized but no less important are plans for terror or cyber-attacks, which may be obtained from FEMA or nonprofit organizations. Informing the business community of the availability of these special planning tools and encourage them to obtain and implement them is critical.
Potential Partners: SBA has training and support for SMEs through the following portal: (https://www.sba.gov/media/training/SBA_Cybersec/new/story_html5.html)
Role: Catalyst/Facilitator
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: The Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida offers SBA Cyber Security training and information for small businesses (https://sbdctampabay.com/cybersecurity-growing-business-issue/
47. Have you developed an economic response and recovery strategy for industrial incidents such as oil spills, explosions, etc.?(Required)
Purpose: Industrial accidents, such as the British Petroleum oil spill in 2010 can be more impactful than natural hazards, and risks in this area should be recognized. Based on prior industrial accidents, create an economic response to identify and assist potentially affected businesses. Include this strategy in outreach and information sharing efforts, combining several initiatives in one or two efforts is most efficient
Potential Partners: Industries, insurance and reinsurance sectors, FEMA, local and state emergency management agencies
Role: Catalyst and information source
Cost/Funding: Staff time, possible purchasing of media for information campaign
Example: After the British Petroleum Oil Spill, protocol was implemented at both the company and emergency management agency levels to rapidly respond to similar incidents (http://www.novaces.com/pressroom/81)
48. Have you created an initiative to help businesses respond to global geopolitical incidents such as trade disputes, civil unrest and/or war in nations businesses may trade with?(Required)
Purpose: To help businesses be prepared to navigate unpredictable political and economic changes though education and demonstration
Potential Partners: US Trade Development Administration, World Trade Centers, FEMA, and EDA Economic Adjustment assistance
Role: Facilitator and Catalyst
Cost/Funding: Staff time
Example: After the financial crisis of 2008-2010, the Department of Commerce Trade Development AGENCY assisted businesses in recovery by exploring new markets (https://ustda.gov/)
49. Have you created strategies for business adaptation to disruptive technology (energy sources, digitization, AI, robotics, etc.)?(Required)
Purpose: Though not traditionally considered hazards, technology is nonetheless disruptive, and strategies to assist businesses in adapting should include access to local universities for research/development, funding from both EDA economic adjustment grants, and Small Business Innovation Research grants. Provide ongoing information on best practices and strategies to assist businesses in adapting to new technologies This is a new development that will continue to grow in importance with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Advanced Robotics, the Outer Space Economy, and other disruptive technological advances. Providing access to resources and promoting collaboration are primary EDC roles
Potential Partners: Business/Industry Associations, SBA, EDA, NIST
Role: Source of information, catalyst for business collaboration in addressing challenges
Resources: The National Institute of Standards and Technology offers a wide variety of services to help businesses adapt to these disruptions (https://www.nist.gov/services-resources)
Example: The Carnegie Endowment has resources available for business and communities to better adapt to disruptive technology (https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/08/28/new-tech-new-threats-and-new-governance-challenges-opportunity-to-craft-smarter-responses-pub-79736)
50. Have you developed an economic-oriented public relations response and proactive information plan for disasters, pandemics, cyberattacks, terrorism/unrest, and all other hazards?(Required)
Purpose: Any type of hazard can be disastrous for the image of the affected region. Images of businesses damaged and people suffering can be very damaging to an EDC’s ability to recruit and grow businesses. Even resident businesses may question their commitment to stay in a region. A concerted, focused public relations effort to assure both prospective and resident businesses, and of course people, that steps ae being taken to lower risk of future incidents could be the best investment an EDC can make
Potential Partners: FEMA Private Sector for communications, EDA Economic Recovery Support, local media, social media influences from the business leadership sector, and national/international economic development media
Role: Originator/catalyst
Cost/Funding: Media buys—local governments and community leadership may contribute
Example: In the aftermath of tornadoes and storms in 2014 and 2016, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, a nonprofit business leadership organization, began massaging the state’s resilience, stating that because they have frequent weather hazards, they are already ahead of others in dealing with disasters, adopting the motto “Oklahoma Strong”. Their latest business survey indicated a reliable electric grid as of primary importance (https://okbusinessroundtable.com/sites/okbusinessroundtable.com/files/BLPOLL-EC-V3%20%283%29.pdf).