Each participant has a unique set of tools available to increase their resilience. These tools are their capabilities. They include the laws, policies, programs, staff, funding and other resources on hand to carry out the plan and increase resilience. Reviewing each participant’s capabilities helps the planning team find and evaluate resources they can use to reduce disaster losses now or in the future. This is especially useful for multi‐jurisdictional plans where capabilities vary.
The capability assessment is an evaluation, not a report-out. The plan must describe which authorities, policies, programs, funding and resources a participant has to accomplish hazard mitigation. The discussion must include the building codes, land use and development codes, ordinances and regulations key to reducing risk. It must also describe ways each participant can expand on and improve their capabilities. Think about how capabilities help reduce risk. Do they actively support mitigation? Do any support activities that increase risks? Address the opportunities present and be clear about the gaps and challenges.
Begin by reviewing existing publicly available information that can help you understand capabilities. Each participant’s capabilities are unique. It is important to include them in the assessment. You can hold interviews or ask participants to complete Worksheet 4: Capability Assessment. This worksheet points participant agencies, departments and other community partners to available programs, regulations, resources and practices. The worksheet’s questions help each participant see how they can specifically support mitigation. There is a wide range of capabilities. Not every participant will have each one. Participants may also have capabilities they can add to the worksheet.
The capability assessment requires participants to describe how they can expand on and improve capabilities. This task recognizes that the mitigation plan is a long-term strategy to reduce risk. Moving the plan into action takes time and may happen over several planning update cycles. It is important to look ahead at participants’ will. Can they improve their capabilities to reduce their risk? For example, it will be difficult for a community to improve their building code if the statewide code does not include disaster-resistant provisions. Participants are not penalized for not having the authority or ability to improve a capability. However, describe those gaps. The gaps may lead to actions in the mitigation strategy.