Private Sector Integration
What Is The Problem?
Large scale regional disasters cause disruptions in power, supply lines (food, water, fuel, etc..) and many other "lifeline sectors" that are critical to a functioning community and its businesses. These businesses rely on their own resources most of the time in order to recover from a disaster. The problem arises when the disaster causes issues across a wide range of sectors and states.
To the best of our knowledge, there are very few (if any) "regional" plans that address these complex, inter-dependencies in the private sector that are inclusive of multiple states and local governments.
For example, in no other sector are we reminded of this need than in the electric sector.
Each regional electrical outage event reminds everyone that the coordination across multiple states/agencies, private sector companies/organizations, and federal agencies is required to address some of these complex problems.
According to the private sector, more work is still needed to solve these key operational issues.
Going forward, some important questions need to be addressed:
Large scale regional disasters cause disruptions in power, supply lines (food, water, fuel, etc..) and many other "lifeline sectors" that are critical to a functioning community and its businesses. These businesses rely on their own resources most of the time in order to recover from a disaster. The problem arises when the disaster causes issues across a wide range of sectors and states.
To the best of our knowledge, there are very few (if any) "regional" plans that address these complex, inter-dependencies in the private sector that are inclusive of multiple states and local governments.
For example, in no other sector are we reminded of this need than in the electric sector.
Each regional electrical outage event reminds everyone that the coordination across multiple states/agencies, private sector companies/organizations, and federal agencies is required to address some of these complex problems.
According to the private sector, more work is still needed to solve these key operational issues.
Going forward, some important questions need to be addressed:
- How can multiple state agencies across multiple states coordinate on specific electric sector issues at the same time?
- How can multiple federal agencies and national trade associations, who are normally engaged during a large power outage, synchronize with multiple states and the private sector to expedite power restoration efforts across a region or multiple regions?
- How can we coordinate on the development of this coordination?
- Which particular issues, of the thousands that arise, are the various organizations responsible and provide support for and when do they activate these resources?
- What “status” information are the various organizations interested in receiving from the private sector so that a consistent, efficient, and trusted process can be developed for this communication?
- Who is in charge during such efforts, government or the private sector?
What is Integrated Planning?
Integrated planning "integrates" both public and private sectors into a sustained planning effort in order to:
1) Identify the specific problem(s) to be addresses and people needed to address it
2) Build a common, shared understanding of key operational issues
3) Come to common agreement or intent on a path forward
4) Coordinate actions (e.g. review or produce integrated plans, exercises, educational materials, training, solutions., etc..)
5) Build trust between the parties by sustaining the effort beyond stakeholder turnover
Integrated planning "integrates" both public and private sectors into a sustained planning effort in order to:
1) Identify the specific problem(s) to be addresses and people needed to address it
2) Build a common, shared understanding of key operational issues
3) Come to common agreement or intent on a path forward
4) Coordinate actions (e.g. review or produce integrated plans, exercises, educational materials, training, solutions., etc..)
5) Build trust between the parties by sustaining the effort beyond stakeholder turnover
Why Integrated Planning?
National Disaster Policy has evolved by advocating “Getting Business Back to Business”, as a strategy for rapid recovery of resilient “lifeline” infrastructures and by employing regional public/private partnerships to create a national capability to achieve resilience through integrating public/private preparedness, response and recovery activities.
Most of the critical infrastructures that support our modern society are not confined to single states, and are owned and operated by business. These networks and organizations of critical infrastructure cross multiple state lines, even national borders, in servicing their public and private customers across broad swaths of the nation.
The answer lies in thinking strategically, creating a joint public/private integrated “blue sky day” regional planning framework that helps all stakeholders better understanding the electric sectors operational needs and choke points; achieve a common perspective on a few key issues to address, and coordinate actions on these key issues as identified by the private sector and agreed to by the state advisers.
The AHC's integrated planning initiative looks at a new, fresh innovative approach to begin addressing the expediting of regional/national power restoration efforts, integrate and coordinate the capabilities and resources from multiple public and private sector organizations, and leverage the present and future efforts and capabilities of the federal partner agencies during both emergency and non-emergency conditions.
As was originally intended, all sectors can benefit from this focus on the electric sector.
National Disaster Policy has evolved by advocating “Getting Business Back to Business”, as a strategy for rapid recovery of resilient “lifeline” infrastructures and by employing regional public/private partnerships to create a national capability to achieve resilience through integrating public/private preparedness, response and recovery activities.
Most of the critical infrastructures that support our modern society are not confined to single states, and are owned and operated by business. These networks and organizations of critical infrastructure cross multiple state lines, even national borders, in servicing their public and private customers across broad swaths of the nation.
The answer lies in thinking strategically, creating a joint public/private integrated “blue sky day” regional planning framework that helps all stakeholders better understanding the electric sectors operational needs and choke points; achieve a common perspective on a few key issues to address, and coordinate actions on these key issues as identified by the private sector and agreed to by the state advisers.
The AHC's integrated planning initiative looks at a new, fresh innovative approach to begin addressing the expediting of regional/national power restoration efforts, integrate and coordinate the capabilities and resources from multiple public and private sector organizations, and leverage the present and future efforts and capabilities of the federal partner agencies during both emergency and non-emergency conditions.
As was originally intended, all sectors can benefit from this focus on the electric sector.