The Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency: the Changes that James Lee Witt Introduced - Research Paper Example

 Introduction James Lee Witt was appointed by President Clinton as the Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1993 with the authority to directly interact with the President regarding controlling measures to be taken in order to cope up with various emergency situations such as natural disasters and even terrorist attacks. After being involved with the FEMA, Mr. Witt recognized that FEMA was criticized for its performance with regard to various attributes. He also identified that in taking action for the relief service, FEMA had to follow a long time consuming process. Consequentially, the association had fallen among the group of incompetent emergency managing bodies who were endowed with the responsibility to respond to calamities and terrorism as well. Furthermore, Mr. Witt also observed that many of the FEMA’s members are not trained nor had proper idea regarding the rudiments of emergency management. By taking these into his consideration, Mr. Witt made an attempt to instigate certain strategies in order to mitigate the problems identified, making the operational process in FEMA smoother as well as time-efficient and effectual (CCH Incorporated, 2002). The strategies were mostly inclined towards reframing the authoritative control of FEMA which could be identified with reference to its vision and its responsibilities. With this concern, Mr. Witt had also formulated a structure revising the goal of the organization along with devising innovative procedures towards its attainments. He also took certain effective measures to build a good relationship with the government and political bodies, which was previously considered to be lacking and thus creating a negative ambience for FEMA’s efficiency (CCH Incorporated, 2002). The discussion henceforth aims at describing the strategic alterations made by James Lee Witt after being selected as the Director of FEMA by the President Clinton in 1993. The study further intends to provide an account of the efficiency of Mr. Witt’s emergency management initiatives, taking into account the infamous 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre. Furthermore, the study elaborates on stating the effects in the present scenario of strategies laid by Director Witt along with his nature of revolution in comparison with other FEMA Directors. Overview of James Lee Witt’s Contribution as Director of FEMA James Lee Witt’s contribution to emergency management has been widely appraised within the United States as well as in other countries all around the world, even before he was designated to the position of Director in the FEMA by the then President Mr. Bill Clinton, which was further confirmed by the United States Senate in 1993. After being elected as Director, James Lee Witt introduced certain projects in order to serve the international consumers of the states and the economy as a whole with various measures to protect them from natural as well as manmade disasters. Since his joining in the FEMA, Mr. Witt had been highly focused towards the identification of the major discrepancies in the association operations which were noted to raise barriers when concerning the process to render emergency services to the community at the earliest time and with efficiency (Rayelan, 2000). After considering the drawbacks of FEMA, Mr. Witt attempted to develop a mutual understanding with the then President’s Cabinet Departments to assess rapid functioning of the relief service. By the year 1996, Mr. Witt was able to transform the FEMA into one of the Cabinet level departments of the President with the assistance of President Clinton (Daniels & Clark-Daniels, 2000). Among his foremost initiatives, Mr. Witt segregated the working process by introducing separate departments with specific members based on their knowledge and experiences related to emergency management. He also focused on developing a new mission and goals for FEMA’s effective performing shifting its notion from concentrating on preventing measures towards a greater emphasis on controlling and responding parameters. The newly developed mission by Mr. Witt indicates towards an innovative process and the measures to be adopted by FEMA in serving the community in emergency situations by generating awareness, along with developing recovery and response programs. To effectually implement the mission, Mr. Witt also planned certain goals which he intended to attain by strengthening the relationship of FEMA with other agencies such as federal agencies, volunteer organizations, state and local governments along with the private sectors with the collective aid of which, effective services could be provided to the community in a time efficient way (Daniels & Clark-Daniels, 2000). Mr. Witt also proposed the national educational institutes to adopt a few policies in their educational process with the intention that students must gain awareness regarding emergency management from their very childhood which can be beneficial for the community when facing disasters. During his Directorship, Mr. Witt also identified that the process executed within FEMA was highly formal and rigid, engaging various stages and thus making the entire process a time-consuming phenomenon. Therefore, Mr. Witt focused on redeveloping the entire operational process, making it more flexible by engaging as minimum levels as possible to make the process quicker and effective (Daniels & Clark-Daniels, 2000). The initial impact of Mr. Witt in FEMA can be identified as the development of an effective communication system with the Executive Office of the President. This impact helped FEMA to implement rapid and effectual actions in the affected places where the relief was required (Daniels & Clark-Daniels, 2000). This rapid service rendered by FEMA as relief, further helped the organization to gain a good position in the community. Mr. Witt also conducted a survey to measure the competency of the agency performance towards the community which indeed gave positive response in terms of the organization’s productivity level enhancement. Along with the percentage evaluation, he also found that many of the FEMA members do not have adequate knowledge and experience with relation to emergency disaster service for which a proper training process was essentially required (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999). Mr. James Lee Witt also introduced strategies for managing crises in a more time-efficient and effectual way than that implemented by the association in its prior years. To make the functioning rapid and smoother, Mr. Witt had segmented the organization into departments with specified roles such as preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery department. Preparedness department is specially made to serve community with adequate awareness and make them well-equipped to face manmade or natural disasters. Mitigation was framed with the sole purpose to supply the organization and the community as well with innovative ideas for precaution which can help to minimize the loss and reduce the risk of getting affected by the disasters as well. Following the vision of Mr. James Lee Witt, the response department of FEMA was established to act as a customer care section in which the calls were to be attended serving with effectual responses to the victim(s). The recovery department has been planned and executed to operate with a team that would be liable to directly visit the affected fields as per the instructions supplied from the response department. With the segmentation of the departments, FEMA was able to give fast services to the concerned people suffering from calamities such as the victims of the Great Flood in 1993, Northridge earthquake, Oklahoma City Bombing and similar other natural as well as manmade disasters (United House of Representatives, 2006). Changed Strategies The change in FEMA’s practices was apparently noticed worldwide in delivering effectual services after the terrorist attack of 9/11 with improvements in the overall organizational functioning towards identifying the type of disaster faced, even including terrorist attacks as per the suggestion of its former Director (United States General Accounting Office, 2003). After the attack FEMA also introduced a study in 2002. The study assists with the guidance for the upcoming infrastructure which is to be built, thus focusing on generating awareness amid the community members. The three major guidelines specified in this study indicated the load capacity, fireproofing facilities and resource presence along with emergency exit (Mellon, 2007). FEMA also introduced an extension in its external departments by involving the External and Administration and Resources Planning Directorates to serve more efficiently in the economy at the time of disasters. In the post 9/11 period, the major alteration of James Lee Witt’s strategy was identified to be highly efficient in even accepting the challenge of predicting the terrorist attack as well as promoting emergency crisis awareness within the community with a higher degree of efficiency. Since 2002 to 2005, annual evaluation states that FEMA was lacking in management process for which the organization does not have any proper documents with relation to their investment as well as their subsidiary branches. Along with the management failure, it was also observed that there was a lack of proper strategic planning for achieving their objectives (United States Government Accountability Office, 2007). It was also observed that FEMA, to some extent, was involved in political practices which further were observed to influence its strategic planning performances. However, it was also identified that after the Post Katrina Emergency Reform Act (PKERA), FEMA had made a vast change in its performance to regain its position and independency (Blitstein, 2009). From an overall perspective towards the performance of FEMA under James Lee Witt’s Directorship, it was assumed that a few strategies or performances were apparently effective, however, with some exceptions. For instance, the strategy of Project Impact was examined to be much effective towards enhancing FEMA’s operational efficiency with its aim to promote and train individuals with precautionary and awareness measures in dealing with both manmade and natural disasters. Furthermore, the strategy was developed and executed by Mr. Witt to segment the organizational function into well-structured departments in order to serve the country with proper and fast relief assistance, engaging less hurdles in terms of the decision making as well as execution process. These two strategies inevitably raised the cost burden of FEMA owing to which in the post 9/11 period various funding programs had to be developed (Perrow, 2006). Mr. Witt also implemented an effective strategy in terms of developing a good relationship and communication process with the Executive Office of President, which further gave rise to the risk of political influence on FEMA’s operations increasing the requirement of certain alterations in this regard. However, it was also observed that FEMA was to give more emphasis on natural disasters rather than any manmade disasters during the Directorship of James Lee Witt. With reference to the context, it was presumed by FEMA’s newly developed mission that natural disasters have the probability to affect a vast area, causing greater damages, whereas manmade disasters affect a certain area causing comparatively lesser damages. Consequentially, the strategies of Mr. Witt were identified to lack in serving the community with efficiency during the stressful situation of 9/11 (Perrow, 2006). Discussion Benefits of the Changes after 9/11 to James Lee Witt’s strategies In the post 9/11 period, FEMA’s performance indicates that innovative ideas along with Mr. Witt’s strategies were executed towards improving the services at a broader level inclusive of natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks. Such performances can be classified as Catastrophic Planning where FEMA considered a pilot program which helped to keep proper documents of their functioning along with reducing the cost of investment with effective changes in the former Director James Lee Witt’s strategies. The pilot program can be defined as the method of reducing the cost of investment for federal government, maximize the flexibility handling the disaster circumstances and accelerate fast reliefs for the disaster program (United States General Accounting Office, 2011; FEMA, 2007). FEMA also introduced Flood Maps as an addition to James Lee Witt’s strategies for those places where there were chances of flood as a precautionary measure under the directorship of James Lee Witt offering a complete guidance to the locales regarding where they should go and in which direction they have to move for safety. Consequentially, the introduction of map for the people by FEMA worked out effectively. However, it was observed that the maps distributed by FEMA were lacking in terms of the degree of accuracy, thus restricting the advantages of the strategy. However, in its current operations, FEMA has been intending to solve the issue for better efficiency and control (United States General Accounting Office, 2010). During its phase of development, FEMA was asked by the Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act 2010 to submit a quarterly report to Congress in the 2010 fiscal year. After observing the quarterly report of FEMA with