When developing a plan, it is crucial to make some key decisions about the plan’s focus and what it will achieve, given the time and resources available. Not every planning process needs the same level of effort to get to an approved plan. This is called right-sizing the plan. Develop a scope of work (SOW) to outline what your planning process needs to accomplish to get to an approved mitigation plan. An SOW is part of a FEMA mitigation planning grant application, but it can also be useful even if you develop the plan without FEMA funding.
1.2.1. Preliminary Questions
When developing your SOW, use the questions in Table 2 to determine your needs. These questions can help you match the plan development’s complexity to the cost and overall level of effort.
Table 1: Preliminary Considerations
| Consideration Type | Key Questions |
|---|---|
| Plan Configuration | Is this a new plan or a plan update? - What can be updated simply with information from the last 5 years? What requires significant rewriting? Are there additional data that you need to gather and include? How many communities will participate and are there sufficient resources for coordination? How many agencies and partners need to participate to bring resources and ideas to the table? Are there sufficient resources for coordination? |
| Participant Priorities | What do participants want to address? - What hazards are of most concern? - What are the problem areas in the community or region? |
| Overall Timeline | Is there a tight turnaround for having an approved mitigation plan, such as an upcoming grant deadline, or is there some additional time? |
| Needed Support | Can this be done in-house with existing personnel? Can a local college or university assist with the planning process or data analysis? Is the level of expertise needed outside of the community’s skillset? Will you need contractor support? |
| Cost | How much will the process (plan development or update) cost, considering costs all the way through plan adoption and approval by FEMA? - Do you need to apply for funding? - What federal and state programs exist that can help pay for the plan’s development? |
1.2.2. Schedule Considerations
Preparing a mitigation plan takes time. Consider a timeline of at least 18 months for taking a plan from initiation through approval. With an 18-month timeline, it is important to be clear about the overall level of effort up front with all participants. Start with forming an SOW that is right-sized for the needed planning effort and can accommodate all participants, including underserved communities and socially vulnerable populations. Get signed VPAs from all participating jurisdictions who plan to engage with and adopt the final plan.
It is also important to account for the parts of the process that add time, such as:
- Finding and pursuing funding and/or in-kind support for the planning process and resulting documents.
- Finding and hiring a contractor, if needed, and following all applicable procurement rules and processes.
- State and FEMA review. Budget at least 6 months for this. Your review may not take this long, but it is better to plan for a longer review period to avoid your plan expiring.
- Adoption and FEMA approval. Coordination and correspondence around adoption and approval can also add time to your schedule.
Mitigation plans are approved for a period of 5 years. To keep grant eligibility, the plan must be updated and approved every five years. When scoping a plan update, develop the SOW and pursue funding no later than the third year of the plan’s approval period. It can take up to 12 months to secure funding. This means that pursuing funding in the third year will allow plenty of time to get to an approved plan. These general timelines also apply to new plans. Pursue grant funding 3 years before you want to have an approved plan. Remember it may take at least 18 months to develop a plan.
Mitigation plans can be developed in a multitude of ways. Whether funding a contractor to help complete the work, or a commitment of time and resources, there is a cost to mitigation planning. Communities may choose to develop plans themselves, relying on local funds, time, and effort. Other communities may lack the necessary skillsets to develop a plan themselves. In those cases, FEMA HMA programs can provide funding to develop a mitigation plan. Coordinating with the SHMO can help clarify which path might work best for a particular participant.
For more information on scoping considerations, watch FEMA’s Starting Your Mitigation Story with Scoping your Mitigation Plan training and review the Considerations for Local Mitigation Planning Grant Subapplications Job Aid.