Federal executive boards now play a pivotal role in emergency planning, response, and recovery.

By Kimberly E. Ainsworth

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established federal executive boards (FEBs) by presidential directive to achieve better interagency coordination and communication among federal departments and activities outside of Washington, DC. In 1982, the Executive Office of the President transferred authority for the FEB functions to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which today oversees the FEB program.

The need for effective coordination among federal organizations’ field activities was clear then and is even more important in today’s environment. About 88 percent of the 1.5 million federal employees work outside of the national capital area, and regional and local offices of federal departments and agencies administer many federal programs. Regional and local federal officials are the federal government’s principal representatives to the vast majority of our nation’s citizens.

The boards function as

• forums for the exchange of information between Washington and the field about programs,management methods, and administrative issues;
• coordinators of local approaches to national programs as approved by the OPM director;
• communicators from Washington to the field of management initiatives and other concerns for the improvement of coordination; and
• conveyors to the national level of problems that cannot be resolved locally.

Today, FEBs are located in twenty-eight areas with significant federal populations. Each FEB comprises the highest ranking local officials from federal agencies in the FEB area. Board leadership and structure consists of elected officers (chair and vice chair), councils, and committees specific to FEB programs.An FEB staff, usually of one or two people,manages the daily operations of the board.

A host department or agency provides administrative funding for each FEB, and the local member agencies normally furnish project funding.The FEBs draw their general operating instructions from the responsibilities outlined in Title 5 U.S.Code Section 960.

In 2007, the FEB network was restructured to meet the changing needs of the federal workforce, and two new lines of business were unveiled:human capital readiness and emergency preparedness, employee safety and security. This article focuses on the FEBs’ role in emergency planning, response, and recovery.

Emergency Preparedness, Employee Safety and Security

In May 2007, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report, The Federal Workforce: Additional Steps Needed to Take Advantage of Federal Executive Boards’ Ability to Contribute to Emergency Operations. Among other things, it highlighted the network’s efforts in emergency planning, response, and recovery over the years and recommended ways to expand its role, particularly relative to a pandemic influenza outbreak. In September 2007, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Government Management, the District of Columbia and the Federal Workforce, chaired by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), hosted a hearing to further explore these recommendations and learn more about the network’s efforts. I testified at this hearing, alongside my counterparts from Minnesota and Cleveland, as well as representatives from GAO, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and OPM.

Also in 2007,with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), FEBs nationwide were granted access to the Law Enforcement On-Line (www.leo.gov) and United States Public and Private Partnership (usp3.org) communications systems. The Dallas-Fort Worth FEB and the Dallas FBI office spearheaded this effort, seeing the mutual benefit of expanding what was an interagency communication pilot program nationwide. FEBs now have the ability to communicate individually or collectively using a consistent tool.

Demographics

The U.S. government is the nation’s largest employer and among the top five employers in many metropolitan areas across the country. During emergencies, the federal workforce has the responsibility to collaborate and act uniformly as one government to ensure the safety of its employees and customers.To that end, FEBs play a vital role in workforce planning.

Although FEBs are not first responders, emergency managers, or law enforcement professionals, they play an important role in public safety.They are positioned to provide crucial communication links among federal agencies and state and local officials.They also ensure that agency leaders receive accurate,up-to-date, and consistent information from local subject matter experts to Kimberly E. Ainsworth is the executive director of the Greater Boston Fed- make informed decisions affecting the federal workforce.

Continuity of Operations

Although each federal agency is responsible for the safety of its employees and continuity of operations (COOP), FEBs complement these efforts by facilitating collaboration on many levels.This collaboration is extremely important because, as noted, 88 percent of the federal workforce resides outside the Washington, DC, area. Collectively, the goal is to keep federal employees and customers safe and secure and ensure that the essential business of government continues.

FEB regions vary in size (geography) and scope (number of employees), but the overall lines of business ensure that their goals are consistent. FEBs have the unique ability to facilitate collaboration nationwide while analyzing and understanding the often localized needs of their federal communities.

Greater Boston

Before 2001, the Greater Boston FEB primarily focused on extreme weather events, but in the post-9/11 environment, federal agencies, particularly in field locations, have more needs and greater expectations of this FEB. Its emergency preparedness role has expanded and procedures have evolved.

