Right or Now?

In numerous conversations lately, I sense that the new administration is struggling with a common problem as it searches for the way it will deal with the theme of resilience particularly in the area of public/private sector coordination and cooperation. The basic issue is one that we at CARRI have recognized and similarly struggled with since we began our resilience work. I usually describe it as, “get it right or get it now?”

Hurricane season will be here in just a few days. All of us want to be better prepared than we were last year with new systems, processes and collaborations in place. The reality of a fast approaching season of recurring, predictable natural disaster provides the imperative to do something visible now. The reality of our system of government is that we will not make productive, large-scale changes to our national systems before this season begins.

Resilience is a complex topic whether at the national, regional or community level. For our governments, it is a new way of looking at the old issues surrounding the response to natural disasters. While there are certainly things that can be done quickly based on lessons learned, we will not build a complete system of resilience quickly. Bringing together workshops of experts for a few days may advance our understanding of what needs to be done; they will not provide the answers necessary to fully inculcate resilience into our systems. Hastily organized and promulgated programs developed in isolation within the Washington beltway may demonstrate that our leaders understand the urgency of the issues; they will not quickly translate into accepted practice and meaningful progress at the local level – particularly if they are not funded.

But the issues are urgent. There is no time for the academic and policy communities to debate the absolute best way to reach national resilience until we reach absolute programmatic certainty. The best way to get resilience right is to get the resilience conversation started now – and then move it along quickly.

The current conversation is fragmented. It is fragmented by agencies in governments. It is fragmented between levels of government. It is fragmented between the public and private sectors. And it is fragmented among the private sectors. In our system of government the best progress is made fastest when we get everyone involved in the conversation and make everyone an owner of the solution. That is why CARRI has called for a federally supported, grass-roots, bottoms-up conversation to create a common framework for community resilience. Resilient communities make resilient regions and a resilient nation. We can do that now and by putting all the knowledge and creativity of the nation together, we can get it right.