Program Overview

The Learning Office’s objective for this pilot program is to support, publicize, and learn from community efforts that exemplify a Whole Community approach to emergency management. To accomplish this objective, staff identified promising examples of existing community efforts that reflect and embody FEMA’s “Whole Community” approach.

The Learning Office defined a “promising example” as an activity, program, or initiative that exemplifies a Whole Community approach to emergency preparedness, response to a disaster or an event, and/or building community resilience. A Promising Example:

• Is current; it is an ongoing activity, program, or initiative;
• Is at the community or local level;
• Engages the private and/or nonprofit sectors and the general public, in conjunction with the participation of government partners where appropriate; and
• Is for the specific purpose of improving a community’s preparedness, response, or resiliency to a disaster or event.

As a result, seven promising examples have been funded for continued work during the pilot program year 2012 – 2013.

The Learning Office will learn from the seven funded programs by gathering information on what works well in starting and maintaining community programs and identifying strategies to create and build partnerships and techniques to empower local action. The project findings will outline recommendations for fostering a Whole Community approach to emergency management, sustainability, and program replication.

The Learning Office wants to learn about other potential promising examples as well. If there is something happening in your community that you believe embodies the “Whole Community” approach, we would like to hear more about it. Please contact Victoria Harp (ihn3@cdc.gov or 404.639.4929) to share your information.