More than 180 federal agencies have a presence in the Greater Boston area, and according to the most recent Census data, more than ninety thousand people work in civilian,military, and postal positions in Massachusetts. Boston is, in many cases, the hub for the New England region, which includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire,Connecticut,Rhode Island,Maine, and Vermont. The federal workforce has a significant presence, and its impact is widespread.

Emergency Decision and Notification Plan

In 2002, the Greater Boston FEB unveiled a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive Emergency Decision and Notification Plan. Developed by an interdisciplinary work group, this plan outlines an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery from a workforce planning perspective for the local federal community. Potential hazards range from human-made and natural disasters to widespread civil unrest or a pandemic influenza outbreak.

As part of this plan, the FEB collected 24/7/365 contact information for local federal agency decision makers and at least one backup. It developed a variety of communication strategies designed to widely disseminate accurate, up-to-date, and consistent information around the clock.

Boston’s plan has been enacted and tested on several occasions since its launch, and the FEB has learned that it provides significant service to its members during “perceived” emergencies.The U.S. Senate subcommittee was particularly interested in learning more about this viewpoint and gaining an understanding of the FEB’s continual contributions to public safety.

2004 Democratic National Convention

For example, the FEB learned much during the Democratic national convention, which took place in Boston in July 2004, the first since the 2001 terrorist attacks. In May 2003, the convention was designated a national special security event, or one that could be a terrorist target that requires federal counter terrorism capabilities. An event of this national stature had the potential to draw both organized and ad hoc protests.The FEB represented the interests of the federal workforce during the year-long security planning and the event itself. It gave federal leaders accurate, timely information to make informed decisions every step of the way. The Boston FEB built on the experiences of the FEB in Los Angeles, site of the 2000 Democratic national convention.

The Boston FEB played a key role in the planning efforts to ensure that the interests of the many federal employees in Massachusetts were considered and that they would be kept informed. It has since chronicled its experiences in an after-action report that has been shared with key OPM officials and the Denver and Minnesota FEBs in preparation for the national political conventions in 2008.

2005 Threats

Boston learned more lessons on January 25, 2005, when the local media reported that a group of Chinese terrorists had issued a specific and imminent threat to the Greater Boston area. Several were reporting from outside local federal sites, and the public became increasingly nervous.The FEB stepped in quickly to collect and share real-time information from subject matter experts about this alleged threat. It invited local federal heads to participate in an online chat with federal law enforcement leaders,who helped dispel rumors and outlined heightened alert measures.As a result, federal managers were able to alleviate the fears of their employees and get back to work.

On July 7, 2005, the FEB employed similar procedures when Americans awoke to reports of a series of coordinated terrorist bomb blasts that hit London’s transportation system during the morning rush hour.At 9:30 a.m. on that same day, in Boston’s downtown, two underground subway trains were involved in a minor collision. Already on high alert and not yet knowing the nature of the accident, dozens of police and fire personnel and the Massachusetts State Police Casualty Unit responded.

Although local public safety officials were quick to determine that there was no link to the London events, an intense flow of misinformation circulated quickly. Federal managers grappled with determining the course of action that was in the best interests of their workforce.The FEB again quickly coordinated widespread information-sharing among the agencies.

2007 Lite-Brite Scare

Most recently, on January 31, 2007, Boston made headlines nationwide when a marketing scheme went wrong. During the morning rush hour, a total of thirty eight electronic devices, resembling Lite-Brite toys,were placed in public locations around Greater Boston, including on bridges and in subway stations, to promote a movie.The suspicious devices sent public safety officials scrambling for hours, and the situation was uncertain throughout the day. Member agencies relied on the FEB to collect and disseminate needed information as the situation unfolded.

Other Federal Executive Boards

Although these examples are specific to Boston, FEBs nationwide have similar stories. From information sharing during large civic rallies to extreme weather events, FEBs play a vital role in ensuring the safety of the federal workforce and its customers.They have a unique ability to not only gain an immediate understanding of the needs and expectations of their local federal workforce, but to balance them with local and national interests.

