RECOVERY METHODOLOGY

Recovery planning is complex. With a wide variety of needs, limited resources and as many opinions as to what is important as there are people, Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) planning can be even more complex. The LTCR planning process uses a step-by-step method to identify, evaluate and prioritize needs, define projects and develop implementation strategies.

RECOVERY NEEDS. Disaster events disrupt the normal functioning of a community. The extent of damage differs for each event, and in each disaster the affected region, state, country and community has varying degrees of resources and capabilities available to address recovery needs. Planning professionals, in partnership with local community leadership and citizens, assess community damage and recovery capability to determine the impact of disaster-related destruction. The assessment process identifies recovery needs that exist within pre-disaster community growth and development needs. Defining disaster-related impacts and needs creates a community base line.

An example of a disaster impact could be, “We lost 75% of our affordable housing.” An identified community need could be, “We need to rebuild affordable housing.”

RECOVERY PRIORITY ISSUES. Certain recovery needs are more immediate than others — either they help “jump start” community recovery efforts; they are necessary before other projects can be done; or they have an immediacy that must be recognized. After identifying recovery needs, LTCR professionals work with community members to prioritize needs. Sometimes recovery needs are further complicated by additional issues that require consideration. For example, a community might identify a need to “rebuild affordable housing,” only to find that flooding or storm erosion has reduced the amount of land available for building. While priorities are different from parish-to-parish, Louisiana residents who participated in Open House events agreed on several key issues. The following are among Louisiana citizens' top three recovery concerns:
   • better hurricane protection and levees
   • development of new housing
   • restoration of coastal areas

RECOVERY GOALS. Establishing a community vision and goals is an important step in the LTCR process. It provides a structured framework that helps to guide recovery policies and the development of recovery programs and projects. Vision and goals also act as a standard the community can use to evaluate the progress of its recovery efforts and the amount of work still needed. Recovery vision and goals are informed by public input. Planning professionals help communities identify community recovery goals and those are confirmed through additional public input. Using the housing example, a community vision might be, “We value diversity.” A community goal might be, “We need to create 100 units of low-income housing in the downtown area by January 2007.”

RECOVERY PROJECTS, PROGRAMS AND POLICIES. Clearly defined recovery projects, programs and policies aid communities in leveraging external funds (from foundations, philanthropists and other funding sources) and as a base from which to apply for government funds (Community Development Block Grants as an example). Projects are ranked according to recovery value (high, moderate, low or community interest) and the ranking further aids in obtaining funding. Recovery values are objective and determined by applying an evaluation methodology that includes a determination of how well each meets stated goals and its relationship to the overall recovery effort. A more complete description of the Recovery Value Tool, which is used to establish project recovery value, is found in the RECOVERY PLANNING TOOLS section of this website.

Recovery projects included in the Parish RPT are ones that directly address needs resulting from the disaster and are additional to those already planned through other programs.

Recovery projects are assigned a recovery value using a standardized methodology found in The Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process:  A Guide to Determining Project Recovery Values.  Higher recovery value projects are consistent with community recovery visioning and goals, focus on overall community recovery and can achieve multiple recovery benefits. 

The RPT is a dynamic instrument; as new community needs are identified the Parish RPT will be able to reflect those changing conditions.  Project modifications are still occurring.  Parish RPT enhancements and refinements are ongoing. 


RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND FUNDING SOURCES. The final stage in the process involves the development of an implementation strategy that outlines funding resources and processes to accomplish recovery projects. Using a Strategic Recovery Timeline (SRT), communities can plan how projects will be completed and track progress. More information on the SRT can be found in the Recovery Planning Tools section of this website.  It is important to recognize that several recovery projects, programs or policies may be required to meet a single recovery goal, and projects can meet multiple goals.