Natural disasters in North Carolina continue to become more and more prevalent. Federal disaster recovery dollars can provide important response and recovery resources, however, impacted units of local government must navigate complex financial reporting and compliance requirements, all while working within constrained post-disaster operating environments. Concerns over the successful and efficient administration of recovery funding prompted the North Carolina General Assembly to develop a comprehensive financial administration training program for local governments. To help member governments respond and recover from natural disasters, Centralina partnered with the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Government to administer this program in our region. The following resources focus on how to prepare for significant disaster emergency events, reduce recovery time and increase response rates while recouping valuable resources that may be expended in response to such events. Learn how to:
- Secure disaster recovery funds to ensure local governments address local and regional priorities
- Build and maintain necessary financial systems and staff support to administer and efficiently report disaster recovery funds utilization
- Incorporate recovery staffing and business practices into day-to-day financial administration operation.
Introduction to Public Assistance Overview
Learn the basics of the FEMA Public Assistance (PA) program, including how to make best use of funding. Course participants will:
- Gain an understanding of the FEMA PA program’s process, eligibility and components
- Learn how the program’s procurement requirements apply and how to navigate local, federal and state regulatory requirements
- Test their knowledge with quizzes, interactive worksheets and group exercises
Pre-Disaster Process
Gain essential skills for managing federal financial assistance before, during and after disasters. Trainers will guide participants through the intricacies of financial administration, ensuring they are well prepared to:
- Secure disaster recovery funds
- Build and maintain financial systems and staff support to properly utilize disaster recovery funds
- Incorporate recovery staffing and business practices into all administrative operations
Disaster Recovery Process
Learn the best methods to manage each phase of the FEMA PA process after a disaster and effectively engage with state and federal partners to administer eligible projects. Course participants have the ability to:
- Obtain, analyze and gather field documentation to ensure reimbursement from the FEMA PA program
- Accurately prepare and prioritize FEMA PA emergency and permanent work project claimed costs
- Define different hazard mitigation programs and determine the proper use of those within the disaster recovery process
Long-Term Recovery
Learn about the FEMA PA’s financial and programmatic closeout process, how insurance coverage affects PA funding received and planning strategies for the management of donated resources received after a disaster. Course participants will:
- Receive a high-level overview of long-term recovery
- Understand the roles of the North Carolina Emergency Management in the PA process
- Understand the measures that can be put into place pre-disaster, such as an emergency procurement policy language and job description language, that enables PA funding eligibility
Summary
This training package provides the foundation of each regional council’s disaster recovery training programs. It can be readily incorporated into hazard mitigation plans to address gaps in the financial administration of disaster recovery. The curriculum has been designed to be scalable to the audience based on their experience level. The program is also adaptable to address specific nuances to geography and organizational structure, among other challenges, to ensure all requirements of the public assistance process are met for your locality in a timely and efficient manner.
For more information about the Disaster Recovery Financial Administration training, please contact Christina Danis at cdanis@centralina.org.