Description

This unit covers the competency required to collaboratively develop new/revised emergency plans by organisations such as: local government, emergency service or government agencies and departments; event organisers; managers of utilities, critical infrastructure or high occupancy buildings; and service providers.

The unit recognises that emergency planning requires processes and outcomes to be regularly checked, tested, revised and updated as conditions change. Planning is also seen as an important way of building the resilience of organisations and communities through their active involvement in the process.

Pre/Co-Requisites

Pre-requisite units:

• Nil

Co-requisite units:

• PUAEMR005B Design and manage activities which exercise elements of emergency management

Performance Criteria

1. Establish the planning context and framework

1.1. A planning committee is established with an appropriate balance of expertise, representation and authority to achieve desired outcomes

1.2. Authority to plan is confirmed by reference to legislation, government direction, community or other managerial agreement

1.3. Planning environment is clarified by analysing drivers

1.4. Legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements, policy, procedures, existing arrangements and plans that may impact on the planning framework are identified and analysed

1.5. Key stakeholders, are identified along with their potential interests, sensitivities, roles and responsibilities

1.6. Planning aims and objectives are developed and refined with management and other key stakeholders

2. Develop agreed planning processes and methodology

2.1. Practical constraints are considered when developing a feasible project scope

2.2. Frameworks for project planning, management and evaluation are jointly developed

2.3. Processes for negotiating outcomes and making decisions are developed within existing accountabilities

2.4. Consultation and community education strategies are developed

2.5. Information management, reporting and accountability strategies are developed and agreed

2.6. Project is broken down into a logical sequence of manageable and time related activities and the required resources identified

2.7. Ability of committee members and their organisations to undertake specific planning activities is jointly assessed

2.8. Sources of expertise are identified to contribute specialised information and analysis as required

2.9. Accountability for specific tasks or planning components is negotiated with the appropriate individual, organisation or service provider

3. Undertake research and analysis

3.1. Project scope is regularly reviewed in response to new information or changes in resources and planning environment

3.2. Appropriate research tools and consultation strategies are chosen

3.3. A comprehensive body of community information, risks and safety expectations is built/updated using credible sources

3.4. Effectiveness of current prevention/mitigation, response and recovery strategies is assessed

3.5. Vulnerability of communities and environments is determined by analysing their susceptibility and resilience to risk

3.6. Need for new/update response, evacuation and recovery plans is confirmed for risks that have the potential to become an emergency event

4. Develop/refine planning outcomes

4.1. Emergency management arrangements related to the effective control of operations and coordination of resources are reviewed or developed

4.2. Potential gaps or duplication in roles and responsibilities of all organisations are identified

4.3. Broad categories and types of resources and services that are likely to be required are identified

4.4. Financial and contractual arrangements for accessing or acquiring resources and services are developed

4.5. Arrangements for the command, control and coordination of the response to an emergency incident are addressed in the plan

4.6. Round trip nature of the evacuation process and the stages of evacuation are addressed in the plan

4.7. Arrangements for the restoration of the community structure and facilities and provision of support to affected people are addressed in the plan

4.8. Potentially critical resource/service shortfalls and communication deficiencies between organisations are identified

4.9. Contingencies to address potential problems are developed with relevant organisations and service providers

4.10. Implications of new/revised plans for business planning, review of legislation/policy/procedures and provision of training and community education programs are assessed

5. Document the planning outcomes

5.1. Draft plan is jointly developed

5.2. Draft plan’s structure enables all users to quickly access essential information and any amendments

5.3. Draft plan’s purpose, control/coordination arrangements and any functional/threat specific sub plans are specified in sufficient detail

5.4. Language used is clear, concise and appropriate for the community

5.5. Plans and sub plans are consistent

5.6. Planning records, supporting documentation and contact information are maintained by the organisation responsible for version control

6. Validate and implement planning outcomes

6.1. Feedback on the draft plan is obtained from stakeholders

6.2. Crucial arrangements and systems are tested for robustness and flexibility in response to likely scenarios

6.3. Outcomes of testing plan components or sub plans by lead/supporting organisations are used to refine the draft plan

6.4. Compatibility, links and interactions between the draft plan, sub plans and other community safety strategies are tested

6.5. Revisions are signed off by lead/supporting organisations prior to seeking formal plan endorsement by the relevant authority

6.6. Endorsed plan is published and distributed to all relevant parties

6.7. Support for the plan is established by promoting its specific benefits to stakeholders

7. Monitor and review the planning process and outcomes

7.1. A maintenance and audit schedule is established in accordance with relevant legislation, policy or procedures

7.2. Plans or components are exercised according to priorities identified in risk assessment

7.3. Deficiencies in operational systems and procedures identified during audit, activation or exercising of  the plan are analysed and reported to the relevant party

