Mitigation Framework Leadership Group

Importance of Mitigation

Priorities

Recent History and Key Milestones

Membership

Task Forces

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The Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG) is a group of federal agencies that coordinate mitigation efforts across the federal government. The MitFLG was authorized by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 and organizes federal efforts to deliver the mitigation core capabilities in the National Mitigation Framework.

Members include senior-level representatives from departments and agencies across the federal government (also referred to as the interagency) and state, local, tribal, territorial, nonprofit, academic, and private partners. The MitFLG uses task forces to carry out actions related to specific mitigation focus areas and priorities.

By actively engaging interagency leadership, the MitFLG:

The MitFLG focuses on integrating federal efforts – working together - to deliver the seven mitigation core capabilities identified in the National Mitigation Framework (NMF), one of the five frameworks established under the National Preparedness Goal (NPG) as identified in Presidential Policy Directive / PPD-8: National Preparedness. The NMF addresses how the nation will develop, deploy, and coordinate mitigation core capabilities to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters.

The NMF describes mitigation as a “risk management action taken to avoid, reduce, or transfer risk. By reducing the impact of disasters, mitigation helps prevent the loss of lives and property, helps protect communities from damage and destruction, streamlines disaster response operations after an incident happens, helps communities more quickly recover, and creates better prepared and more resilient communities.” Mitigation is the cornerstone of a culture of preparedness against disasters, with the ultimate goal of creating sustainable and resilient communities across the country.

The MitFLG membership works together to identify critical areas and challenges to focus on each year. The MitFLG seeks member input before advancing a priority and requires consensus across member agencies. This creates shared understanding of proposed priorities, commitment and buy-in to achieving them, and alignment across the interagency. The mitigation core capabilities and the National Mitigation Investment Strategy provide strategic guidance for this prioritization process.

Core capabilities are the distinct elements needed to achieve the National Preparedness Goal. The MitFLG identifies tasks, or actions, that members can take to advance the seven mitigation core capabilities.   

The mitigation capabilities are listed below:

The MitGLG led efforts to develop the National Mitigation Investment Strategy (Investment Strategy), which was released in August 2019 and serves as the single national strategy for advancing mitigation investment to reduce risks posed by natural hazards and increase the nation’s resilience to natural hazards. The MitFLG is responsible for guiding implementation of this strategy through whole-of-community collaboration and coordination.

Examples of how the MitFLG and its task forces have supported the Investment Strategy’s goals and recommendations include:

• Building to disaster-resistant codes or standards (e.g., infrastructure that can withstand severe storms).
• Collecting and sharing data that identifies disaster risk (e.g., flood maps).
• Aligning funding requirements and incentives to make mitigation doable (e.g., mitigation grants and loans can be combined to fund projects; and hazard insurance, such as earthquake and flood, rewards policy holders for reducing their risk).
• Identifying weaknesses that increase disaster risk (e.g., vulnerability and capability assessments).
• Sharing expertise and advice on how to mitigate (e.g., personnel, planning knowledge, and leading practices).

Each year, the MitFLG works to achieve approved priorities. As appropriate, the MitFLG expands to include new partners and increase the MitFLG’s visibility across the interagency. This year, the MitFLG is focusing on:

• Providing support and strategic direction for task force activities.
• Coordinating activities to continue to advance Executive Orders and memorandums.
• Strengthening coordinating and collaboration with new and existing partners.

Explore the Years in Review

MitFLG Membership

The MitFLG includes representatives from federal government agencies and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. It is chaired by FEMA, in partnership with a co-chair from another federal agency.

Federal Membership

MitFLG membership consists of federal department and agency senior officials who can speak authoritatively on behalf of their respective government organizations. Current federal membership includes:

Non-Federal Partners

The MitFLG includes representatives from outside the interagency as well. SLTT partners can be nominated by federal membership on staggered two-year terms. Their participation helps ensure that the MitFLG is informed of SLTT issues that affect the nation as a whole. Private industry coordination with the MitFLG occurs through coordinating structures, such as Government Coordinating Councils (GCCs) and Sector Coordinating Councils (SCCs) with mitigation-focused missions. Current non-federal membership includes:

Aly Briscoe, Interagency Partnerships Project Manager and MitFLG Secretariat
FEMA-MitFLG@fema.dhs.gov