Identifying Gaps and Areas for Improvement in the FEMA Qualification System for Incident Workforce Positions

To fulfill its mission objectives, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires a well-trained workforce. The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 mandated that FEMA develop a personnel credentialing process for incident workforce personnel responding to disaster situations. FEMA, in turn, created the FEMA Qualification System (FQS), a credentialing process that focuses on standardizing personnel abilities through training and applied experience. Following concerns raised about the efficiency and effectiveness of FQS to provide the needed structure to qualify individuals for their assigned positions, FEMA's Integration Branch asked the authors to identify existing FQS gaps and areas for improvement and examine ways to measure and monitor the effectiveness of FQS in the future. This report details the authors' approach to addressing both issues and the related findings so that FEMA can ensure the development of employees who provide vital disaster recovery services to the United States and its people.