SECTION 5: CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT
5 Capability Assessment
This section discusses the capability of the Wake County planning area to implement hazard mitigation activities. It consists of the following four subsections: 5.1 Overview 5.2 Methodology 5.3 Capability Assessment Findings 5.4 Conclusions on Local Capability 5.1 OVERVIEW The purpose of conducting a capability assessment is to determine the ability of a local jurisdiction to implement a comprehensive mitigation strategy , and to identify potential opportunities for establishing or enhancing specific mitigation policies, programs, or projects. As in any planning process, it is important to try to establish which goals, objectives, and actions are feasible, based on an understanding of the organizational capacity of those agencies or departments tasked with their implementation. A capability assessment helps to determine which mitigation actions are practical and likely to be implemented over time given a local government’s planning and regulatory framework, level of administrative and technical support, amount of fiscal resources, and current political climate. A capability assessment has two primary components: 1) an inventory of a local jurisdiction’s relevant plans, ordinances, and programs already in place; and 2) an analysis of its capacity to carry them out. Careful examination of local capabilities will detect any existing gaps, shortfalls, or weaknesses with ongoing government activities that could hinder proposed mitigation activities and possibly exacerbate community hazard vulnerability. The capability assessment also highlights the positive mitigation measures already in place or being implemented at the local government level, which should continue to be supported and enhanced through future mitigation efforts. The capability assessment completed for the Wake County planning area serves as a critical planning step toward developing an effective mitigation strategy . Coupled with the risk assessment, the capability assessment helps identify and target effective goals, objectives, and mitigation actions that are realistically achievable under given local conditions. 5.2 METHODOLOGY To facilitate the inventory and analysis of local government capabilities within the planning area, a detailed Local Capability Self-Assessment worksheet was distributed to members of the HMPC after the first planning committee meeting. The survey questionnaire requested information on a variety of “capability indicators” such as existing local plans, policies, programs, or ordinances that contribute to and/or hinder the region’s ability to implement hazard mitigation actions. Other indicators included information related to the region’s fiscal, administrative, and technical capabilities, such as access to local budgetary and personnel resources for mitigation purposes, and existing education and outreach programs that can be used to promote mitigation. Communities were also asked to comment on the current political climate with respect to hazard mitigation, an important consideration for any local planning or decision-making process. At a minimum, the survey results provide an extensive and consolidated inventory of existing local plans, ordinances, programs, and resources in place or under development. With this information, inferences can be made about the overall effect on hazard loss reduction in each community. In completing the
Wake County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2019
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