Oklahoma City

On April 19, 1995, with the tragic bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, the newly created Oklahoma FEB demonstrated its essential role in assisting the federal workforce in its time of need.The FEB not only coordinated relief efforts for federal workers and their families, but served as the liaison with OP Mand other administration officials on a myriad of issues, including pay and leave. These efforts continued for years as trials were held and the community grieved. Oklahoma has also had its fair share of weather-related events in recent years, including devastating tornadoes. The FEB continues to be a unifying source of information-sharing and communication for federal agencies statewide and maintains a close working relationship with state and local emergency management officials to ensure that the needs of the federal workforce are met.

New York City and New Orleans

The same holds true for New York City.The FEB was instrumental in communicating with the federal workforce in the days and weeks following the 9/11 attacks. Further, the New Orleans FEB was, and continues to be, actively engaged in workforce issues related to Hurricane Katrina. Its impact is still felt more than two years later, and the FEB continues to serve as a forum for agencies to address common concerns on many issues and, in turn, ensure that the essential business of government continues.

Los Angeles and Atlanta

FEBs have demonstrated strong leadership in disasters, dating to their creation in the 1960s. In 1994, the Los Angeles FEB was engaged in communicating with federal agencies following the Northridge earthquake that crippled the area.The Atlanta FEB spent the better part of a year representing the federal workforce during the planning for the 1996 Summer Olympics and served as a focal point during the event itself.

Tabletop Exercises, Training, and Other Needs

In addition to communication and information sharing roles during an emergency, FEBs nationwide have been major contributors to the preparedness of the local federal community at large.They have been hosting interagency tabletop exercises featuring a variety of scenarios for many years.

Minnesota

Minnesota is a leader in this regard. Since 2001, its FEB has sponsored more than twenty half- or full-day seminars open to all agencies,with expert speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FBI, Secret Service, FEMA,Transportation Security Administration, Department of Defense, and Minnesota state and local government agencies.The FEB hosted five major tabletop exercises, including the first large-scale pandemic influenza exercise in the country.The pandemic segment of this exercise was created by FEB Minnesota in conjunction with the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Minnesota Department of Health. Many localities nationwide have since emulated these efforts.

Boston

In Boston,more than one hundred federal agencies participated in a pandemic exercise in November 2006. The lessons learned spurred two additional educational forums, focusing on telework and workplace violence.

Almost all FEBs host COOP working groups or emergency planning councils to provide technical assistance, training, and education on a variety of COOP, health and safety, and emergency preparedness topics. These activities include state and local representatives.

Detroit

FEBs frequently work in cooperation with FEMA, the General Services Administration, and other key emergency planning components, to meet the ever changing needs of our local federal communities. For example, the Detroit FEB hosted FEMA’s COOP training for the first time three years ago. It followed up with two pandemic tabletop exercises and a COOP train-the-trainer program.Each had a significant interagency presence and assisted the federal community at large with its individual planning efforts.

Honolulu

The Honolulu-Pacific FEB has made strides in relationship building and is actively engaged with the state’s civil defense component, representing its large federal workforce. It also sponsored a variety of planning forums on emergency, health, and safety issues.

Strengthening Their Role

FEBs continue to be effective while overcoming recurring challenges, including diminished resources. In its May 2007 report, the GAO made several recommendations designed to strengthen the FEB network and its ability to deliver services in the emergency preparedness realm.OPM, FEMA, and key administration officials are currently addressing these recommendations.The first step was the development of the business plan,which includes the two lines of business. These have, in a short time, helped FEBs gain the attention of policymakers and increased credibility in their communities.

Getting Involved

FEB programs are not just for executives. Although the Code of Federal Regulations prescribes FEB membership to be the senior agency representative, agencies are encouraged to allow employees at all levels within their organizations to serve as FEB contacts, participate in FEB activities, and incorporate FEB shared services into their agency missions. FEBs host a series of interdisciplinary committees and councils to tackle a number of issues, including emergency planning, and expanded participation is always welcome.

Although we hope the FEBs are never again needed to assist in the aftermath of tragic events such as 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing, or Hurricane Katrina, the fact that they are available, have extensive intergovernmental networks in place, and provide the means to disseminate essential information quickly makes them a tremendous asset to the federal workforce. Please visit www.feb.gov for more information.

Reference

GAO. The Federal Workforce: Additional Steps Needed to Take Advantage of Federal Executive Boards’ Ability to Contribute to Emergency Operations, GAO-07-515. May 2007. www.gao.gov/new.items/d07515.pdf