State Emergency Management Planning Guidelines …...Emergency Management Victoria SERP Sub-plan...

State Emergency

Management Planning Guidelines

Sub-plans and Supporting Plans

Version 2019-1

July 2019

Planning Guidelines – State Plans v2019-1

Planning Guidelines – State Plans v2019-1 2

Copyright

© State of New South Wales through the Department of Communities and Justice, 2019.

You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this work for any

purpose, provided that you attribute the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you

wish to (a) charge others for access to the work (other than at cost), (b) include the work in

advertising or a product for sale, or (c) modify the work. Inquiries related to copyright should

be addressed to:

Office of Emergency Management

GPO Box 5434

SYDNEY NSW 2001

(02) 9212 9200

Acknowledgements

This work was prepared by Tigertail Australia, based on extensive consultation with NSW

emergency management partners, including emergency service organisations and

functional areas. It also draws on the following documents:

Emergency Management Victoria SERP Sub-plan Guidelines, 2016

NZ Civil Defence and Emergency Management CDEM Group Planning [DGL 09/18],

2018

US Federal Emergency Management Agency Comprehensive Preparedness Guide

101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans, 2010

Emergency Management Australia Manual 43—Emergency Planning, 2004

Revision history

Version Approved by Amendment notes

2019-0-1 Initial draft

2019-0.2 Revised following consultation

2019-1 SEMC Final – Endorsed at Meeting 114

Planning Guidelines – State Plans v2019-1 i

Contents

1 Introduction to the guidelines ...................................................................................... 1

1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Authority ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Implementation ........................................................................................................................... 1

1.4 Maintaining these guidelines ...................................................................................................... 1

1.5 Revision history .......................................................................................................................... 2

2 State-level planning context ........................................................................................ 2

2.1 State Level Risk Emergency Assessment ................................................................................. 2

2.2 Sub-Plans ................................................................................................................................... 2

2.3 Supporting Plans ........................................................................................................................ 2

2.4 Audience .................................................................................................................................... 3

3 Governance of State-level planning ............................................................................ 3

3.1 Authority to revise or develop a state-level plan ........................................................................ 3

3.1.1 Financial management .................................................................................................... 3

3.2 Planning lead agency ................................................................................................................. 4

3.3 Quality assurance and continuous improvement ....................................................................... 4

3.4 Approval and endorsement ........................................................................................................ 4

3.5 Plan duration and review............................................................................................................ 4

3.5.1 Version numbering .......................................................................................................... 5

4 Writing the plan .......................................................................................................... 5

4.1 Process vs product ..................................................................................................................... 5

4.2 Stakeholder engagement ........................................................................................................... 5

4.2.1 Identifying stakeholders .................................................................................................. 8

4.2.2 Engaging stakeholders .................................................................................................... 9

4.2.3 Managing engagement risks ......................................................................................... 10

4.3 Content and structure ............................................................................................................... 10

4.3.1 State-level sub-plans ..................................................................................................... 10

4.3.2 State-level supporting plans .......................................................................................... 11

4.4 Issues to consider .................................................................................................................... 11

4.5 Writing style and branding ....................................................................................................... 11

4.6 Publishing, printing and notification ......................................................................................... 12

4.7 Validating the plan .................................................................................................................... 12

5 Author’s checklist ..................................................................................................... 12

Attachment 1—State Sub-plan template .............................................................................. 14

Contents ................................................................................................................................. i

Template guidance: ............................................................................................................... 1


Planning Guidelines – State Plans v2019-1 ii

1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Authority ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2.1 Revision history ............................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Activation .................................................................................................................................... 1

1.4 Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.4.1 Assumptions .................................................................................................................... 2

1.5 Goals .......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.6 Audience .................................................................................................................................... 3

1.7 Linkages ..................................................................................................................................... 3

1.8 Maintaining the plan ................................................................................................................... 3

2 The emergency risk context ........................................................................................ 4

2.1 The hazard ................................................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Consequences ........................................................................................................................... 4

3 Prevention .................................................................................................................. 4

4 Preparedness ............................................................................................................. 5

4.1 Emergency planning .................................................................................................................. 5

4.2 Operational readiness ................................................................................................................ 6

4.3 Community resilience ................................................................................................................. 6

5 Response ................................................................................................................... 6

5.1 Concept of operations ................................................................................................................ 6

5.2 Control and coordination ............................................................................................................ 7

5.3 Emergency information and warnings ........................................................................................ 7

5.4 Inter-jurisdictional support .......................................................................................................... 7

5.5 Impact assessment .................................................................................................................... 7

5.6 Withdrawal from response ......................................................................................................... 8

6 Recovery .................................................................................................................... 8

7 Logistics and finance .................................................................................................. 8

Appendix A—Roles and responsibilities ................................................................................. 9

Appendix X—Glossary ........................................................................................................... 9

Attachment 2—State Supporting Plan template ................................................................... 11

Contents ................................................................................................................................. i

Template guidance: ............................................................................................................... 1

1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Authority ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2.1 Revision history ............................................................................................................... 2


Planning Guidelines – State Plans v2019-1 iii

1.3 Activation .................................................................................................................................... 2

1.4 Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.4.1 Assumptions .................................................................................................................... 2

1.5 Audience .................................................................................................................................... 3

1.6 Linkages ..................................................................................................................................... 3

1.7 Maintaining the plan ................................................................................................................... 3

2 The Functional Area ................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Functional Area Coordinator ...................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Coordination ............................................................................................................................... 4

2.3 Role of the [function] functional area ......................................................................................... 4

2.4 Services provided ....................................................................................................................... 5

2.5 Service delivery .......................................................................................................................... 5

2.6 Participating organisations ......................................................................................................... 6

2.7 Supporting organisations ........................................................................................................... 6

3 Prevention and Preparedness .................................................................................... 7

3.1 Service continuity ....................................................................................................................... 7

3.2 Planning ..................................................................................................................................... 7

3.3 Operational readiness ................................................................................................................ 7

3.4 Community resilience ................................................................................................................. 8

4 Response and Recovery ............................................................................................ 8

4.1 Concept of operations ................................................................................................................ 8

4.2 Control and coordination ............................................................................................................ 8

4.2.1 Control ............................................................................................................................. 8

4.2.2 Coordination .................................................................................................................... 9

4.3 Notification and escalation ......................................................................................................... 9

4.4 Specific tasks or actions............................................................................................................. 9

4.5 Impact assessment .................................................................................................................... 9

4.6 Withdrawal of response............................................................................................................ 10

4.7 Demobilisation .......................................................................................................................... 10

5 Finance and logistics ................................................................................................ 10

Appendix A—Roles and responsibilities ............................................................................... 11

Appendix B—Functional Area Sub-Committee membership ................................................ 11

Appendix X—Glossary ......................................................................................................... 12



1 Introduction to the guidelines

1.1 Purpose

Emergency management plans are a record of agreed arrangements and approaches to

managing community risk. In NSW they describe the standing and specifically triggered

whole-of-government and whole of community arrangements for managing emergencies.

New South Wales has a comprehensive approach to emergency management planning that

addresses the full prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) cycle.

Emergency management planning occurs at state-level, region-level and local-level. The

State Emergency Management Plan (EMPLAN) establishes the strategic approach to

emergency management in the state and prescribes a framework of sub-plans, supporting

plans, related policy instruments and guidelines (para 305).

A Sub-plan sets out the actions and arrangements for the management of a specific hazard.

Sub-plans supplement, contextualise and amplify the arrangements in the EMPLAN.

Supporting plans describe the services that Functional Areas provide to the controlling and

coordinating authorities before, during and after an emergency. They describe how the

Functional Area will fulfil the roles and responsibilities allocated in the EMPLAN and Sub-

plans.

This document is a guide for writing state-level sub-plans and supporting plans. It describes

the purpose of these plans, clarifies their governance and provides a consistent approach to

the process and output of planning.

These guidelines are consistent with the 2018 version of the EMPLAN.

1.2 Authority

The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) endorses state-level sub-plans

(EMPLAN para 306) and supporting plans (EMPLAN para 309).

The SEMC has endorsed these guidelines to ensure consistency in state-level planning

processes and products. They are to be used to review existing state-level plans or develop

new plans.

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible for overseeing a program to

maintain and review state-level plans.

