National Preparedness Goal
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| National Preparedness Goal | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Preparedness Goal |
| Established | 2005 |
| Agency | United States Department of Homeland Security |
| Related | National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, Presidential Policy Directive 8, Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
National Preparedness Goal The National Preparedness Goal frames capability-based outcomes for preparedness across federal, state, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and local partners. It aligns priorities among United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, White House, Congress of the United States and stakeholders such as American Red Cross, United Way Worldwide, National Governors Association and International Association of Fire Chiefs to prepare for incidents from Hurricane Katrina to pandemics like H1N1 influenza pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic.
Overview
The Goal defines core outcomes tied to 32 core capabilities used by Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation and partners including American Medical Association, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Columbia University and Stanford University. It maps to frameworks such as National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, Presidential Policy Directive 8 and programs like Urban Areas Security Initiative and Homeland Security Grant Program, engaging organizations like Red Cross affiliates, The Salvation Army, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, American Public Health Association and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Core Capabilities and Target Capabilities List
The design incorporates core capabilities drawn from earlier Target Capabilities List work supported by RAND Corporation, MITRE Corporation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Brookings Institution and experts affiliated with Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Harvard School of Public Health, Yale School of Public Health and University of California, Berkeley. Capabilities span prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery, integrating standards from National Fire Protection Association, American National Standards Institute, International Organization for Standardization influence and material from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Exercises such as TOPOFF and incidents including Hurricane Sandy and Deepwater Horizon oil spill informed capability lists alongside case studies from September 11 attacks, Oklahoma City bombing, Mount St. Helens eruption and Great Flood of 1993.
Organisation and Governance
Governance centers on United States Department of Homeland Security components, chief among them Federal Emergency Management Agency with crosscutting roles for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Coast Guard and National Guard Bureau. Policy direction originates from the White House and legislative authority from the United States Congress via statutes like the Stafford Act and programmatic oversight by committees including Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and House Homeland Security Committee. Collaborators include National League of Cities, International City/County Management Association, American Planning Association, Association of State Floodplain Managers and private-sector partners such as IBM, Boeing, AT&T, Cisco Systems and Verizon Communications.
Implementation and Assessment
Implementation uses exercises, capability assessments, grant guidance, and metrics tied to performance measurement models influenced by Government Accountability Office, Office of Management and Budget, National Governors Association, Council of Governors and academic centers at RAND Corporation and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Assessment tools are exercised in conjunction with community partners like AARP, Catholic Charities USA, Feeding America and Points of Light. Lessons from emergency responses involving New York City Office of Emergency Management, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications and Public Health England collaborations inform continuous improvement cycles and doctrine updates reflected in revised frameworks and Homeland Security Presidential Directives.
History and Evolution
Rooted in early preparedness initiatives after Cold War civil defense and post-September 11 attacks reforms, the Goal evolved from the Target Capabilities List and the National Response Plan to modern doctrine integrating lessons from Hurricane Katrina, Haiti earthquake (2010), 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and global public health events such as the 2003 SARS outbreak. Revisions have been guided by Presidential directives, congressional hearings featuring testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee, inputs from National Research Council panels, and after-action reports by White House Homeland Security Council and Government Accountability Office.
Criticisms and Challenges
Critiques cite implementation gaps noted by Government Accountability Office, equity concerns raised by NAACP, United Farm Workers, National Disability Rights Network and interoperability issues emphasized by International Association of Fire Chiefs and International Association of Police Chiefs. Resource allocation debates involve Congress of the United States appropriations, grant formula disputes involving National Governors Association and urban-rural readiness disparities highlighted by Rural Health Association groups. Scholars at Harvard Kennedy School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School and think tanks such as Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, Center for American Progress and Brookings Institution have argued for clearer metrics, enhanced community resilience, and better integration with international frameworks like Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and World Health Organization guidance.