The National Disaster Recovery Framework introduces six new Recovery Support Functions 
that are led by designated federal coordinating agencies at the national level.  Recovery 
Support Functions involve partners in the local, State and Tribal governments and private 
and nonprofit sectors not typically involved in emergency support functions but critically 
needed in disaster recovery.   These new partners may include public and private 
organizations that have experience with permanent housing financing, economic 
development, advocacy for underserved populations and long-term community planning.  

The processes used for facilitating recovery are more flexible, context based and 
collaborative in approach than the task-oriented approach used during the response phase of 
an incident. Recovery processes should be scalable and based on demonstrated recovery 
needs.

Each Recovery Support Function has a designated coordinating agency along with primary 
agencies and supporting organizations with programs relevant to the functional area. The 
Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency, with the assistance of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, provides leadership, coordination and oversight for that 
particular.  When coordinating agencies are activated to lead a Recovery Support Function, 
primary agencies and supporting organizations are expected to be responsive to the function 
related communication and coordination needs.

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING 
Coordinating Agency:   Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management 
Agency
Primary Agencies: 	Department of Homeland Secutiry/Federal Emergency Management 
Agency and Health and Human Services  
Supporting Organizations:  Corporation for National  and Community Service, Department 
of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Department of Interior, Department of 
Justice, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services 
Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration, Department 
of Treasury and Department of Agriculture

Mission
Supporting and building recovery capacities and community planning resources of local, State 
and Tribal governments needed to effectively plan for, manage and implement disaster 
recovery activities in large, unique or catastrophic incidents. 



Function 
The core recovery capability for community planning is the ability to effectively plan and 
implement disaster recovery activities, engaging the whole community to achieve their 
objectives and increase resilience. The Community Planning and Capacity Building RSF unifies 
and coordinates expertise and assistance programs from across the Federal Government to 
aid in restoring and improving the ability of Tribes, States and local governments to organize, 
plan, manage and implement recovery. The RSF assists States in developing a pre- and post-
disaster system of support for their communities. This RSF also has an emphasis on 
integration of hazard mitigation throughout the continuum of pre- and post-disaster recovery 
planning and implementation. The RSF also serves as a forum for helping to integrate the 
nongovernmental and private sector resources into public sector recovery planning 
processes. 


PRE-DISASTER: THE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING RECOVERY 
SUPPORT FUNCTION
*	Coordinates the provision of preparedness planning and technical assistance 
support to aid Tribes, States and local governments to develop effective pre-
disaster recovery plans that guide the full range of recovery efforts, both short- 
and long-term, and ensure all affected populations are included.
*	Coordinates the resolution of outstanding Federal agency program and policy 
issues identified in after-action and other evaluations that present ongoing 
barriers or challenges for effective support for State, Tribal and local community 
planning and capacity necessary to facilitate an effective recovery process.
*	Develops multidisciplinary recovery tools and best practices.
*	Promotes resiliency measures and enhances coordination of programs that 
build local leadership capacity, community member involvement, partnerships 
and education on disaster preparedness for recovery.
*	Identifies and leverages programs that assist communities to prepare, collect 
and analyze relevant existing and future data necessary to plan and manage 
complex disaster recovery
*	Integrates mitigation, recovery and other pre-disaster plans and activities into 
existing local, State and Tribal community-wide planning and development 
activitites, such as comprehensive plans, land use plans, economic development 
plans, affordable housing plans, zoning ordinances and other development 
regulations through technical assistance.
*	Coordinates educational and cross-training opportunities for key participants in 
community recovery planning and capacity support including, but not limited to: 
emergency managers; city managers; planning, economic development and 
other local officials; and nonprofit and private sector partners for recovery.
*	Develops pre-disaster partnerships with others such as Federal agency 
extension programs, universities, national professional associations, and 
nongovernmental organizations, to facilitate recovery capacity-building activities 
and expansion of resources available to communities after a disaster for 
planning and decision making. 

POST-DISASTER: THE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING 
RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION
*	Maintains robust and accessible communications throughout the recovery 
process between the Federal Government and all other partners to ensure 
ongoing dialogue and information sharing. 
*	Identifies the range and significance of the disaster’s effects on Tribes, regions 
and local governments in the impacted area. 
*	Coordinates the provision of resources to units of government for recovery 
planning technical assistance and to support recovery capacity and surge 
needs in a variety of Tribal/county/city functional areas (e.g., city 
Management, financial management, hazard mitigation and risk assessment, 
damage assessment, building inspection and permitting); coordinates 
resources to address other skill sets that communities often lack capacity after 
large-scale and catastrophic disasters. 
*	Develops community-focused technical assistance teams for uniquely or 
heavily impacted Tribes or communities, integrating the use of Federal agency 
resources organized under other Recovery Support Fuctions. 
*	When activated by the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, the primary 
and supporting departments and agencies deploy in support of the 
Community Planning and Capacity Building mission. 
*	Identifies and tracks resolution of gaps and conflicts in multiple Federal 
planning requirements and assistance programs, as well as programs that 
support and build community capacity and surge needs for recovery 
management. 
*	Coordinates the application and treatment of hazard mitigation and 
sustainability principles in Federally supported recovery planning efforts. 
*	Coordinates Community Planning and Capacity Building supported 
community-centric technical assistance teams with the establishment of local 
unmet needs committees or groups for assisting individuals and families. 
*	Aids local, State and Tribal governments to identify and integrate the 
consideration of all affected stakeholders, including vulnerable populations 
and persons with disabilities, and individuals with limited English proficiency 
into the public sector recovery plans and decision making process. 
*	Provides technical assistance and planning support to aid all levels of 
government to integrate sustainability principles, such as adaptive re-use of 
historic properties, mitigation considerations, smart growth principles and 
sound land use into recovery decision making and planning during the post-
disaster period. 
*	Captures after-action recommendations and lessons learned.



OUTCOMES FOR THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION
*	Through a coordinated effort that draws from resources of Federal 
departments, agencies and services, the Community Planning and Capacity 
Building RSF provides expertise to ensure: 
*	Enhanced interagency coordination of resources, requirements and support 
for building community capacity and community recovery planning. 
*	Increased community self-reliance and adaptability. 
*	Hazard mitigation and risk reduction opportunities have been integrated into 
all major decisions and reinvestments during the recovery process. 
*	An improved planning process that ensures a more effective and efficient use 
of Federal, State, nongovernmental and private sector funds. 
*	Communities are able to shorten the timeline and improve specific recovery 
outcomes through more effective decision making and management. 
*	Integration of socioeconomic, demographic, risk assessment, vulnerable 
populations and other important information into recovery planning and 
decision making activities. 
*	Increased community-wide support and understanding of sustainability and 
resiliency principles applicable to the opportunities presented during disaster 
recovery. 




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           September 2011


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