A lead planning agency is appointed by the SEMC as the custodian of each state-level sub-

plan and supporting plan. This agency is responsible for the plan’s maintenance; including

validation, testing and review.

1.3 Implementation

These guidelines apply to the development or review of new state-level sub-plans or

supporting plans from 5 September 2019. They do not require any agency to accelerate any

reviews.

1.4 Maintaining these guidelines

The OEM will review these guidelines every five years, whenever the EMPLAN is reviewed,

when there are significant changes to the machinery of government, or when requested by

the SEMC.

https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/Pages/publications/plans/EMPLAN.aspx



2 State-level planning context

The New South Wales emergency management planning framework is based on legislative

and policy guidance applied to a tiered structure. At the highest level, NSW participates in

national legislation and policy-making that affects how it manages emergencies. National

legislation, regulation and policy provides the framework for emergency management in some

areas, such as marine pollution and biosecurity, but most hazards and potential emergencies

are managed under the authority of state legislation.

State-level planning provides the all-hazards framework for emergency management in NSW.

State-level policy is built on the requirements of the State Emergency and Rescue

Management Act, and agency-specific legislation listed in the EMPLAN (paras 202, 203).

State-level plans are contextualised with region and local plans where necessary.

Each planning level has a different focus and different stakeholders, but the process for writing

the plans should be consistent.

2.1 State Level Risk Emergency Assessment

A state-level emergency risk assessment was completed in 2017 to identify hazards that pose

a significant risk to NSW. The State Level Emergency Risk Assessment (SLERA) recognises

that the community of NSW is exposed to a variety of natural and human-induced hazards,

and responds to the need for a coordinated approach to emergency management.

Twelve hazards received a risk rating of high or greater in the SLERA. State-level planning

contributes to managing these risks and to meeting SLERA priorities 2, 3, 5 and 10.

2.2 Sub-Plans

A sub plan is an action plan required for a specific hazard, or occurrence (EMPLAN para 307).

Sub-plans are prepared by the relevant combat agency (EMPLAN Annexure 3) or a planning

lead agency (see 3.2). The combat agency will typically require support from other agencies

or functional areas and this is reflected in the plan.

State-level sub plans are prepared:

where required by legislation,

for risks rated high or above in the State Level Emergency Risk Assessment, and

for risks where state-level emergency management is likely to be needed.

The SEMC will determine when a state-level sub-plan is appropriate (see EMPLAN paras 604-

607 and Part 3).

2.3 Supporting Plans

Supporting plans are action plans that describe how the nine Functional Areas (EMPLAN para

403) will contribute their particular capabilities and expertise to all-hazards emergency

management. Each Functional Area coordinates a mix of government agencies, non-

government organisations (NGOs) and private sector entities (EMPLAN para 430). These

agencies and organisations agree to make their resources available for emergency

management as either a participating or supporting organisation (as defined in EMPLAN paras

435 and 437).

Each Functional Area maintains a state-level supporting plan that describes its capability in

emergency management, how combat agencies can access those capabilities, and the

arrangements for coordinating the participating and supporting organisations to deliver

https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/Documents/publications/SLERA-executive-summary.PDF



services. Some Functional Areas have region or locally contextualised supporting plans,

although local supporting arrangements are more commonly included in local EMPLANS or

Consequence Management Guides.

2.4 Audience

State-level sub and supporting plans are intended for use by NSW government agencies

within the emergency management sector, plus NGOs and businesses with a significant role

in emergency management.

Although they are normally publicly available, the wider community is not the primary audience

for these plans. Agencies should use the plans as the basis for producing targeted community

education and awareness material.

State-level sub and supporting plans will be publicly available unless this is not in the public

interest. The SEMC will determine if part, or all, of a sub or supporting plan should not be

publicly available as part of the endorsement process.

3 Governance of state-level planning

3.1 Authority to revise or develop a state-level plan

All state-level plans are reviewed at least once every five years to ensure they remain relevant

and up-to-date.

New plans may be required from time-to-time and existing plans may no longer be relevant or

needed at state-level.

The SEMC will review the need for existing sub-plans that are not established by an Act or

Regulation through the regular endorsement cycle. Plans required by an Act or Regulation

will be maintained by the relevant agency and endorsed by the SEMC to ensure they remain

current.

Agencies intending to develop a new state-level sub-plan should identify the need and propose

a project plan to the SEMC for approval. The plan should include:

the rationale for the sub-plan

the scope of the sub-plan

the project management structure

a stakeholder identification and engagement strategy

the development timeline and reporting milestones

3.1.1 Financial management

Each agency or stakeholder should fund their own involvement in developing and maintaining

state-level plans as part of their emergency management responsibility. There may be

significant investment required to develop a new plan or revise an existing plan. Agencies

should forecast this expenditure as part of their routine budgeting or seek specific funds to

ensure they can meet their planning responsibilities.

Planning lead agencies (see 3.2) should provide logistic support to assist NGOs and

businesses to take an active part in planning, such as making meeting space available and

catering for workshops.



3.2 Planning lead agency

For the purposes of these guidelines, a planning lead agency is responsible for the

development, maintenance and currency of each state-level plan.

For sub-plans the planning lead agency is the combat agency defined in the EMPLAN as

responsible for the hazard. The SEMC will appoint a planning lead agency where there is no

combat agency.

For supporting plans, the planning lead agency will be determined in consultation with the

SEMC based on the current machinery of government arrangements. It will generally be the

Responsible Agency listed in the EMPLAN Annexure 4.

Planning lead agencies should appoint an accountable officer (by position or role) to ensure

the plan remains current.

3.3 Quality assurance and continuous improvement

The accountable officer should establish a quality assurance process to ensure:

1. the plan meets these guidelines with any variations justified;

2. technical information is up-to-date and represent contemporary, evidence-based

practice;

3. adherence to the style and branding guidelines (see 4.5); and

4. the sub-plan is accompanied by a notification plan (see 4.6) and validation plan (see

4.7)

Planning lead agencies should establish a feedback mechanism to ensure that the results of

after-action reviews or exercise reports are incorporated into their plans, consistent with the

Lessons Management Framework.

3.4 Approval and endorsement

The process for approval and endorsement is consistent for sub and supporting plans:

Sub-plans. Combat agencies approve a sub-plan when they are satisfied that the plan meets

the quality assurance requirements, is technically correct, and represents contemporary

management practice for the relevant risk. Once the sub-plan is approved, it is recommended

to the SEMC for endorsement. SEMC endorsement confirms whole-of-government

agreement to the plan.

Supporting plans. The planning lead agency for a supporting plan seeks an approval from

the relevant Secretary when the agency is satisfied that the plan meets the quality assurance

requirements and is agreed by the participating and supporting organisations. Once the

supporting plan is approved, the relevant Secretary recommends it to the SEMC for

endorsement. SEMC endorsement confirms whole-of-government agreement to the plan.

3.5 Plan duration and review

State-level plans are strategic and their content is unlikely to change frequently. There are

two levels of review; administrative and substantive.

An administrative review is editorial. It ensures that agency names and reporting relationships

reflect the current machinery of government; references to legislation, regulation or policy are

current; and corrects typographical errors.

Each state-level plan should be reviewed no less frequently than once every five years. State-

level plans should also be reviewed following a significant emergency or a major exercise.

https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/Pages/emergency-management/lessons-management/Lessons-management-framework.aspx



Plans that have had an administrative review are noted by the SEMC and their version date

is unchanged; plans that have had a substantive review are endorsed and their version date

is updated.

3.5.1 Version numbering

State-level plans carry a modified semantic version number as follows:

Plan name YYYY-X.Z

Where YYYY is the year of endorsement (the version date);

X.Z is the version number: 0 for drafts; 1 for the endorsed version followed by decimal

point and numbers 2 (3, 4 etc.) representing noted versions from an administrative

review

For example, a plan with version 2020-0.3 is the third draft of a plan that should be endorsed

in 2020, version 2019-1.0 is the original of a plan endorsed in 2019, and version 2020-1.2 is

a plan that was endorsed in 2020 and has had two administrative reviews.

4 Writing the plan

4.1 Process vs product

The process of writing a plan is an exercise in stakeholder engagement and consensus

building. The plan records the agreed arrangements for managing specific risk (sub-plan) or

for supporting emergency management (supporting plan) across the PPRR cycle. The

process of planning ensures that stakeholders:

1. have contributed to the process,

2. are aware of their roles and responsibilities,

3. are committed to follow the plan,

4. trust the other agencies involved in implementing the plan, and

5. have established the internal arrangements to deliver the services required, when they

are needed.

