SAFECOM Publishes Best Practices for Governance Structure Membership Analysis

Author: Ralph Barnett, III, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) highlighted the need for robust and inclusive governance structures to ensure effective communications. It encourages governance structures to identify and include missing or underrepresented stakeholders (e.g., disciplines, jurisdictions, tribes, rural communities, sectors, organizations) in formal governance structures, when developing strategic and operational plans and policies, and during training and exercises.

To further promote the NECP’s call for broader representation in governance structures, SAFECOM developed the Best Practices for Governance Structure Membership Analysis. It outlines best practices to consider when assessing governance structure membership composition for gaps to better align with the evolving emergency communications ecosystem. The information is targeted at decision makers at state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; state governing bodies (e.g., statewide interoperability governing body, state interoperability executive committee, statewide 911 board, alerting authority); governments without established governance structures; public safety stakeholders; and agencies who support public safety (e.g., transportation, utilities, non-governmental organizations).

For more information on SAFECOM Governance, visit cisa.gov/safecom/governance.