Disaster Accountability Project

Disaster Accountability Project
Name	Disaster Accountability Project
Formation	2006
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States

Disaster Accountability Project The Disaster Accountability Project is a nonprofit organization established to monitor and improve the performance of emergency response systems following disasters. It engages with stakeholders such as humanitarian organizations, oversight bodies, and legislative institutions to promote transparency, accountability, and reform in disaster preparedness and recovery. The organization analyzes responses to events, publishes reports, and advocates for policy changes across federal, state, and local levels.

History

Founded in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the organization arose amid scrutiny of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Congress, New Orleans, Louisiana and multiple nongovernmental responses. Early activity included monitoring recovery efforts related to Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and other 2005–2006 events, leading to engagement with oversight from the Government Accountability Office, United States Senate, House Committee on Homeland Security, and state-level legislatures. Over the following decade it expanded its scope to examine responses to Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Maria, and California wildfires, interacting with entities such as the Department of Homeland Security, State of New York, Puerto Rico, and municipal governments in San Juan. The group has also critiqued practices during public health emergencies, intersecting with agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mission and Goals

The organization's stated mission concentrates on improving accountability in disaster response involving actors such as Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way, and international agencies like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Goals include promoting transparency in contracts with firms including Bechtel Corporation and G4S, ensuring equitable assistance across populations including veterans served by the Department of Veterans Affairs and communities represented by civil rights groups like the NAACP. It advocates for legislative and policy reforms through the United States Congress, administrative rulemaking at the Department of Homeland Security, and oversight by the Government Accountability Office and state auditors.

Governance and Funding

The organization is governed by a board of directors with expertise from nonprofit management, public policy, and law, and has worked with professionals from institutions such as Georgetown University, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the Brookings Institution. Funding historically has come from philanthropic foundations like the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and programmatic grants from entities such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It has also received project funding from charitable partners including the Oak Foundation and collaborative grants involving think tanks like the Urban Institute. Financial oversight aligns with standards used by organizations that report to the Internal Revenue Service and state charity regulators.

Programs and Activities

Activities include investigative research, community outreach, and policy advocacy. Research projects have examined procurement practices involving contractors such as Halliburton and KBR, case management systems used by AmeriCorps and FEMA Corps, and data transparency across platforms like Data.gov and state emergency management portals. Outreach includes trainings for local officials in jurisdictions including New York City, Los Angeles County, and New Orleans Parish, collaboration with grassroots groups such as Faith in Action and United We Dream, and convenings with first-responder associations like International Association of Fire Fighters and National Emergency Management Association. The organization has run complaint intake systems, legal referrals through partnerships with law firms and university clinics including Georgetown Law Clinic, and public awareness campaigns engaging media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ProPublica.

Impact and Criticism

Reports and advocacy contributed to hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, influenced corrective actions at FEMA, and informed reforms in disaster case management used by the Department of Health and Human Services and state agencies. Its findings have prompted changes in contracting transparency and data-sharing practices in states including Texas and California. Critics, including some industry groups and contracting firms such as Bechtel Corporation critics and trade associations, have argued that its reports sometimes overstate systemic failure and underestimate operational constraints during crises. Academic commentators at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have both cited and challenged its methodologies in studies of resilience and emergency logistics.

Partnerships and Advocacy

The organization has partnered with national nonprofits including National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, American Red Cross affiliates, and community-based organizations like Community Change. It collaborates with oversight and research institutions such as the Government Accountability Office, the National Academy of Medicine, and university research centers at Tulane University and University of California, Berkeley. Advocacy campaigns have involved coalition work with civil liberties groups such as American Civil Liberties Union and public interest networks like Common Cause to press for open records, legislative reforms in the Federal Emergency Management Agency statutory framework, and expanded congressional oversight.

Notable Reports and Investigations

Noteworthy publications have included analyses of post-Hurricane Katrina case management failures, evaluations of recovery work after Hurricane Sandy, and investigations into aid distribution following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Reports have assessed contracting practices during flood responses in Iowa and wildfire responses in California, and have examined data quality issues in federal systems such as those overseen by FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The organization's work has been cited in hearings before the United States Senate, used by state attorneys general in inquiries, and referenced in academic literature from University of Michigan and Duke University on disaster policy and public administration.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Washington, D.C.