The plan itself serves as the record of the consensus achieved during the process. Its purpose

is to:

1. clarify an agency’s role and responsibilities;

2. provide a focus for capability development;

3. outline how an agency will contribute to prevention and preparedness activities;

4. serve as a basis for memoranda of understanding where needed to formalise

agreements and arrangements (particularly for supporting plans that engage NGOs

and the private sector);

5. outline the approach to response and recovery;

6. support development of more detailed plans consistent with the state-level plan (such

as community engagement plans, consequence management guides, operating

procedures, incident action plans or recovery plans); and

7. provide an assurance mechanism for government.

4.2 Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholder engagement is the process of people and groups working together through

collaborative action to create shared capacity building and develop strong relationships based



on mutual trust and respect.1 This engagement also includes promotional and educational

campaigns designed to create awareness of the plan.

Stakeholder engagement in the context of emergency management planning is a long-term

process. To be most effective, it must be continuous; including a cycle of development, testing

and review.

Stakeholder engagement involves:

Informing decisions by providing opportunities for organisations and agencies to:

1. share information with each other,

2. understand hazards and risks, and

3. develop a mutual understanding of emergency management and their organisation or

agency’s role.

Strengthening relationships by:

1. building networks and linkages through a participative involvement;

2. sharing knowledge, questions and opinions to obtain ideas and feedback; and

3. developing an understanding of the objectives and expectations of all parties.

Building capacity by:

1. partnering to identify risks and issues, developing a range of methods to create

awareness of issues and problems, and developing solutions; and

2. encouraging individuals, organisations and agencies to accept responsibility and

implement initiatives to more effectively manage emergencies.

The approach to stakeholder engagement is based on an adaptation of the International

Association for Public Participation (IAP2) spectrum. The IAP2 spectrum is an internationally

recognised framework, designed to assist organisations select the appropriate level of

participation required for different stakeholder groups. It includes five levels of engagement,

tailored below for the planning context2:

1 Adapted from: Attorney General’s Department, 2013: Community Engagement Framework, Handbook 6, Australian Emergency Management Handbook Series 2 Modified from Handbook 6 and IAP2 publications.

https://www.iap2.org/



Table 1, Stakeholder engagement levels and methods

Level Intent Characteristics Methods

1 – inform Sharing information with, within and

between agencies to come to a

mutual understanding. Everyone is

informed and able to take

responsibility for decisions and

actions.

1. Communication is relevant, accurate, targeted, credible and consistent

2. Information is accessible and provided through a range of channels

3. Mechanisms are established to ensure coordinated communication with

organisations and individuals

Fact sheets

Websites

Newsletters, bulletins, circulars

Training programs, including

presentations and exercises

2 – consult Building connected networks and

relationships, ownership and trust

through active involvement.

1. Agencies, organisations and their staff have an opportunity to be

involved in decisions or actions that potentially affect or interest them

2. There may be multiple pathways to participate

3. Participation is possible for all members of relevant agencies or

organisations

Surveys

Draft for comment

Focus groups

Meetings

3 – involve Sharing information, questions or

positions to obtain ideas, feedback,

knowledge or an understanding of

objectives and expectations.

1. There is sufficient time to consider an issue or question and provide

input, and to consider this feedback

2. The consultation process is as broad as possible while appropriate to

the project scope

3. Opportunities are created so that many voices can be heard

4. Information received from agencies, organisations and their staff is

recorded, stored and used appropriately

5. Agencies, organisations and their staff are informed as to how their

input is considered and influences outcomes

Workshops

Focus groups

Forums

Targeted after-action reviews

4 – collaborate Partnering to support action,

including developing alternatives

and identifying a preferred solution.

1. Opportunities are created for agencies or organisations to have a say in

decisions about actions that could affect their work

2. Commitment is given to agencies and organisations that their

contribution will influence planning decisions

3. There is recognition and communication of the needs and interests of

all participants, including decision-makers

4. Seeking out and facilitating involvement of all who are potentially

affected by or interested in the plan

Reference groups

Facilitated consensus-building

forums

Action-learning programs or

projects

5 - empower Individuals and agencies have

capacity to understand risk, accept

responsibility and implement

initiatives.

1. Knowledge is shared between individuals, agencies and organisations

2. The partnership leads and owns the process

3. Joint action and inclusion lead to empowered individuals, agencies and

organisations

4. Opportunities for deliberation are an integral part of the process

Direct dialogue

Joint planning workshops

Joint decision-making



An important part of the planner’s role is to work out which level of engagement is appropriate

for each stakeholder at different points in the planning process.

Effective engagement must take into account: context, scope, people, purpose, and influence.

1. Context: The planner needs to understand the context of the engagement, and the

background and history that has led to this point. What else might be happening?

What other factors or influences need to be considered?

2. Scope: What needs to happen or be resolved? Is this a substantive review or an

administrative update following changes to the machinery of government? The

planner needs to ensure the project scope is clear, what resources are available and

how much time is needed and available to do the work.

3. People: Who is affected and passionate about the plan? Which people need to be

considered and who has interest and influence in the situation?

4. Purpose: Is there agreement with all stakeholders about the purpose and goals for the

engagement? The purpose statement influences how stakeholders will contribute to

the scope of the work or decision.

5. Influence: A statement about influence will identify roles for stakeholders and the

organisation, and shape what influence they will have on the outcome.

The development and review of the Sub- Plan should be aimed at Level 4 and 5 of the IAP2

spectrum.

4.2.1 Identifying stakeholders

A stakeholder is a person, group of persons, agency, or organisation(s) that has, or feel they

have, an interest in, or can affect/be affected by, an issue or decision.

The first step in reviewing or writing an emergency management plan is to identify the

stakeholders. It’s useful to do this by agency or organisation in the first instance, then work

with the agencies or organisations to identify individuals. Each stakeholder should be mapped

based on their level of interest and influence:

Figure 1 - stakeholder mapping



Stakeholder identification must consider the target audience of the plan. State-level sub- and

supporting plans are targeted at those agencies with a role in emergency management

(government, NGO or private sector). Consequently, ‘the community’ (however described) is

unlikely to have a high level of influence or interest and is therefore unlikely to be an important

stakeholder. By contrast, if the planning context was a local flood plan or bushfire

management plan, the community may be highly interested and influential.

Some questions that will assist the planner to identify stakeholders include:

Who is responsible for the wider project, policy or plan?

What individuals or groups have a stake or an interest in the plan?

Who is influential in the policy and planning arena?

Who makes the decisions?

Who can influence decisions?

Who is critical to delivery?

Who will potentially be affected by the plan?

Who will contribute resources?

Who can slow or stop the project?

Who is excluded and may not have been considered?

There may be a ‘layered’ approach to stakeholder engagement, particularly for the supporting

plans, where participating and supporting organisations will have to engage in their own

internal processes. It’s useful to work with these agencies to support their internal

engagement where appropriate.

Once a stakeholder agency is identified, it’s important to identify a contact person (or position)

to act as the focal point for communication about the project.

4.2.2 Engaging stakeholders

Once the stakeholders are mapped, it’s important to develop an engagement plan, which

should:

1. be clear about the outcome,

2. include suitable methods of engagement,

3. describe engagement logistics (timing, resourcing and responsibilities),

4. include key messages, and

5. consider and mitigate stakeholder engagement risks.

Planners should consider these issues while developing the engagement plan:

Existing networks, relationships and activities. Stakeholders are busy and want their time

to be valued; so consider how existing networks, events and relationships can be coordinated

to avoid duplication. This will also help to build relationships.

Not everyone needs to be involved. Not all stakeholders need to be involved in all activities

and at all stages of the engagement process. With good planning, different stakeholders can

be involved effectively in different parts of the process in a way that is efficient and relevant to

them.

Not just the ‘usual suspects’. Stakeholders who are responsive and make an active

contribution are often engaged more frequently. However, relying on these stakeholders may

mean the engagement is not fully representative and lacks diverse perspectives. There will

be agencies that may not be typically engaged, as they are neither combat agencies,

participating organisations or supporting organisations; yet they may have an important part



in a plan (e.g. the Department of Education). It’s important to be inclusive, even if that inclusion

is with organisations that may be opponents, or in contention with parts of the plan.

