FEMA’s National Preparedness Assessment Division (NPAD) has issued a request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register seeking input on measuring the impact that the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) has on state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) preparedness.
What is HSGP? HSGP includes a suite of risk-based grants to assist SLTT efforts in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism. HSGP funding can also be used to enhance preparedness for other catastrophic events (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires) when the use of such funds has a nexus to preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to terrorism. Please visit FEMA.gov to see the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
What information is FEMA requesting? Through this RFI, FEMA requests responses to a list of priority research questions about 1) existing evidence of HSGP effectiveness, and 2) evidence from other programs or research areas that FEMA can use to expand or revise the HSGP research agenda. FEMA is interested in evidence on the contributions of HSGP-funded projects, or projects that could be funded through HSGP in the future. Such evidence would ideally include quantitative measurements of how such projects help maintain or improve SLTT and national preparedness. Additional broader quantitative research may also be helpful, such as research pertaining to interventions that help prevent or reduce the risk of an event occurring or minimize the impact of such events. Helpful research may use capability assessments to measure changes in outcomes over time after an intervention or may use grant administrative data for evaluation.
How will FEMA use the information? FEMA will use this information to understand existing empirical and other evidence, methods being utilized, available data, and research gaps to prioritize future evaluation funding. This RFI will also help FEMA understand if this is an area where limited research and evaluation is available.
Click for link to the RFI (Federal Register FEMA-2020-0008 Notice). The comment period for the RFI closes on November 9, 2020.