Evaluating local government emergency management programs: What framework should public managers adopt?

Abstract

Local governments play a key role in emergency management by developing the necessary policies and concrete procedures for responding effectively to community emergencies and their aftermath. However, because emergency measures in most jurisdictions are rarely, if ever, activated, public managers find it difficult to evaluate and assess the quality of existing emergency management programs. Drawing on expert literature to identify 30 elements of a high-quality local emergency management program, key elements are refined and synthesized into a single framework that provides clear-cut best practices for emergency program evaluation and performance measurement. © 2010 The American Society for Public Administration.