Maintaining the relationship. For most emergency management planning, the engagement

will be part of a longer-term relationship with the stakeholders. Planners should be aware of

how the engagement can enhance this relationship throughout the process.

4.2.3 Managing engagement risks

Stakeholder engagement can be complex and presents varying levels of risk. The more

effectively these risks are managed, the more successful and effective the stakeholder

engagement will be for both the planner and stakeholders. Common risks include:

stakeholders having a different understanding of the engagement objectives and

different expectations about the outcomes of the process;

stakeholder agencies or organisations having differing levels of commitment to the

process and support for their nominated responsible person;

stakeholders feeling excluded from the process, for example, if they are unable to

attend engagement activities due to their geographic location, operational tempo or

level of organisational commitment;

stakeholders having insufficient time to contribute fully or to raise concerns, for

example, due to short project timelines.

Clear communication is a crucial mitigation for all these risks. Early engagement helps to

minimise risk as potential issues can be identified and addressed prior to the planning process

beginning.

4.3 Content and structure

The state-level sub- and supporting plans describe the whole-of-government collaborative

approach to emergency management. The Office of Emergency Management maintains a

template for each type of plan, which are attached to these guidelines.

All state-level plans should reflect the authorising legislation, regulation and policy. They will

reflect the current, evidence-based practice for emergency management across the PPRR

cycle. The arrangements in the State EMPLAN should not be repeated, unless necessary to

ensure context or readability; however, it is important that any variations from, or additions to,

those arrangements are identified, justified and clarified. Links should be included to relevant

documents.

4.3.1 State-level sub-plans

State-level sub-plans describe how the combat agency controls a response and coordinates

resources across the PPRR cycle. Sub-plans should:

1. refer to relevant authorising legislation, regulation and policy specific to the plan;

2. identify the risk and potential consequences to the social, built, economic and natural

environments;

3. outline the policy, programs and strategies in place to manage the risks before, during

and after an emergency;

4. identify the agencies responsible for managing specific strategies or actions;

5. identify roles and responsibilities for participating and supporting organisations

6. outline the multi-agency management arrangements and any links to inter-

jurisdictional and national-level arrangements;

7. include a process for maintaining the plan; and



8. include links to relevant supporting documents and information.

4.3.2 State-level supporting plans

Supporting plans describe how the nine Functional Areas will coordinate resources to

contribute their particular capabilities and expertise to all-hazards emergency management.

They should:

1. refer to relevant authorising legislation, regulation and policy specific to the plan;

2. identify the capabilities (described as tasks or outputs) offered by the Functional Area;

3. clarify any capabilities that cannot be provided by the Functional Area

4. describe the agencies (government, NGO and private sector) that are part of the

Functional Area and their role in providing services;

5. describe how to access the services of the Functional Area at different levels;

6. outline any links to inter-jurisdictional and national-level arrangements;

7. include a process for maintaining the plan; and

8. include links to relevant supporting documents and information.

4.4 Issues to consider

Planners should consider the following issues prior to the development or review project:

Is there is a need for a state-wide approach or is the issue better addressed locally?

Is there a need for a new plan or an amendment to an existing document?

What are the potential implications for stakeholders?

Is the project contentious?

What are the potential financial or other resource implications of the project?

What are the potential legal implications of the project?

What is the appropriate consultation process?

Planners should consider the following issues during the development or review project:

Is there an opportunity to consolidate one or more plans?

What are the direct and indirect financial or other resource implications of the plan?

Are the proposed arrangements evidence-based, do they represent contemporary

practice, and are they practical and achievable?

Have potential legal, industrial or other workforce implications been addressed?

Have the relevant stakeholders been engaged?

What are the training requirements for agencies and organisations who will be required

to implement the plan and the cost of ensuring these requirements are met?

What are the resource implications of maintaining the plan?

4.5 Writing style and branding

Write state-level sub-and supporting plans concisely, in plain English with minimal use of

acronyms and abbreviations. Use the active voice wherever possible, e.g. use “will” rather

than “is responsible for”. Authors should use the NSW Government Brand Guidelines, NSW

Government Style Guides, lead planning agency’s style guide (if there is one), the Office of

Emergency Management templates, and the Australian Government Style Guide (where there

is no agency style guide).

The Office of Emergency Management will apply its branding guidelines to ensure that

approved state-level plans are identifiable.

https://communications.dpc.nsw.gov.au/assets/dpc-nsw-gov-au/files/Communications-and-Engagement/0c7b202631/NSW-Government-Brand-Guidelines.pdf

https://communications.dpc.nsw.gov.au/communications-resources/style-guides/



4.6 Publishing, printing and notification

The Office of Emergency Management will ensure that all endorsed plans are available on the

OEM website, which is the authoritative source for all emergency management plans. Lead

planning agencies may include plans on their own intranets but must ensure that their version

is current and matches the version on the OEM website.

The lead planning agency will notify stakeholders when a plan has been endorsed and is

available on emergency.nsw.gov.au.

Lead planning agencies should prepare and implement a notification and education program,

particularly for a new plan or where there have been substantive changes to an existing plan.

There is no requirement for printed copies to be formally distributed.

4.7 Validating the plan

All plans should be validated with an exercise, if not as part of the approval process and

endorsement, then soon thereafter. The lead planning agency will ensure the plan is

exercised no later than one year from its endorsement. The requirement to validate a

Supporting Plan can be met by the relevant Functional Area participating in a hazard-specific

exercise.

All exercises should be evaluated and the results of that evaluation incorporated into the plan where necessary, consistent with the Lessons Management Framework.

5 Author’s checklist

Item Action Complete

(date)

1. Confirm the type of review and its scope (administrative or

substantive)

2. Confirm budget or resources are available for the project

3. Prepare project plan

4. Confirm planning group membership

5. Identify stakeholders and develop an engagement plan

6. Develop a notification and education plan

7. Develop a validation plan

8. Review after action reviews and other reports consistent with the

Lessons Management Framework

9. Circulate draft for review

10. Complete stakeholder engagement

11. Confirm quality:

https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/Pages/publications/plans/Plans.aspx



Item Action Complete

(date)

1. Does the plan meet the guidelines?

2. Does the plan represent contemporary, evidence-based

practice?

3. Is the plan written concisely, in plain English?

4. Does the plan meet the style guides?

12. Submit to Commissioner, Chief Executive or Secretary for approval

(substantive review) or noting (administrative review)

13. Submit to SEMC for endorsement (substantive review) or noting

(administrative review)

14. Implement notification and education plan

15. Complete validation (within 12 months of endorsement)

16. Program next routine review


State Sub-plan template DRAFT Sub-plan

Attachment 1—State Sub-plan template

This template can be produced as a stand-alone document that can be

more easily formatted. It is included in the Guidelines for convenience.


State Sub-Plan template DRAFT Sub-plan page i

Contents

Auto-generated table of contents cannot be generated within the

Guidelines but can be inserted when the document is formatted

separately.


State Sub-Plan template DRAFT Sub-plan page 1

Template guidance:

The intent of the template is to promote consistency across sub-plans, while allowing agencies

to tailor the contents to suit their needs. Additional sub-headings or appendices may be added

as required.

It is important to remember that a state-level sub-plan is a strategic document that outlines the

whole-of-government approach to emergency management for the specific risk. It should be

underpinned by more detailed operational plans maintained by agencies and organisations.

Standard text is in black and should be included in the sub-plan.

Guidance text in purple provides instructions.

Example text in purple italics is illustrative and generally taken from an existing plan.

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose

Provide a short description of the purpose of the sub-plan. For example:

This state [name] plan describes the strategic emergency management arrangements for

[hazard] affecting New South Wales, including Lord Howe Island.

1.2 Authority

This Plan is written and issued under the authority of the State Emergency and Rescue

Management Act 1989 (NSW) (‘SERM Act’) and the NSW State Emergency Management

Plan (EMPLAN). In addition to these instruments, the following Acts and Regulations apply to

managing [hazard]:

List relevant Acts and regulations here using hyperlinks to legislation.nsw.gov.au.

Refer to specific powers or similar by section so they can be easily found in the relevant

instrument. Include details about specific powers or similar in an Appendix.

