Unclassified

Interagency Cooperation and

Coordination
Emergency Manager Course
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
20-24 January 2020

Distribution Statement A
Approved for Public Release: Distribution is Unlimited
 Course Overview

• Interagency Coordination
• U.S. National Response Framework
• U.S. Interorganizational Coordination During Joint
Operations
• Case Study: Super Bowl XLVI

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 Objective

Explore how interagency coordination and

cooperation can be applied to various scenarios and
events

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Interagency Coordination

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 Introduction (1 of 2)

• Process in which two or more organizations come

together to solve a specific problem or meet a
specific need
• Coordination does not only mean cooperation
• Agencies may be cooperating on one issue, competing
on another, and in direct conflict on another issue

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 Introduction (2 of 2)

Coordination is defined in three levels

•Lowest

Biswarup Ganguly
• Local, informal relationship
•Intermediate
• Formal relationship with some joint training or
projects
•Highest
• Agreements are signed and projects are clearly stated

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 Benefits of Interagency Coordination

• Reduces duplication and overlap

• Mitigates gaps and oversights
• Minimizes conflicts
• Gives smaller agencies a voice

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 Barriers to Interagency Coordination

• Administrator training
• Internal agency structure
• Agency reputation
• Unequal power among agencies
• Unclear goals

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 Successful Interagency Coordination

• Identify jurisdictional • Work toward a consensus

needs
• Define problems and needs
• Identify key organizations
• Get commitment to solve
the problem
• Get commitment to
coordination
• Identify resource flow
• Define the coordination
structure
• Define objectives
• Follow a plan of action

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U.S. National Response
Framework

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 National Response Framework
(1 of 2)

• Guides how the nation responds to all types of

disasters and emergencies
• Recognizes government resources
alone cannot meet all the
needs during a terrorist attack,
natural disaster, or catastrophic
event

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 National Response Framework
(2 of 2)

• Describes the principles, roles, responsibilities,

and structure for responding to an incident
• Flexibility keeps interagency coordination focused
on current problems

FEMA/Bill Koplitz
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 Engaged Partnerships

• Promote communication and planning

• Contribute to a heightened state of readiness
• Assist in identifying capability gaps and
developing mitigation
strategies

FEMA News Photo

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 Unified Command

• Develops a single set of objectives

• Uses a collective, strategic approach
• Improves information flow and coordination
• Creates common understanding of joint priorities and
restrictions
• Ensures no agency’s legal authorities are
compromised
• Optimizes the combined efforts of all
agencies under a single plan

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 Non-government Organizations

• Often provide specialized services

• May need government assistance to achieve
complete incident response goals
• Independent nature can be beneficial

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 Whole Community

• Recognizes shared responsibility

• Strategic Themes
• Understand community complexity
• Recognize community capabilities and needs
• Foster relationships with community leaders
• Build and maintain partnerships
• Empower local action
• Leverage and strengthen social infrastructure,
networks, and assets

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 U.S. Interorganizational
Coordination During Joint
Operations

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 U.S. Interorganizational
Coordination Document

U.S. Department of Defense

guidance for
interorganizational
operations

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 Purpose of Interorganizational
Coordination

• Facilitate unity of effort

• Achieve common objective
• Provide common understanding

U.S. DoD/Glenn Fawcett

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 Coordinating Efforts

• Provides strategic direction

• Applies the military component
• Capitalizes on organizational
diversity
• Gathers the correct resources
• Determines the proper authorities
• Provides a command focus
Col. Barry Johnson

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 Working Relationships and Practices

• Supported and supporting roles

• Military versus Civilian Roles
• Coordination
• Collaboration
• Liaison

USN/PH2 Robert Jay Stratchko

• On-going relationships
• Training

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 Conducting Interorganizational
Coordination (1 of 3)
Comparison of United States Agency Organizational Structures
Whole government Armed Forces of the United
States
approach Strategic •
•
Secretary of Defense
Chairman of the Joint
• Chiefs of Staff
•Designated lead • Combatant Commander
(1)
•Common
understanding Operational •
•
Combatant Commander
Commander, Joint Task
Force (2)
•Shared goal • Defense Coordinating
Officer / Defense
Coordinating Element
•Shared resources
•Defined end state Tactical / Field
Level
• Commander, Joint Task
Force
• Army Corps, Divisions
• Navy Carrier Strike
Groups
• Air Force Wings
• Marine Expeditionary
Force
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Executive Departments and Agencies State and Local
Government
•
•
National Headquarters
Department Secretaries
• Governor
• Ambassador / Embassy (3)
• Country Reconstruction and
Stabilization Group
• Federal Emergency Management
Agency National Response
Coordination Center
•
•
Ambassador / Embassy
United States Agency for
•
•
State Adjutant General
Office of Emergency
International Development Services Department /
•
Mission Director Liaisons (4)
Federal Coordinating Officer
Agency
• Regional Office Integration
•
Planning Cell
FEMA Regional Response
Coordination Center
• Ambassador / Embassy Field
Office
•
•
State Coordinating
Officer
• USAID Office Director • National Guard Units
• Office of Foreign Disaster • County Commissioner
Assistance Disaster • Mayor / Manager
• Assistance Response Team / • County, City (e.g.,
Liaison (5) Response Team Police Department)
• US Refugee Coordinator
• Advance Civilian Team
• FEMA Joint Field Office
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 Conducting Interorganizational
Coordination (2 of 3)

Joint operation planning

•Involve all relevant agencies
•Understand interagency relationships and capabilities
•Define objectives, course of action, and roles
•Identify obstacles
•Identify relevant resources
•Define desired end state
•Coordinate interagency assessment
•Develop and implement information sharing
•Support an interagency planning process

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 Conducting Interorganizational
Coordination (3 of 3)

Training and readiness

•Continuous integrated interagency, inter-governmental and
non-governmental planning and training is needed in order to
synchronize all components of a response

USA/Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson

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 Case Study:
Super Bowl XLVI

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 Super Bowl XLVI

• Over 1.1 million visitor

• Over 200 critical assets
• 300-plus Super Bowl related events
• Estimated television viewing audience of 111.3
million

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 Interagency

• Indiana State Police • U.S. Secret Service

• Indiana Department of • U.S. Federal Bureau of
Homeland Security Investigation
• Indianapolis Metropolitan • U.S. Department of
Police Department, Fire Homeland Security
Department, and • U.S. Transportation
Emergency Medical Security Administration
Services • U.S. Immigration and
• Surrounding police and Customs Enforcement
fire departments • U.S. Customs and Border
Protection

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 Coordination Efforts

Unified Command
• Three years of planning and
coordination
• Established a Unified
Command Structure
• Created a computerized and
networked command center
• Numerous training and
exercise events

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 Deployed Assets

• Over 3,000 law-enforcement, fire, and emergency medical

personnel
• 9 Field Intelligence Teams
• 11 uniformed Hazardous Incident Teams
• Hundreds of security cameras
• 4 helicopters flew non-stop

U.S. DHS/Brian Bell

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 Incident Response

Citizen reported an unattended propane tank on a

sidewalk by the State Capitol Building
• Hazardous Incident Team
submits suspicious package report
• Explosive Ordnance Team
takes X-ray
• Incident Commander reviews
imagery and suspicious package
report
• Hazardous Incident Team removes tank
• Within 15 minutes incident is completely resolved

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 Summary

• Benefits and challenges of interagency

coordination
• Importance of national policy in creating a
collaborative culture
• Inclusive of whole community

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Questions?

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