Every Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) subapplication—whether it be for management costs, mitigation planning, project scoping or a mitigation project—goes through various phases before the subapplication is selected and awarded.
The first steps in the subapplication development process generally present the best opportunity to develop viable activities to ensure subapplications can be successful. A subapplicant and an applicant may consider community needs, eligibility requirements, availability of project scoping/advance assistance or technical assistance and the requirements of later phases, such as project implementation, monitoring and closeout.
Other key considerations should include equity for underserved communities, anticipated impacts of climate change, Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) and any other resilience topics relevant to the HMA application.
Determining the best mitigation or resilience activity at the earliest point in the decision-making process increases the efficacy of the overall HMA program by expediting FEMA review and by reducing the need for Requests for Information. Reducing Requests for Information may result in quicker approval of the subaward.
The HMA subapplication development process comprises the following steps:
- Select a mitigation activity.
- Conduct scoping.
- Determine funding strategy and consider eligibility requirements as well as other considerations.
- Develop the subapplication.
Eligibility and other requirements are discussed in more detail in Part 4.
The steps following subapplication development, including review and implementation phases, are described throughout the HMA Guide. Figure 2 outlines the HMA process.
