Effective communication can save lives and reduce economic damage during the response and recovery phases of a disaster. Despite widely available information on creating effective risk communication and warning messages to elicit desired public outcomes during and following disasters, communication attempts fail too often.
Back in the public spotlight for the first time since the Cold War thanks to the new ABC drama Designated Survivor, Continuity of Government (COG) is a lesser-known mission in the portfolio of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Federal Emergency Management Agency. As a concept, its origins lie in the dawn of the atomic era, when the new possibility of simultaneous nationwide devastation created the need for contingency plans for the worst cases imaginable.
Even in this “there’s an app for that” age, the business of Government is executed by its people. Determining how to attract, hire, train, manage, develop, and retain an organization’s workforce are among the most challenging tasks for a Federal executive team.
The essence of an effective strategy is focusing attention, resources, and energy on the precise areas needed to achieve an organization’s goals. Unfortunately, and in stark contrast, many efforts to communicate strategies are diffused and often uncoordinated, trying to blanket all media channels with content in hopes that audiences will absorb something from somewhere. It is better to focus communications as the strategy is focused, using the most effective, selected channels and methods to achieve distinct desired results.
Strategy helps organizations define their desired end-state and prioritize what capabilities they need to get there. If you develop a strategy thoughtfully and implement it well, it can be a game changer for an organization.
Federal agencies are more frequently developing strategic plans to achieve mission success, and senior leaders are paying close attention to the implementation of these plans to make them a success. Effective implementation needs engagement from employees at all levels.
The role of data analytics is quickly expanding in the public sector. How the Government will get their arms around the vast amounts of data, however, continues to be a challenge. While data-driven decision making is the future, the Government needs reliable ways to access the data and turn it into information.
Since the September 11th attacks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented plans to prevent terrorism and enhance security throughout the nation. The most recent Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan supports these missions and includes plans to sufficiently prepare for crises and deter events like terrorist attacks.
Formulating a strategy requires skill and innovation. But that isn’t the hard part. The critical stage between formulating a strategy and implementation is where strategy can become reality – or not. How do you turn a good idea into something that happens?
In Greek mythology, a hydra is the nine-headed serpent slain by Hercules as one of his twelve labors: when any one of its heads is cut off, it is replaced by two others. This is a great way to characterize the ever-changing threat that the many agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) face every day.
“You want the best players to like you for all the reasons. It won't work. It'll bite you in the bum after awhile. You need to have the same standards for everyone. You can treat people differently because each one is different, but they all have to march to the same drummer, to the same standards." – Greg Popovich
Across Government, agencies are responding to new mandates, challenges, and priorities – and rarely do these shifts come with budget increases to match. 2017 will bring increased uncertainty. Depending on the outcome of the presidential election, strategic directions may shift a little, or a lot.
November’s presidential election may produce a range of outcomes so varied in its implications for DHS that it poses a challenge for agencies that are in the throes of planning for the transition.
