After an emergency - a seven point self assessment

This diagnostic tool will enable you to identify areas of strength and weakness in processes, capabilities and skills. The results from carrying out the assessment will also help in planning and implementing process capability improvements and systematically focus on areas of weakness.

Format of the self assessment
The self assessment consists of worksheets within a free MS Excel workbook.
 
Scoring - The relevant matters to take into account in considering the quality of management exercised center around seven key performance tests.
 
Sections cover performance in the following areas:

Seven Key Performance Elements

1. Detection
To what degree were early warning systems in place? To what degree were they effective?

2. Interpretation
To what degree were systems and methods which "mapped" answers to the question "what does this mean?" (This might have involved sophisticated geographic information systems, or meetings with hard copy map overlays). To what degree were these methods effective?

3. Planning to Communicate
To what degree had you premised the range of stakeholders who needed to be listened to, and communicated with? This reflection should consider how you planned for those who were likely to be at risk and how you planned with those who had a responsibility to support the management of the risks.

4. Communicating - with those at risk
To what degree was your communication to and with people at risk effective? To what extent did it elicit "appropriate protective behaviour"?

5. Communicating - with those managing the risks
To what degree was your communication with people with a responsibility to support the management of the risks effective?

6. Roles and Responsibilities
To what degree did plans contain a method by which they were invoked, up-to-date contact and mobilization details for any relevant agencies, organizations and resources that might be required to support the response. (For example, did they contain guidelines regarding which individuals have the authority to invoke the plan and under what circumstances; and contain identified lines of communications, roles and responsibilities, key tasks and reference information.)

7. Organisation
To what degree was a method for the organisation of a broader (i.e. beyond your own organisation) collaborative management system in place? (Such a system would allow stakeholders from across the community to establish agreed and prioritized objectives in terms of the critical activities to be undertaken, the timescales in which they are to be undertaken and measures of success in terms of outcomes to be achieved.)

Performance levels are attributed: N - not at all, P - partial, L - largely, and F - fully