Holding Down the Fort

Continuity planning makes a comeback in government applications

Last May, the White House issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, HSPD-20, which mandates government agencies to appoint a senior official at the assistant secretary level as their continuity of government coordinator to prepare plans, budgets and exercises to test continuity planning, preparation and capability. The mandate, which requires implementation within 90 days, is designed to ensure that government agencies are capable of initiating plans with little or no notice to remain open and ready to deal with terrorist, manmade or natural threats and disasters.

HSPD-20 also establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of federal government structures and operations by assigning a single national continuity coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of federal continuity policies.

According to the directive, national essential functions prescribe continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies and provide guidance for state, local, territorial and tribal governments, and private sector organizations, in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that enhances the credibility of the national security posture and enables a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.

The evolving threat environment has shifted our awareness to the need for continuity of government capabilities that are designed to enable federal, state and local governments to continue to provide their essential functions across a broad spectrum of emergencies. Continuity programs began in the early 1950s when the threat of nuclear war moved the administration of President Harry S. Truman to begin planning for emergency government functions and civil defense. When the Cold War ended 40 years later, then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney mothballed the alternate national military command center for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, located in Raven Rock mountain—commonly called site R—just over the Pennsylvania state line near Waynesboro, Penn. During the decade of the 1990s, continuity operations and planning continued, but at a substantially slower pace than before or since. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina reinvigorated interest in continuity of government operations.

The Washington Post reported that President Bush set up a shadow government after 9/11 of about 100 senior civilian managers to live and work outside Washington on a rotating basis to ensure the continuity of national security. Since then, a program once focused on presidential succession and civilian control of the U.S. nuclear weapons inventory has been expanded to encompass the entire federal government, but most specifically, the entire executive branch of government. From the Department of Education to the Small Business Administration, to the National Archives, under HSPD-20, every department and agency is now required to plan for continuity outside of Washington, D.C.

Continuity of government has been defined as the preservation, maintenance or reconstitution of civil government’s ability to carry out its constitutional responsibilities. It is essential to maintain the fabric of our constitutional form of government and to ensure that the public has faith in its government’s capability to provide for its health, safety and welfare and to contribute to the common defense of the United States. Continuity of government is designed for the full range of governmental services, including the three branches and all levels of government.

Since 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the definition of what constitutes an “essential” government function has been expanded beyond core national security functions. Continuity of government planning addresses the recovery of critical and essential government operations in the event of an incident or emergency that disrupts service, such as a power failure, where having backup capabilities can quickly resolve the situation. It also can be longer term, as in the case of a major hurricane or earthquake, or similar catastrophic event where services are impacted for several days or, in some cases, weeks. To prepare for this long-term denial of service, government organizations will need to plan for relocation to an alternate facility.

Continuity of government is not just a federal problem. Even states and local governments must make every effort to plan and prepare for the unthinkable. Government services are susceptible to interruptions or destruction of the magnitude witnessed on 9/11, when New York City fell victim to unprecedented citywide and regional telecommunications failures. Individual cascading events evolved despite the city’s familiarity with potential power outages, computer failures, and the interconnectivity and dependence upon telecommunications.

Only two years earlier, New York City officials had planned for such events during Y2K preparedness activities. One incident that was not planned for in New York City was the collapse and total destruction of the city’s Emergency Management Command Center, located at 7 World Trade Center. In addition, some municipal agencies experienced problems with storing and recovering vital records at off-site locations. These difficulties made access to records dangerous and nearly impossible.

The tragic circumstances and consequences of these events provide the most persuasive argument for continuity of government planning at all levels of government. Government officials should ask:

• How does my agency plan for the unthinkable at times when citizens require its services the most?

• What actions are necessary to ensure coordination among state, local and federal agencies?

• What would happen if the governor or a high-ranking agency official loses their life?

• What can be done to ensure redundancy and interoperability of communications?

• Has the agency provided adequate resources to prepare, exercise, test and validate continuity operations planning? The answers to these questions are the starting point for planning. Success will require sufficient resources and committed agency leadership. It’s time to get started.

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