How can standardizing resilience metrics improve cross-agency disaster response and recovery and optimize the allocation of government resources to ensure cost-effective and equitable outcomes?

Project started: December 9, 2024

Lead Agency: Corps of Engineers--Civil Works

Topics

Disaster Response
Infrastructure

Project Overview

Summary

The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Management and Budget hosted a researcher interest meeting on December 9, 2024. Click herefor the slides from that meeting.

This project aims to identify and disseminate resilience metrics that can be applied across multiple federal agencies to improve coordinated disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The increasing frequency and severity of natural and human-made disasters require a consistent and evidence-based approach to measuring resilience. Current methods of resilience quantification are fragmented across agencies, creating challenges in coordinating responses and evaluating the effectiveness of resilience-building initiatives.

Harmonizing existing resilience metrics and methodologies is intended to allow for coherent assessment and comparison across different agencies and domains, including infrastructure, social systems, and ecosystems. By standardizing these metrics, the project will enhance the ability of federal agencies to collaboratively address complex, multidimensional threats, improving both the effectiveness and efficiency of disaster response and resilience-building efforts.

The selected project team will convene and facilitate a workshop of leading scientists, engineers, and policymakers with expertise in measuring resilience across a variety of settings. This workshop will identify gaps in current resilience measurement practices and develop a unified framework for resilience quantification. Informed by the workshop, the project team will compile a comprehensive report, outlining actionable recommendations for implementing standardized resilience metrics across federal agencies. The resulting standardized framework will provide federal agencies with the tools needed to build a shared evidence base to support informed decisions and improve resilience in the face of evolving threats.

This initiative aligns with key policy priorities, such as climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and national security, and supports the national resilience strategy (e.g., FEMA National Resilience Guidance: A Collaborative Approach to Building Resilience).

Deliverables

Workshop on resilience metrics standardization: A multi-agency event with external researchers and experts to identify and address gaps in resilience measurement and harmonization efforts across federal agencies.
Comprehensive report with actionable recommendations: A detailed report providing standardized resilience metrics, methodologies, and evidence-based recommendations for cross-agency implementation.
Standardized resilience framework: A unified framework for consistent assessment and comparison of resilience metrics across federal agencies, supporting improved disaster preparedness and response.

Planned use of results

Results from this project will support informed decision-making and coordinated action across federal agencies by developing a standardized resilience quantification framework, enabling agencies to assess, strengthen, and prioritize resilience measures effectively in response to national or local challenges. This framework will guide decisions related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, ensuring a more coordinated and effective approach to managing complex threats. Additionally, the findings will influence future resilience strategies and continuous improvements in federal disaster management practices.

Data

The selected project team may gain access to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other government agencies, including existing resilience metrics, assessment tools, and case studies from previous disaster response and recovery efforts. These datasets include both qualitative and quantitative information, relevant to various resilience domains such as infrastructure, social systems, and ecosystems. To ensure secure and compliant access to this data, adherence to data sharing agreements that specify conditions for data use, confidentiality, and data protection will be required.