Recovery Metrics 

With regard to disaster recovery, DHS' strategic plan identifies specific 

measures for delivering services to disaster victims.  Although no baselines 

are available on the average cost or cycle time for providing assistance, DHS 

expects to reduce these averages by several percentage points by 2009.  The 

diagram below identifies the performance goals for 2009.  (See Figure 6). 

Recovery

Recovery  

Metrics

Metrics

C

Coosstt

C

Cyyccllee  Ti

T m

imee

Percentage redu

P

ct

ercentage reduction i

ion in progra

n program 

m deli

 delive

verry 

y 

Reducti

Reduction in Ind

o

i

n in Individual

vidual Reco

 R

ver

ecovery A

y ssi

 Assist

stance  

ance  

cost

costs for P

s f

ublic and

or Public and I

 Indivi

ndividual A

d

ssi

ual Assistance

stance

processing c

processing cycle ti

ycle time

me

Basel

Baseliine Unava

ne Un

i

availlabl

able i

e in 

n 2005

2005

Baseli

Baseline

ne Una

 U

vail

navailable in 2

a

005

ble in 2005

8%

8% re

 reduct

ductiion b

on y 2

 b

00

y 2 9

009

20% reduction b

20% red

y

uction by 2

  009

2009

Figure 6: DHS Target Recovery Measures 

However, such goals are futile without effective means to accomplish them.  

Currently, EP&R IT systems provide limited data to measure recovery 

assistance performance.  For example, EP&R's Recovery Division is using 

IFMIS to capture unit cost data on recovery assistance.  However, according 

to several FEMA officials, this data is not available at a single point in IFMIS 

and must be manually calculated. Compiling this data requires significant 

time, effort, and resources because information for establishing unit costs for 

rent, IT, security, and other elements is pulled from different systems and 

files.   

Similarly, FEMA is working to establish a baseline for the average cycle time 

from a victim's initial registration until disaster assistance payments are 

issued.  Program officials said that, although NEMIS collects information on 

cycle time, this information is not readily or routinely available.  These 

officials said that they must request EP&R's IT division to access the system 

and compile weekly ad hoc reports to provide the information.  Program 

officials said that additional information on subcomponents of the cycle time 

Emergency Preparedness and Response Could Better Integrate Information Technology  

with Incident Response and Recovery 

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