changes in a few of the strategies implemented by lames Lee Witt, the Senate Appropriation Committee, Homeland Security Subcommittee and the House Appropriation Committee affirmed that FEMA had become quite capable of developing as well as executing effective strategies to render effective emergency services to the entire nation. Furthermore, it was observed that FEMA had saved a huge amount for relief and promotion purposes in its funds which rewarded a certain degree of financial freedom to the organization. FEMA had developed effective measures to promote the national awareness for disasters; however, in the process, they had to face problems in collecting the related data for implementation (United States General Accounting Office, 2010). FEMA also introduced the telephonic networking system for emergency preparedness connecting a wide regional area. It certainly proved as a quite important and helpful for the proper deliverance of emergency services as one of the fastest mode of communication (United States General Accounting Office, 2010). In addition, FEMA introduced the National Flood Insurance Program for the betterment of the community which could further help the community with funds to cope up with the disastrous situation after flood (United States General Accounting Office, 2011). From an overall perspective, it can be thus stated that the above mentioned changes or rather alterations to James Le Witt’s strategies were for the best deliverance of FEMA’s services. James Lee Witt’s Strategies in the Current Scenario With the continuous changes in the external environment, FEMA also initiated to develop or introduce modern information technologies in order to serve the community with more effective services related to precautionary measures against the disaster owing to which certain amendments were made to James Lee Witt’s strategies. However, a few of the strategies initiated by Lames Lee Witt are yet to be performed within FEMA to render increasingly better services to the community during crisis situations. For instance, rigorous training and development sessions along with a continuous monitoring of the geographical as well as political situation is practiced by FEMA following the vision of its former Director Mr. James Lee Witt. A cooperative understanding is also reserved between the organization and the Executive Office of the President so as to mitigate unnecessary formalities within the service rendering procedure and thereby gaining greater efficiency (Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, 2011). Reasons behind James Lee Witt Being So Revolutionary FEMA’s former Director, Mr. James Lee Witt took certain unique as well as effective measures to develop towards the betterment of the organization concerning both short term and long term objectives. These measures have certainly help FEMA to flourish in the future and present to a significant extent. The initial measure that he had introduced was building up of a good relation and communication mode with the Presidential Departments in order to develop the process as time-efficient and effective. The other vital step that Mr. Witt had considered as Director for FEMA was the segregation of the working process into specified groups by allocating departments with defined tasks and trained personnel. One of the major reasons behind Mr. Witt to be so revolutionary can be identified as his long experience in emergency management along with a better understanding of the social requirements. He was also able to identify the lacunas possessed by the organization which further assisted him to develop these strategies and thus mitigate the dysfunctional qualities of the association. Conclusion James Lee Witt, during his role as the director, served FEMA efficiently, helping the organization to gain a reputed position within the community guiding its turnaround from a declining phase. The strategies introduced by Mr. Witt were initially concentrated on creating good relation with President’s Executive Office to make the functioning process faster in emergency situations by eradicating the unnecessary formalities engaged in the procedure. Identifying the lacuna of experienced workers, he then introduced a project by which FEMA was to train not only the employees but the community members as well, concerning the precautionary measures needed in emergency situations. This process was in its later period observed to serve the community positively, simultaneously minimizing the loss and effects caused by the disasters by saving the life of people along with their property. Furthermore, Mr. Witt segmented the functions of FEMA with newly developed mission statements according to specific tasks assigned to well-organized departments. Hence, it can be affirmed that under the directorship of James Lee Witt, FEMA had observed vast changes in its process of serving the community during disasters. Even though these strategies, when applied, were identified to be quite advantageous, in the later period with changes in the external environment, FEMA had to consider certain steps in order to develop the functioning of the organization keeping pace with the economic development (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). However, with reference to the overall performance of FEMA, during the directorship of James Lee Witt and in the later period, it can be noted that the organization has indeed developed to a large extent with more efficient services and assistance to the community members. References Blitstein, R. (2009). Fumbling FEMA wants back in the game. Retrieved from http://www.psmag.com/politics/fumbling-fema-wants-back-in-the-game-3403/. CCH Incorporated. (2002). 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FEMA capabilities assessments. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1151r.pdf. United States General Accounting Office. (2010). Emergency preparedness. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11628.pdf. United States General Accounting Office. (2011). Action needed to improve administration of the National Flood Insurance Program. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11297.pdf. United States Government Accounting Office. (2007). Budget issues FEMA needs adequate data, plans, and systems to effectively manage resources for day-to-day operations. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07139.pdf. United States General Accounting Office. (2003). Disaster assistance information on FEMA’s post 9/11 public assistance to the New York City area. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03926.pdf. U.S. Government Printing Office. (1999). Federal Emergency Management Agency reforms. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-105shrg52633/pdf/CHRG-105shrg52633.pdf. Read More