Complex legislative or governance arrangements (e.g. biosecurity and marine

pollution) can be included in an appendix to improve readability.

This plan is a Sub-plan to the NSW State Emergency Management Plan (EMPLAN). It was

approved by the [combat agency head], which is the designated Combat Agency for [hazard],

on [DATE] and was endorsed by the NSW State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC)

on [DATE}.

1.2.1 Revision history

Version Date endorsed Amendment notes

1.3 Activation

The arrangements in this plan are active at all times and do not require formal activation.

The principle in NSW is that plans are always active and the arrangements apply continuously.

Plans may call for specific processes, strategies or resources to be initiated or triggered.



These will normally be included as part of the response section. It may be useful to include a

statement outlining what triggers the plan:

The arrangements will normally be implemented on receipt of a [warning type or report].

Where appropriate, add a statement regarding the activation of national or international

arrangements. Explain how activation occurs and provide links to the appropriate documents

or processes.

1.4 Scope

Provide a description of the scope of the plan (i.e. what is included and what is not included)

and any assumptions, for example:

This plan describes the state-level emergency management arrangements for [hazard]

affecting NSW. It includes:

the potential risks and consequences of the emergency to the social, built, economic,

and natural environments

the policy and programs in place to mitigate these risks before, during and after an

emergency

the control and coordination arrangements for managing a [hazard] impact

an outline of the approach to managing a [hazard] impact and the agencies responsible

for managing specific strategies

the multi-agency management arrangements at the state, regional and local levels

(include national level arrangements where these exist) and

links to sources of information where the reader can obtain further detail

This plan addresses [specific risks e.g., animal biosecurity, plant biosecurity, etc.].

This plan does not address something [e.g. zoonotic disease], which is covered by [link to

another plan].

This plan does not include detail about the operational activities of individual agencies.

1.4.1 Assumptions

This plan is based on the following assumptions:

1. all the agencies and organisations with a role or responsibility included in this plan

maintain their own capability; including detailed operational plans, adequately trained

personnel, and sufficient resources to fulfil their role

2. warning systems will provide sufficient notice of an emergency to allow resources to

be pre-deployed

1.5 Goals

Amplify the purpose by providing a statement of the plan’s goals (sometimes listed as

objectives or principles in older plans). The goals should describe why the plan exists. They

should begin with a verb and be listed in priority order, e.g.:

The goals for [hazard] emergency management are to:

1. preserve life



2. promote protective behaviours in the community

3. move people to safer areas

4. protect critical infrastructure

5. protect property

6. protect assets that support the local economy and assist in recovery

7. protect the natural environment and conservation values, including cultural heritage

8. minimise economic loss

9. promote community recovery

1.6 Audience

The audience for this plan is the NSW Government and agencies within the emergency

management sector, including non-government organisations (NGOs) business and

community groups with a significant role in emergency management.

Where appropriate, add Commonwealth or international agencies.

Although the wider community is not the primary audience, community members may find the

contents of this plan informative.

1.7 Linkages

This plan reflects current legislation, the arrangements in the EMPLAN, the strategic direction

for emergency management in NSW and the accepted State practice for emergency

management. The EMPLAN arrangements have not been repeated unless necessary to

ensure context and readability. Any variations from these arrangements have been identified

and justified.

Identify other arrangements or supporting/ subordinate plans that relate to this plan. This may

include national plans or arrangements (e.g. AUSVETPLAN), operational plans, agency-

specific plans and regional or local plans (e.g. a local flood plan is prepared for all local

government areas subject to flood risk or local bushfire management plans are prepared… or

refer to consequence management guides). Unless considered necessary for context, the

plan should not repeat the information or arrangements described in these other documents,

which should be referred to by hyperlinks.

1.8 Maintaining the plan

The [planning lead agency responsible officer or head] will keep this plan current by:

1. ensuring that all emergency service organisations, functional area and officers

included in this plan are made aware of their roles and responsibilities;

2. conducting exercises to test arrangements;

3. reviewing the contents of the plan;

a. after significant [hazard] response operations;

b. insert specific triggers e.g. when changes to land use strategic plans and

policies change the population at risk;

c. when there are changes to the machinery of government;

d. when there are changes that alter agreed plan arrangements; and

e. as determined by the NSW SEMC.

4. This plan will be reviewed no less frequently than every five years.

Describe any specific process for keeping the plan up to date.



2 The emergency risk context

2.1 The hazard

Provide a broad overview of the context of the emergency, including essential background

information, definitions and the circumstances that may give rise to the emergency such as

weather, infrastructure failure, natural disaster, poor infection control measures etc.

Refer to the State Level Emergency Risk Assessment or other emergency risk assessment

establishing the need for the plan.

2.2 Consequences

Identify the potential impacts and the consequences of the emergency across the social, built,

economic, and natural environments. Focus on impacts that need to be managed—each

impact or consequence should be addressed somewhere in the plan.

3 Prevention

It’s useful to frame the PPRR sections in terms of strategy (what needs to happen) [OPTION:

outcome (the desired state)] and actions (how to get there). The focus is on the combat

agency as the plan describes what it does to control the response and coordinate resources

across the PPRR cycle.

Provide an outline of actions that can be taken to prevent the hazard from having an impact,

focussing on the combat agency. Some older plans refer to mitigation.

It’s likely the prevention section will be small, but it should include actions that can be allocated

to a responsible person or team. For example (modified from the Storm Plan, Biosecurity Plan

and Bushfire Plan):

Our strategy is to:

(OPTION:

The outcome is:)

Actions we will take to achieve the strategy (or

outcome) are:

Avoid or reduce the impact of

storms on the built

environment

(Storm Plan – these are SES

actions)

OPTION:

Reduced or nil impact of

storms on the built

environment

1. lobby infrastructure owners/operators to improve

asset resilience

2. participate in reviews of the Australian Building

Code to improve storm resistance in residential

structures

3. participate in local planning reviews and land-use

decisions

Prevent entry of biosecurity

threats

See the NSW Biosecurity Strategy

1. strengthen biosecurity science and research

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/838661/NSW-biosecurity-strategy-2013-2021.pdf



Our strategy is to:

(OPTION:

The outcome is:)

Actions we will take to achieve the strategy (or

outcome) are:

(Biosecurity Plan – these are

DPI actions)

OPTION:

Biosecurity threats are

excluded

2. work with Australian Government border agencies

to strengthen border controls

3. develop clear ‘stock stand-still’ responsibilities and

powers

4. etc…

Ensure that new development

is designed, constructed and

maintained to minimise bush

fire risk

(Bushfire Plan – these are

RFS actions)

OPTION:

Minimised bushfire risk in new

developments

See link to planning instrument

1. assess development proposals in bushfire prone

areas

2. participate in reviews of the Australian Building Code

to improve bushfire resistance in residential

structures

3. etc…

4 Preparedness

Preparedness includes arrangements or plans to deal with an emergency or the effects of an

emergency. Preparedness activities are is undertaken by:

agencies and organisations that have responsibilities before, during and after an

emergency; and

communities, businesses and households that are likely to be affected by [the hazard].

4.1 Emergency planning

Describe the planning that supports emergency management for the hazard e.g.:

Strategy Actions

Maintain storm plans

(Storm Plan – these are SES

actions)

1. develop and review the State Storm Plan

2. develop and review Local Snow Plans or

consequence management guides as required

3. support development of coastal management

programs in accordance with the Coastal

Management Act 2016 and the State Environmental

Planning Policy (Coastal Management) 2016.

4. develop coastal erosion management consequence

management guides with local councils



Strategy Actions

Maintain plans consistent with

national arrangements

(State Waters … Plan – these

are RMS Maritime actions)

1. develop and review the NSW Marine Pollution Plan,

consistent with the National Plan for …

2. support development of local port pollution control

plans

4.2 Operational readiness

Include an outline of the actions taken by the combat agency to prepare for emergency

response, often called capability development (development of personnel, equipment and

systems). This might include recruiting and retaining a volunteer workforce; briefing, training

and exercising; establishing and maintaining a control or coordination facility; establishing,

calibrating or maintaining a warning system; establishing or maintaining a register of safer

places or evacuation centres; and establishing or maintaining caches of equipment or standing

contracts for services such as aircraft hire.

4.3 Community resilience

Describe the actions that will be taken to enhance community resilience and what this might

look like. This will include community awareness, education and engagement activities; and

strategic communication strategies.