7.4. Significant changes in risk, vulnerability or available resources are recognised and accommodated

7.5. Contact information for key personnel is regularly updated

7.6. Plan amendments are negotiated, documented and authorised in accordance with version control procedures

7.7. Opportunities for improving emergency planning processes are reported

7.8. Audit and reporting requirements are completed

Key Competencies

Communicating ideas and information

• Communicate ideas and information to reporting procedures (verbal and written) 

Collecting analysing and organising information

• Collect, organise and understand information related to recognising and reporting situations

 Planning and organising activities 

• Plan and organise activities which implement and follow standard procedures 

Working with others and in teams

• Work with others and in a team by assisting and cooperating with team members 

Using mathematical ideas and techniques 

• Use mathematical ideas and techniques to document and report numbers for emergency procedures

Solving problems 

• Establish diagnostic processes which recommend improvements for OH&S issues

Using technology 

• Use workplace technology related to the use of technology to assist with safe work practices

Range Statement

Communities are groups with shared associations and may include:

• Geographic groups of people such as:
  • neighbourhoods
  • states/territories, cities, towns, suburbs
  • local areas, regions, nation. 
• Groups of people exposed to a particular hazard
• Groups such as government organisations, non-government, organisations, members of parliament
• Providers of goods, services and information (lifelines)
  • transport, utilities, communications
  • health, safety, comfort
• Shared-experience groups of people such as:
  • particular-interest groups, professional groups
  • age, ethnic groups, language groups
  • tourists
• Workers in industry sectors such as:
• agriculture
• manufacturing (eg. food processing)
• commercial
• mining
• emergency services

Drivers may include

• Changes in community characteristics
• Changes in insurance policies and premiums
• Changes in legislation, policies and disaster/emergency management plans
• New sources of risk or changed perception of risk
• Strategic and corporate plans
• Planning deficiencies
• Recent emergency incident reports/debriefs, safety issues
• Recent judicial decisions

Legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements may include

• Acts dealing with disasters, emergencies, occupational health and safety and the environment
• Building codes
• Land use planning
• Local government regulations
• Planning requirements for public health, building, fire prevention
• Privacy
• Regulations for handling/transport of dangerous goods
• Safety standards

Policies and procedures may include

• Agreements between agencies and/or organisations
• Emergency management arrangements specified in legislation or policies
• Existing disaster or emergency management plans
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Stakeholders may include

• Emergency services (eg. fire, police, SES, ambulance, recovery agencies)
• Event organisers (eg. concerts, car rallies, sport)
• Hospital/medical personnel and care givers
• Interest, community, professional and industry groups
• Local business people
• Local government (eg. elected representatives, shire engineers, community development officers)
• Managers of critical infrastructure (eg. telecommunications, mining, petrochemical and gas)
• Managers of high occupancy facilities (eg. shopping centres, high rise apartment/office blocks)
• Providers of utilities (power, water, radio/TV)
• School staff
• State/territory/commonwealth agencies (eg. public works, human services, health, transport, natural resources, primary industry, environmental protection, emergency management)
• Tourist operators
• Venue operators

Practical constraints may include

• Arrangements, roles and responsibilities set down in existing emergency management plans
• Availability of technical expertise, technology, equipment
• Budgets, time, availability and capability of people
• Land use planning
• Legislation covering emergency management, environmental management
• Limited community knowledge of emergency risk management processes and benefits
• Local government regulations
• Political, social and cultural considerations
• Safety standards

Consultation and community education strategies may involve

• Advertising in local media
• Broadcast facsimile and email messages, web sites
• Contacting individual organisations, professional bodies, unions and recreational/sport associations
• Distributing pamphlets
• Focus groups, workshops, surveys
• Initiating media interviews
• Letters and articles written for specific audiences
• Meetings with groups, key individuals and leaders of minority/ethnic/cultural groups
• Presentations to a variety of community groups; speaking at community functions
• Preparing media releases

Research tools may involve

• Affinity analysis
• Brainstorming, visioning
• Cause and effect analysis, force field analysis
• Emergency risk management tools
• Rank-It, SWOT analysis

Community information may include

• Characteristics of natural, local and built environments
• Demographics (population distribution, social, cultural, health status and education data)
• Details of key infrastructure and emergency/support services Economic activity reports (employment, products, services, revenue)
• Government reports (eg. environmental impacts)

