Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1367428
Embrace the gaps. Focus on the joint task of fulfilling unmet recovery needs through funding, program alignment, referral and communication. The greatest unmet needs are in housing and housing affordability, mental health, personal finances and jobs, and environmental safety. This is the new normal, and a continuation of the response as the effort concludes its recovery phase and moves into the resilience phase. Consider Collective Impact to facilitate future disaster response and current recovery efforts. The unique collective problem of disaster preparedness and response could benefit from the Collective Impact Model. The most effective structures are multi-sectoral and all share five key conditions: • A common agenda, and a shared vision for success • Shared measurement framework, including agreement on helpful data collection and accountability • Mutually reinforcing activities, which requires coordination through a joint plan of action • Continuous communication, which builds trust and transparency • Backbone support, an organization with the staff, resources and skills to help the collective convene, coordinate and communicate. While some of these conditions are in effect currently in Sonoma and Napa, not all of them are fully developed. Identify a backbone for collaborative preparedness and action Intentional commitment to investing in a disaster response backbone entity to help strengthen these collective impact conditions could pave the way for a stronger disaster response collaborative. A backbone entity does not preclude multiple strategies, networks, efforts or timelines or minimize the role of existing agencies, organizations, partnerships, or collaboratives, but it aligns all efforts toward a common agenda. Recommendations One of the primary recommendations of the report is to intentionally embrace the Collective Impact Model to help support alignment, measure impact, and address barriers to collaboration. There are many helpful and successful models to review in support of this effort. While the need for a collective impact plan and investment in a disaster response eco-system were some of the strongest takeaways from the assessment, the process surfaced many other findings and actionable items and they are listed below. 1 2 3 5