On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the launch of www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov. The new Web site will serve as a vehicle for the recently formed Long-Term Recovery Disaster Recovery Working Group to solicit comments from state, local and tribal stakeholders as well as the public regarding disaster recovery. Some of the sample questions the working group is seeking to answer include:
- What constitutes a successful disaster recovery?
- How can federal, state and local disaster planning and recovery processes and programs be best coordinated?
- As disaster recovery is primarily a state and local leadership issue, what are best practices for the timing (including start and end) and form of federal assistance and coordination?
- What are the greatest capacity challenges that local and state governments face in disaster recovery and what are the best practices for increasing that capacity?