Sources of community information may include

• Community information booklets
• Credible individuals, group and community leaders
• Documented outcomes of emergency risk management processes conducted by communities, organisations and companies
• Family and historical records
• Libraries, research reports, Australian Bureau of Statistics data
• Media, council and emergency service personnel and records
• Special needs groups, significant cultural organisations

Sources of risk may include

• Commercial activity and legal relationships
• Economic
• Human behaviour and individual activities
• Industrial activities
• Management activities and controls
• Natural events
• Political circumstances
• Technology/technical issues
• Terrorism

Planning for response may include

• Collecting, processing and disseminating information
• Communications systems
• Coordinating and deploying resources
• Liaison between organisations, agencies
• Management structure
• Negotiating outside assistance and providing assistance to other areas
• Operation of the emergency operations centre
• Preparation and activation of warnings, distribution of public information
• Roles of support organisations

Planning for the evacuation may include identification of

• Enabling legislation and/or regulations
• Evacuation routes
• Health and safety needs of mass gatherings
• Management structure
• Organisations responsible for arranging and coordinating transport
• Organisations responsible for conducting and assisting with the evacuation
• Organisations responsible for operating evacuation centres
• Preparation and activation of warnings, distribution of public information, media management
• Registration teams
• Sites suitable as assembly areas
• Sites suitable as evacuation centres
• Strategies for communicating with diverse ethnic, cultural and language groups
• Strategies for gaining community cooperation

Planning for recovery may include

• Assisting with business continuity
• Counselling emotionally-affected people
• Establishing and managing emergency financial relief schemes
• Managing environmental rehabilitation programs
• Managing overwhelming demand
• Management structure
• Providing immediate emergency accommodation
• Providing personal support
• Roles and responsibilities of agencies and organisations
• Repairing or replacing damaged public utilities, services and assets
• Surveying and assessing damage to public and private property

Planning outcomes may include

• Emergency or disaster plans at national, state/territory, district/regional and local levels
• Support or functional plans developed at state/territory, district/regional and local levels for services such as:
  • communications
  • engineering
  • evacuation
  • health
  • recovery/welfare
  • transport
• Threat specific plans developed at state/territory, district/regional and local levels to deal with threats from hazards such as:
  • cyclone
  • emergency animal disease
  • flood, water, public health
  • fire
  • hazardous materials
  • marine pollution
  • terrorism

Stages of evacuation include

• Warning
• Withdrawal
• Shelter
• Reunion
• Return

Evidence Guide

Critical Aspects of Evidence

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

• explain emergency risk management concepts, the process and how to promote its benefits to a wide range of audiences
• apply the emergency risk management process (Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360)
• develop an appropriate emergency risk management process in cooperation with the community and  stakeholders
• establish a project and see it through to produce a set of recommended treatment options that has broad community and stakeholder support
• work with committee members to develop feasible and effective treatment options for a given set of risks
• promote community cooperation, input and ownership for the emergency risk management process used and the recommended treatment options
• obtain feedback, monitor and review the process and outcomes
• maintain momentum and achieve the project outcomes within available resources

Underpinning Knowledge

• Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360
• Culture, diversity and history of communities, environments and associated concerns, issues and sensitivities, perception of risks
• Culture, structure and responsibility for treatments of key response/recovery agencies and organisations
• Decision making techniques
• Emergency Risk Management Guidelines (1999)
• Emergency risk management process (Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360) and the kinds of outcomes and benefits for communities
• Emergency risk management terminology, risk, PPRR concepts and principles, mitigation
• Group dynamics, strategies for team building and resolving conflict
• ISO9000 and 14000 series quality standards
• Legislative and regulatory requirements, multiagency/ organisational arrangements relevant to emergency risk management
• Meeting procedures
• Organisational requirements for the submission and approval of recommended treatment options
• State/territory emergency risk management guidelines
• Tools for generating and assessing treatment options

Underpinning Skills

• Analyse implications and impacts of proposed treatments
• Analyse positions of group members and stakeholders, priorities of agencies and individuals
• Define and solve problems
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal interactions
• Listen actively
• Locate and interpret community information
• Manage projects
• Maximise the participation of committee members and input of stakeholders
• Monitor and enhance team work
• Negotiate commitment by individuals, agencies, organisations to collaborative treatment options
• Resolve conflicts between participants constructively
• Summarise and explain key information clearly
• Value diversity of views and perceptions of risks

Resource implications

• Access to a community and the opportunity to participate in an actual, or simulated, emergency planning process

Consistency in performance

• Competency should be demonstrated in a range of contexts throughout the life of an emergency planning project, or during components of a number of projects

Context of assessment

• Competency should be assessed making significant contributions to an emergency planning process either as an individual or as the representative of a stakeholder, organisation or constituency in the workplace or in a simulated workplace environment