For the purposes of consistency, issuing and responding to warnings are considered to be

response actions because the point of a warning is to elicit a response.

5 Response

The EMPLAN describes the types of operation and control philosophy (part 7 and paras 811-

815). It is unnecessary to repeat these standing arrangements, unless doing so is important

for context or where there are specific arrangements that are not clear in the EMPLAN.

The structure of the response section is:

What we do to respond

Who’s in charge and how the response is coordinated

How the community is kept informed (warnings)

5.1 Concept of operations

This is a strategic outline of what actions are taken to resolve the emergency. It is the technical

part of the plan that describes what specific tasks or actions are necessary to fix the

problem and who does them. It should link back to the goals of the plan.

Consider action-focussed headings such as

Protecting life and property

Protecting critical infrastructure

Managing evacuation

Managing information



Resupply

Another approach might be:

Containing the outbreak

Treating infected animals

Maintaining market confidence

The concept of operations should:

describe any specific notification and escalation processes,

describe levels of response and response options,

note who is responsible for preparing any action plans,

include early engagement with recovery structures and arrangements.

5.2 Control and coordination

This section should clearly state who is in control. It should describe any specific legislative

instrument or process required to appoint a controller.

It should describe how the combat agency will coordinate the functional areas and other

resources.

This section should include the approach to control centres and clarify who should staff those

centres. It should outline any links between control or coordination centres and how they work

together.

5.3 Emergency information and warnings

This section should describe the types of information and warnings distributed to the public.

It should state who is responsible for different warnings, their purpose and means of

dissemination.

5.4 Inter-jurisdictional support

This section should describe any arrangements for providing support to, or seeking support

from, other jurisdictions. This will often be a link to an existing agreement or MoU. Do not

repeat any arrangements that are in the EMPLAN.

5.5 Impact assessment

Describe how the initial impact assessment is managed and how the recovery structures are

kept informed. Outline different impact information across the four recovery environments:

Social

Built

EconomicNatural



5.6 Withdrawal from response

Describe how the combat agency will wind down and end the response. It may include plans

for longer term maintenance of temporary measures, such as tarpaulins installed after a storm,

or clean-up of continuing minor pollution onto a beach. It should include plans for managing

information collected during the response. While the section on maintaining the plan refers to

reviewing the plan after a significant response, it may be appropriate to include reference to

after action reviews and other debriefing or demobilisation processes in this section.

6 Recovery

The arrangements for recovery operations in New South Wales are outlined in the NSW State

EMPLAN and further described in the State Recovery Plan.

Describe how the combat agency will contribute to recovery, for example by conducting or

coordinating impact assessments. Do not repeat content from the EMPLAN or Recovery Plan,

unless it is important for context.

7 Logistics and finance

Logistics and financial arrangements are described in EMPLAN Part 10. It is unnecessary to

repeat these; however, any specific financial and logistic arrangements should be described

(e.g. industry funded or insurance recovery arrangements, use of standing contract for labour

hire or similar).

Describe any approach for managing spontaneous volunteers here.



Appendix A—Roles and responsibilities

The following roles and responsibilities are in addition to the roles and responsibilities

described in the EMPLAN and relate to [hazard].

Include a row in the table for every agency or organisation that has a role in the plan in

alphabetical order. Ensure the roles and responsibilities are observable actions.

EXAMPLE FOR A FUNCTIONAL AREA (note this is not specific to any hazard, it’s a modified

version of the generic statement from EMPLAN to illustrate the layout):

Agency/Functional Area

Roles and responsibilities

Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA)

Role: to support combat agencies manage the impact of emergencies on agriculture, fisheries, companion and commercial animals by providing the following services:

Prevention

Build awareness for emergency prevention andpreparedness by primary producers, animal holdingestablishments and the community.

Preparedness

Encourage local networks to develop plans for managingrelocated stock and companion animals during [hazard]

Response

Identify at-risk animals and agricultural assets and provideimpact advice to the combat agency

Coordinate support to primary producers, animal holdingestablishments and the community, including rescue,evacuation, emergency care of animals and theassessment, humane destruction and disposal of affectedanimals.

Coordinate supply of emergency fodder and water.

Recovery

Conduct agricultural damage impact assessments.

Process agricultural natural disaster applications.

Provide recovery information and workshops.

Attend recovery centres and recovery committees whenactivated.

Administer transport subsidies to primary producers.

Insert appendices as required. An appendix is useful where there is a large amount of

technical information that interrupts the flow or readability of the plan.

Appendix X—Glossary

Readers should refer to EMPLAN Annexure 9 – Definitions. Additional terms not found in the

EMPLAN are defined below:

Term definition

Term definition


State Supporting Plan template DRAFT Supporting Plan

Attachment 2—State Supporting Plan template

This template can be produced as a stand-alone document that can be

more easily formatted. It is included in the Guidelines for convenience.


State Supporting Plan template DRAFT Supporting Plan page i

Contents

Auto-generated table of contents cannot be generated within the

Guidelines but can be inserted when the document is formatted

separately.


State Supporting Plan template DRAFT Supporting Plan page 1

Template guidance:

The intent of the template is to promote consistency across supporting plans, while allowing

agencies to tailor the contents to suit their needs. Additional sub-headings or appendices may

be added as required.

It is important to remember that a state-level supporting plan is a strategic document that

outlines the support provided to a controlling or coordinating authority before, during and after

an emergency. It is an action plan that describes how a Functional Area will fulfil its role and

responsibilities. It should be underpinned by more detailed operational plans maintained by

agencies and organisations.

Standard text is in black and should be included in the supporting plan.

Guidance text in purple provides instructions.

Example text in purple italics is illustrative and generally taken from an existing plan.

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose

Provide a short description of the purpose of the supporting plan. For example:

This state [functional area] plan describes the strategic emergency management

arrangements for providing [functional] support to emergency management in New South

Wales.

1.2 Authority

This Plan is written and issued under the authority of the State Emergency and Rescue

Management Act 1989 (NSW) (SERM Act) and the NSW State Emergency Management Plan

(EMPLAN). In addition to these instruments, the following Acts and Regulations apply to

providing [function] support:

List relevant Acts and regulations here. Include specific references to sections in Acts

wherever possible to simplify finding them. Include hyperlinks to

legislation.nsw.gov.au

Complex legislative or governance arrangements can be included in an appendix to

improve readability.

Functional Areas are business units within New South Wales Government agencies that,

consistent with the scope of their portfolio, perform specific emergency management

functions. This may be to support Combat Agencies to resolve the consequence of an

emergency, or they may provide emergency risk management leadership within a sector

(EMPLAN para 428). They derive their authority from the SERM Act and EMPLAN.

The [Department] is the agency responsible for coordinating the [functional area] and is the

planning lead agency.

This plan is a Supporting Plan to the NSW State Emergency Management Plan (EMPLAN).

It was prepared by the [functional area] Coordinator and approved by the [cluster Secretary]

on DATE. The plan was endorsed by the NSW State Emergency Management Committee

(SEMC) on [DATE].



1.2.1 Revision history

Version Date endorsed Amendment notes

1.3 Activation

The arrangements in this plan are active at all times and do not require formal activation.

The principle in NSW is that plans are always active and the arrangements apply continuously.

Plans may call for specific processes, strategies or resources to be activated. These will

normally be included as part of the response section. It may be useful to include a statement

outlining what triggers the plan:

The arrangements in this plan will normally be implemented on receipt of a [warning type or

report or request].

Where appropriate, add a statement regarding the activation of national or international

arrangements. Explain how activation occurs and provide links to the appropriate documents

or processes.

1.4 Scope

This Plan describes the coordination of government agencies, non-government organisations

(NGOs) and the private sector to provide key [function] services before, during and after an

emergency. It outlines the agreed roles and responsibilities of the agencies, organisations

and businesses across the prevention, preparation, response and recovery (PPRR) cycle.

Provide any further description of the scope of the plan (i.e. what is included and what is not

included) and any assumptions, for example:

It includes:

the range of tasks and outputs that the [functional area] can provide

the policy and programs in place to provide [functional area] services before, during

and after an emergency

the coordination arrangements for providing [functional area] services at state, region

and local levels

a description of the partner agencies, organisations and businesses involved in

providing [functional area] services and their status as participating or supporting

organisations

links to sources of information where the reader can obtain further detail

This plan does not address [a service], which is covered by [link to another plan].

