Continuity of Operations
Planning Workshop
Devolution & Reconstitution
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Devolution Defined
Devolution is defined as: The
capability to transfer statutory
authority and responsibility for
essential functions from an
organization's primary operating staff
and facilities to other organization
employees and facilities, and to
sustain that operational capability for
an extended period.
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When to Consider Devolution
• When the alternate facility has been damaged
or is not accessible.
• When agency staff is unable to relocate.
• As a temporary measure until the Emergency
Relocation Group (ERG) assumes operations
from a continuity facility.
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Common Devolution Issues
• Ability to perform your organization’s essential
functions from a devolution site.
• Identification and training of personnel to take
over essential functions.
• Access to vital records needed to perform
essential functions.
• Communication with partners and stakeholders
• Additional resources (funding, personnel, and
equipment) available to support devolution
operations.
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Devolution Strategies
• Long-term, catastrophic event. Regional or other
offices are fully capable of performing agencies
Essential Functions.
• Short-term strategy that consists of a planned,
temporary transfer of essential functions to a
devolution site until the primary continuity site
is operational..
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Devolution Planning
Organizations should address the following
elements in their devolution program:
• plans & procedures,
• risk management,
• budgeting
&acquisitions,
• essential functions,
• orders of succession
• delegations of
authority,
• continuity
communications,
• essential records
management,
• human resources,
• TT&E,
• reconstitution
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Devolution Planning Con.
• Identify essential functions, define tasks that
support those essential functions, and determine
the necessary resources to facilitate those
functions.
• Include a roster that identifies equipped and trained
personnel (Devolution Emergency Response Group)
and who will have the authority to perform
essential functions.
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Devolution Planning Con.
• Identify what would likely activate or "trigger" the
devolution option.
o Active Triggers
o Passive Triggers
• Specify how and when direction and control of an
organization’s operations will be transferred
• List the necessary resources (i.e., equipment and
materials) to facilitate the performance of essential
functions at the devolution site.
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Devolution Planning Con.
• Establish and maintain reliable processes and
procedures for acquiring the resources necessary to
continue essential functions and to sustain those
operations for extended periods.
• Establish and maintain a capability to restore or
reconstitute an organization’s authorities to their preevent status upon termination of devolution.
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Devolution of Operations
• Phase I: Readiness and Preparedness, includes plan
development, TT&E, risk management, etc.;
• Phase II: Activation and Transfer of Authority, occurs
when primary operating facility is incapable of
performing Essential Functions; activate the Devolution
Plan in accordance with triggers;
• Phase III: Devolution Operations, which continue until
traditional continuity operations or routine operations
can be restored
• Phase IV: Reconstitution, conducted after the emergency
to restore normalcy or “new normal”
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Reconstitution
While you are analyzing the situation,
it is brought to your attention that
there are posts on social media from
students warning friends not to come
to school tomorrow.
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Reconstitution
The process by which surviving and/or
replacement organization personnel resume
normal organization operations from the
original or replacement primary operating
facility.
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Key Reconstitution Concepts
• Reconstitution begins at the start of a continuity
event;
• Identify a Reconstitution Team with leadership,
staff, and resources dedicated and separate from
existing essential function support;
• The non-ERG staff augments the ERG staff to
begin the process of resuming nonessential
functions.
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Reconstitution Planning
•
Develop redeployment plans for phasing down
continuity operations and supervising the return
of operations, personnel, records, and
equipment to the primary or other operating
facility in a priority-based approach;
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Reconstitution Planning Con.
• Detail how the organization will verify
operational capability and availability, including
systems, communications, essential records,
infrastructure, and other required resources, to
support all essential functions and operations at
the new or restored facility;
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Reconstitution Planning Con.
•
Identify how the organization will determine
which records were affected by the incident and
ensure an effective transition or recovery of
essential records and databases and other
records that had not been designated as
essential records
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Reconstitution Activities
• Assess the status of affected facilities;
• Determine how much time is needed to repair
the affected facility or to acquire a new facility;
• Supervise facility repairs;
• Notify decision-makers of the status of repairs,
including estimates of when the repairs will be
completed; and
• Implement a priority-based phased approach to
reconstitution.
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Personnel Notification for
Reconstitution
The process for notifying personnel to return to
work typically mirrors the process used to notify
them of continuity plan activation.
o timeframe (longer term)
o means of notification (public media, mass
notification services)
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Discussion
• What process is used to deal with
rumor control?
• What information might you release
concerning this situation?
• What is the process for the release of
this information, if applicable?
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Support Your People
• Mental Health
• Personal Loss
• Community Support Systems
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After Action Review &
Corrective Action Plans
•
•
•
•
Capture Lessons Learned
Plan remediation of problems
Assign responsibility
Determine timeline
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Contact Information
Will O’Neill, MS, MCP, ABCP
Texas School Safety Center
Texas State University
Emergency Management Program
Coordinator
william.oneill@txstate.edu