25 Continued from previous page states to plan for, respond to and recover from hazards and emergencies of all kinds. The public sector takes the lead in these areas and prior preparation prevents poor performance; nowhere do results and performance matter more than during and after a disaster. Disaster Risk Reduction should become a focus of action for the entire public sector. We present excerpts from the Guide as part of this article. In Post-Hurricane Recovery a pathway must be created out of the chaos and confusion that is the natural result of the impact. There are critical areas of focus: Priorities, Deadlines and Responsibilities. Priorities There will be a clear need to establish and ratify priorities to be established at every level from the national, through Ministry, Agency, Department and Unit. This applies even if the Ministry or agency cannot work as they normally would. Priorities based on the primary national needs and the organisation’s mandate should be established and made known. The lists should be written down even if managers have no choice but to use hand-written lists. Review the lists daily and update as necessary. Deadlines In a post-hurricane situation, quick, deliberate but well thought-out actions are vital. Public sector managers should ensure that working with deadlines is an established part of their effort. In the beginning the deadlines might have to be set for each day and subsequently for each week. It is important that deadlines be reasonable but should be short-term and achievable. There is a danger that those activities with longer deadlines will keep slipping down the priority list. Review the list at least twice per day if you are Leader/Manager. Responsibilities In many post-hurricane situations responsibilities for public officers may have to be changed in the short-term. It may not be possible to have neatly typed and printed work assignments but affected officers especially if reassigned, should not be left in doubt about what is expected of them. It is important that when near normalcy returns to operations that the Performance Management processes and procedures are adapted to take account of any significant changes in responsibilities so that no individual officer is disadvantaged by an irrelevant evaluation. The Need for Speed In a post-hurricane situation, there will be a need for everything to be done quickly. That is because lives, livelihoods and the well-being of affected persons may be hanging in the balance. However, it is important that public sector managers remember Continues on next page
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