This plan does not apply to temporary loss of services or local incidents that can be resolved

with local resources.

This plan does not include detail about the operational activities of individual agencies,

organisations or businesses.

1.4.1 Assumptions

Include any assumptions relevant to the plan, e.g.:



The planning assumptions for this plan include:

a. ESO, Functional Areas and their service providers have business continuity plans to

manage short-term and localised telecommunications services disruptions, and these

plans are regularly practised and reviewed.

b. at a local level, telecommunications carriers plan for the restoration of their own

infrastructure, networks and systems in accordance with existing business

arrangements and requirements.

c. the resources that the Supporting Plan relies upon would be made available when

required.

d. all member organisations have prepared, tested and maintain appropriate internal

instructions and/or standing operating procedures required to facilitate the

arrangements detailed in this plan.

1.5 Audience

The audience for this plan is the NSW Government and agencies within the emergency

management sector, including non-government organisations (NGOs) business and

community groups with a significant role in emergency management.

Where appropriate, add Commonwealth or international agencies.

Although the wider community is not the primary audience, community members may find the

contents of this plan informative.

1.6 Linkages

This plan reflects current legislation, the arrangements in the EMPLAN, the strategic direction

for emergency management in NSW and the accepted State practice for emergency

management. The EMPLAN arrangements not been repeated unless necessary to ensure

context and readability. Any variations from these arrangements have been identified and

justified.

Identify other arrangements, supporting or subordinate plans that relate to this plan. This may

include national plans or arrangements (e.g. COMRECEPLAN), special links to other

functional areas (e.g. Welfare Services and Ag and Animal Services for companion animals

at evacuation centres), operational plans or policies (e.g. Evacuation Management Guidelines

or Donations policy), agency-specific plans and regional or local plans. Unless considered

necessary for context, the plan should not repeat the information or arrangements described

in these other documents, which should be referred to by hyperlinks.

1.7 Maintaining the plan

The [functional area] Coordinator will keep this plan current by:

1. ensuring that all agencies, organisations, businesses and officers included in this plan

are made aware of their roles and responsibilities;

2. conducting exercises to test the arrangements;

3. reviewing the contents of the plan;

a. after significant emergency operations;

b. insert specific triggers; e.g. when there are changes to commercial

arrangements affecting [functional] service delivery

c. when there are changes to the machinery of government;

d. when there are changes that alter agreed plan arrangements; and



e. as determined by the NSW SEMC.

4. This plan will be reviewed no less frequently than every five years.

Describe any specific processes for keeping the plan up to date.

2 The Functional Area

2.1 Functional Area Coordinator

Functional Area Coordinator is a SEMC Member who is appointed by Cabinet on the

recommendation of the Minister for the sponsoring agency and the Minister responsible for

the Office of Emergency Management (EMPLAN para 431). They are responsible for:

establishing a Functional Area Sub-Committee to assist with developing and

maintaining this plan (see Appendix B);

engaging with participating and supporting agencies to develop and maintain capability

to provide specialist support to emergency management across the PPRR cycle; and

coordinating functional area support during response and recovery operations.

By agreement with participating and supporting organisations within the functional area, the

Functional Area Coordinator has the authority to commit the resources of those organisations

or to coordinate their response.

The Functional Area Coordinator will determine what, if any, structure is established as region

and/or local level.

Detailed governance structures should be included in an appendix.

2.2 Coordination

Describe how the services are coordinated including any regional and local structures, e.g.:

The OEM DWS Branch and DCJ are responsible for the coordination and delivery of disaster

welfare services. OEM DWS is responsible for policy development and DCJ is responsible

for district and local level delivery of disaster welfare services. A Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) between OEM DWS and DCJ outlines the roles and responsibilities of

the two organisations in the delivery of disaster welfare [insert hyperlink].

Another example: NSW DPI Emergency Management Unit coordinates actions, agencies and

individuals and establishes structures, systems and processes to ensure effective control of

emergency management activities.

Describe any coordination centres or liaison officer structures

2.3 Role of the [function] functional area

Describe the role of the functional area in terms of the services it can provide, e.g.: coordinating the provision of welfare services to disaster affected people. Welfare services are those provided to assist in the relief of personal hardship and distress to individuals, families and communities by meeting the immediate needs of disaster affected people. These services may include food, clothing and shelter.

Describe situations where the functional area may operate as a de-facto combat agency

EMPLAN para 430) and its role in this sort of emergency.



2.4 Services provided

Describe the range of services as tasks the functional area can perform, or outcomes it can

achieve. The intent is to provide combat agency controllers or EOCONs with a “shopping list”

of capabilities they can request. For example:

The key welfare services that are delivered by the WSFA are:

a. Immediate financial assistance – The provision of immediate financial assistance

to disaster affected people who are without, or who cannot access the financial

resources to assist themselves to meet their immediate needs of food, clothing and

shelter. Immediate financial assistance is provided when in-kind services are not

available or appropriate.

Coordinator – Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)

b. Emergency accommodation - The provision of emergency accommodation

services (through commercial accommodation providers) to disaster affected people

and to WSFA agency members.

Coordinator – Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

c. Catering - The provision of emergency catering to disaster affected people and

WSFA agency members.

Coordinator – The Salvation Army

d. Material aid – The sourcing, assembly and distribution of material aid supplies when

requested by the WelFAC. This includes basic clothing, towels, nappies and personal

items. DCJ will resource the purchase of Material Aid.

Coordinator – ANGLICARE

e. Etc…

2.5 Service delivery

Describe how or where the functional area delivers its services. This may be by deploying

trained staff into the field, providing liaison officers to combat agency control centres or EOCs

or establishing specific facilities, e.g.:

Key Welfare Services may be delivered through:

a. Evacuation Centres –The centre has a range of agencies … to provide support to

people (including stranded travellers) and their companion animals who have

evacuated from an area. As part of the planning process, Local Emergency

Management Committees, in close consultation with combat agencies, are responsible

for the identification and evaluation of potential evacuation centres, and the

development of strategies for the activation of these venues. The centre is identified

and activated …

b. Disaster Welfare Assistance Points (DWAP) - A place where a reduced level of key

welfare services may be delivered. A DWAP may be established when there is an

identified need for some key welfare services but an evacuation centre is not

required… DWAPs are established and managed by the WSFA.

c. Disaster Welfare Assistance Line (DWAL) – a public inquiry line that provides …. It

is managed by the OEM DWS Branch.

a. Personal Support Outreach - Outreach programs provide …. The need for Outreach

is determined for each event and coordinated through the WSFA. It is delivered by the

Red Cross with the assistance of ANGLICARE or other agencies as required.



b. Recovery centres – Recovery centres are one-stop shops that ... The State

Emergency Recovery Controller (SERCON) is responsible for authorising the

establishment of a recovery centre and for the overall interagency coordination and

management of recovery centre functions.

2.6 Participating organisations

Participating organisations are those organisations that have given formal notice to [FAC

Department] that they are willing to participate in, and commit resources to, emergency

response and recovery operations under the direction of the Functional Area Coordinator,

agency Controller or Emergency Operations Controller (EMPLAN para 435).

List the participating organisations and their role (noting that detail of their responsibilities and

actions is in Appendix A) e.g.:

Red Cross

The Red Cross will provide personal support services to disaster affected people including the

reception of disaster affected people at established evacuation centres and disaster welfare

assistance points, care and comfort, information, referral and interpersonal help through

measures such as Psychological First Aid and outreach.

Outline and hyperlink to any MoUs or similar agreements with participating organisations.

Describe any structure within the participating organisation, such as appointing a Participating

Organisation State Coordinator, and outline responsibilities.

2.7 Supporting organisations

Supporting Organisations have indicated a willingness to participate and provide specialist

support resources (EMPLAN para 437).

List the supporting organisations and their role (noting that detail of their responsibilities and

actions is in Appendix A) e.g.:

NSW Office of Water

The NSW Office of Water will provide advice on water resources; and in conjunction with

Energy & Utility Services Functional area, monitor the impact of the emergency on water

resources.

Local Governments

Local governments have a close working relationship with local public health services in the

management of public health and environmental issues. They can provide services including

environmental health management such as food safety, and manage public health

infrastructure such as drinking water supplies, sewerage, sanitation and waste management.



