Task 2 Build the Planning Team

Engage Local Leadership

Local elected officials and staff must provide strong leadership throughout the planning process. Leadership from elected officials with an interest in improving safety and disaster resiliency ensures the planning process has visibility and encourages stakeholder participation. Equally important is the role of a strong advocate or local champion for mitigation on the planning team, who helps enlist the support and participation of local officials and community leaders and leads the hazard mitigation planning effort. If one has not already been established, the planning team may select a leader, or chairperson, to oversee and help manage the planning process. This person does not need to be a professional planner or expert in hazard mitigation, but must be able to communicate the purpose and importance of the mitigation plan, convene the planning team, and facilitate the completion of tasks required for the mitigation plan to be finished on schedule.

Best Practice

Darke County, OH Darke County's 2011 plan was identified as a best practice because it clearly identified its leaders and their responsibilities in coordinating and facilitating the hazard mitigation process. The leadership consisted of both public officials and private consultants.

Darke