Infrastructure dependency insights can be incorporated into various existing community planning efforts, such as comprehensive planning, hazard mitigation planning, environmental planning, capital improvement planning, emergency response planning, economic development planning, business continuity planning, and multiple types of regional planning.
An understanding of infrastructure dependencies can be integrated into planning processes by:
- Including a description of critical infrastructure systems and their associated dependencies in the community overview section of any Plan,
- Including mapping of critical infrastructure systems, assets, and/or service lines/corridors serving the planning area,
- Using dependencies to prioritize infrastructure actions in order to meet community development and/or risk mitigation objectives,
- Using dependencies to prioritize critical assets, Plan initiatives, strategies, projects, or recommendations,
- Using dependency analysis to identify obstacles to resilience that need to be addressed and by whom,
- Identifying new projects, policies, or procedures based on the risks associated with infrastructure dependencies,
- Evaluating the effectiveness of a Plan based on how it addresses implications of infrastructure dependencies.
Including infrastructure dependency information in community planning can lead to informed decision-making before, during, and after a hazard or disruption and better outcomes.
How Understanding Dependencies Can Enhance Specific Plan Types
The table below shows how an understanding of dependencies can specifically enhance various common community and regional plans.
| Plan Type | Plan Elements | Dependency Understanding Enhancements |
|---|
| Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) | - Planning Process
- Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
- Mitigation Strategy
- Plan Maintenance Process
- Plan Adoption
| Identification of who should be included as stakeholders in the planning process Identification and prioritization of critical facilities Determination of risks to essential community functions Development of more effective mitigation projects that improve community resilience
|
| Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) | - Summary Background – economic conditions of region
- SWOT Analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
- Strategic Direction/Action Plan – goals/objectives and implementation actions
- Evaluation Framework – measure implementation and impact on regional economy
- Economic Resilience – planning for, implementing, and measuring resilience
| - Identification of infrastructure systems on which development strategies depend and the system providers whose input should be sought during planning
- Identification of critical infrastructure systems upon which businesses and industries depend
- Informed analysis of economic strength, weakness, and/or opportunities
- Informed strategies to ensure continuity of services on which the economy depends
|
| Comprehensive or General Plan | - Existing Conditions – demographics, economy, housing, transportation, public utilities, land use, and natural resources
- Goals and Objectives
- Implementation Strategies
- Future Land-Use Map (Zoning/Subdivisions)
| - Informed design and capacity of infrastructure needed to support planned/proposed community development
- Informed development of public policies and organizational structures related to the maintenance of infrastructure systems and services
- Informed system location requirements, such as infrastructure corridors, connections, and access.
- Informed development of design standards, codes, and guidelines
|
| Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) | - List of projects
- Ranking of projects
- Financing plan
- Timetable for project completion
- Project justification
- Classification of project expenditures
| - Identification of infrastructure improvements or new infrastructure projects that require capital funds
- Development of justification for infrastructure projects
- Informed ranking of identified projects based on how they impact infrastructure
|
Specific Sector or Area Development Plan (e.g., Transportation Plan, Land-use Plan, Watershed Management Plan, etc.) | - Performance Goals
- Conditions and Needs Assessment
- Improvement Strategies
- Evaluation & Prioritization of Strategies
- Implementation Plan
| - Consideration of how a plan for one sector has impacts on other sector plans
- Understanding the breadth of a sector based on the scale of the system(s) on which the sector depends or supports
- Informed evaluation and prioritization of development strategies based on how they address and/or impact critical infrastructure services
- Identification of opportunities to integrate projects across sectors
|
| Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) or Emergency Response Plan (ERP) | - Purpose, Policies, and Assumptions
- Threats, Risks, and Vulnerabilities
- Organization – roles & responsibilities
- Coordination with External Organizations
- Response Procedures
- Incident Management Procedures
- Resources
| - Identification of critical response activities and response procedures for infrastructure systems
- Identification of threat/hazard scenarios that should be addressed in the plan
- Identification of external organizations with whom response should be coordinated
- Identification of response resources that need to be developed
|
| Long-term Recovery Plan | - Recovery issues, needs, and opportunities
- Goals and objectives
- Projects
- Resources
- Implementation strategy
| - Informed analysis of recovery issues, needs, and opportunities
- Informed infrastructure investment and rebuilding priorities
- Improved articulation of the goals of long-term recovery
- Informed development of projects that would enhance the resilience of the community
- Improved buy-in from the community to invest in solutions that enhance the resilience of infrastructure
|
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