3 Prevention and Preparedness

3.1 Service continuity

Describe how the functional area can contribute to developing service continuity or otherwise

help prevent or lessen the impact of an emergency. This is most likely through participating

in processes to develop or maintain codes, polices, regulation or legislation.

3.2 Planning

Describe how the functional area manages its planning. Include information about how it

contributes to planning at region and local level (e.g. participation in Region or Local EMCs).

Outline if parts of the functional area produce their own plans (e.g. AMPLAN) and how these

fit together. This may be best presented in a diagram. For example:

Each local business unit must undertake emergency risk assessments to:

a. develop appropriate treatment or control plans; response and surge plans; business

continuity; and recovery plans for predictable events such as bushfires, storms, floods,

facility evacuations and utility failures

b. Identify vulnerabilities within the facilities and resources and incorporate arrangements

and procedures within the associated plans

c. Identify and consult with the vulnerable populations within the boundaries to ensure

appropriate services can be delivered during an emergency

3.3 Operational readiness

Outline the actions taken by the functional area to prepare for emergency response, often

called capability development (development of personnel, equipment and systems). This

might include recruiting and retaining a volunteer workforce; briefing, training and exercising;

establishing and maintaining a coordination facility. For example

The Functional Area Coordinator will:

a. develop, maintain and implement an emergency management education framework to

ensure that education and training is consistent across local business units and is

aligned to State directions

b. coordinate statewide emergency management education opportunities and assist local

business units to meet their emergency management training obligations

c. etc…

Local business units will:

a. implement emergency management education programs that enhance the knowledge

and skills of their staff

b. ensure there are adequate numbers of trained personnel to respond to emergencies

c. etc…

Include any assistance the functional area provides to participating and supporting

organisations, or make a statement of what they are required to do to be prepared.



3.4 Community resilience

Outline the actions taken by the functional area to build community resilience (including a

description of what this might look like), such as community information or engagement

strategies e.g.:

Local Land Services will:

a. Build awareness of emergency prevention and preparedness techniques for primary

producers, animal holding establishments and the community.

b. Etc...

The State Health Communications Controller will:

a. Develop community action guides for staying healthy during and after an emergency

b. Etc…

4 Response and Recovery

The [functional area] will deliver services to the community during the response and through

some or all of the recovery.

4.1 Concept of operations

Outline how the functional area will respond during and following an emergency. This will

generally include paragraphs on what the functional area does in the alert, standby, response

and stand-down phases, e.g.:

Recognised stages of activation for the WSFA in the response phase are:

a. ALERT - On receipt of information about a possible emergency, a briefing is given to

relevant welfare services agency representatives

b. STANDBY - On receipt of information about the significant risk of, or the imminence of

an emergency occurring, welfare services resources are confirmed and ready to

respond if required

c. ACTIVATION - On receipt of information that an emergency has occurred or there is

an increased level of risk of an emergency, welfare services resources are deployed

d. STAND DOWN – on receipt of information that an emergency has finished or the risk

has diminished, and that welfare services resources are no longer required, welfare

services resources are stood down.

4.2 Control and coordination

4.2.1 Control

Control of an emergency response is always vested with a combat agency controller or

emergency operations controller. Controllers may request the services of the functional area

to respond to an emergency, or the functional area may recognise the need for a service and

advise the controller. Similarly, a recovery coordinator/ controller may request the services of

the functional area to support community recovery. There is likely to be a period when

recovery and response operations are concurrent and there is both a combat agency controller

and recovery coordinator/ controller active.



The combat agency controller, emergency operations controller or recovery coordinator/

controller may control the response or recovery from an operations centre. The functional

area may be requested to provide a liaison officer to this centre.

Describe how the functional area works with response controllers and recovery coordinators.

4.2.2 Coordination

Coordination is a key function of a functional area. The functional area coordinator works

with their own agency and the participating and supporting organisations to provide the

services requested by the combat agency, recovery coordinator, or to support the community.

This plan gives the Functional Area Coordinator the authority to commit [list Departmental

resources] and the resources of the participating organisations.

Include specific coordination protocols including the relationship between local, regional and

state structures and different parts of the functional area.

Include reference to any coordination centre that may be set up; describing who sets it up,

where it is set up and how it is staffed.

4.3 Notification and escalation

Describe how the functional area is notified, how it notifies participating and supporting

organisations and any internal notification and escalation protocols.

Clarify if the functional area can be notified by a combat agency or an EOCON or either, and

if notification can happen at region or local level. Describe the escalation process for region

or local notifications. This may be best represented in a diagram

Describe the process to activate specific resources or initiate specific actions.

Indicate if a functional area can self-initiate specific resources.

4.4 Specific tasks or actions

Describe any specific actions that the functional area will take or services it can provide for

predictable issues. Consider:

Evacuation

Resupply

Temporary accommodation

4.5 Impact assessment

Describe how the functional area contributes to impact assessment or uses the results of

impact assessment across the four recovery environments:

Social

Built

Economic

Natural



4.6 Withdrawal of response

Describe how the functional area’s operations change as the combat agency or emergency

operations controller withdraws from the emergency. This will include transition to control or

coordination by a recovery coordinator.

4.7 Demobilisation

Describe how the functional area manages return to business as usual e.g.:

The TELCOFAC will advise the SEOCON or State Operations Controller of the relevant

Combat Agency of its intention to return to normal operations once routine operational activity

is sufficient to manage the situation.

A debrief will be held as soon as possible after every mobilisation of the response

arrangements under this plan, with the performance of this plan and procedures reviewed.

5 Finance and logistics

Logistics and financial arrangements are described in EMPLAN Part 10. It is unnecessary to

repeat these; however, any specific financial and logistic arrangements should be described

(e.g. industry funded or insurance recovery arrangements, use of standing contract for labour

hire or similar), e.g.:

NSW Treasury provides NSW Public Works with a specific funding allocation, under

Government Funded Programs, for meeting its responsibilities under EMPLAN. … Significant

expenditure on response and recovery is recovered from the Combat Agency requesting the

assistance or from NSW Treasury. Approval needs to be sought in advance of expenditure.

Certain expenditure incurred during emergency response or recovery operations following

natural disasters may be included under the Commonwealth / State funding arrangements.

However, expenditure on internal costs, such as personnel costs other than overtime, is in

general not reimbursable.

Under the Rural Fires Act 1997 for declared “Section 44” fires, certain expenditure may be

reimbursed through the Rural Fire Service.

Describe any approach for managing spontaneous volunteers here.



Appendix A—Roles and responsibilities

The following roles and responsibilities are in addition to the roles and responsibilities

described in the EMPLAN.

Include a row in the table for every agency or organisation that has a role in the plan, indicating

if it is a participating or supporting organisation. Organisations should be listed in alphabetical

order.

EXAMPLE FOR A PARTICIPATING ORGANISATION (note this is not specific to any hazard,

it’s a modified version of the generic statement from EMPLAN to illustrate the layout):

Agency/organisation Roles and responsibilities

Local Land Services (LLS) – participating organisation

Role: to provide local support to combat agency emergency management for agriculture, horticulture, companion and commercial animals by:

Prevention

Build awareness of emergency prevention andpreparedness techniques with primary producers, animalholding establishments and the community.

Preparedness

Encourage local networks to develop plans for managingrelocated stock and companion animals duringemergencies

Response

Identify at-risk animals and agricultural assets and providelocal impact advice to the combat agency

Coordinate local support to primary producers, animalholding establishments and the community, includingrescue, evacuation, emergency care of animals and theassessment, humane destruction and disposal of affectedanimals.

Coordinate local supply of emergency fodder and water.

Recovery

Conduct agricultural damage impact assessments.

Provide recovery information and workshops.

Attend recovery centres and recovery committees whenactivated.

Appendix B—Functional Area Sub-Committee membership

List the members of the Sub-Committee by position.

Insert additional appendices as required. An appendix is useful where there is a large amount

of technical information that interrupts the flow or readability of the plan.



Appendix X—Glossary

Readers should refer to EMPLAN Annexure 9 – Definitions. Additional terms not found in the

EMPLAN are defined below:

Term definition

Term definition

State Emergency Management Planning Guidelines …...Emergency Management Victoria SERP Sub-plan...

Documents

Transcript of State Emergency Management Planning Guidelines …...Emergency Management Victoria SERP Sub-plan...