What are the best practices for budget development in Emergency Management?

1 Align your budget with your goals

Your budget should reflect your strategic objectives, priorities, and performance indicators. You should align your budget with the National Preparedness Goal, the National Incident Management System, and the Emergency Management Accreditation Program standards. You should also consider your local hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities, as well as your stakeholders' needs and expectations.

2 Identify and diversify your funding sources

You should explore and secure various sources of funding for your emergency management program, such as federal grants, state and local funds, donations, fees, and cost recovery. You should also diversify your funding sources to reduce your dependence on any single one, and to increase your flexibility and resilience. You should monitor and comply with the eligibility criteria, reporting requirements, and spending deadlines of each funding source.

3 Involve your team and partners

You should engage your staff, partners, and stakeholders in the budget development process, as they can provide valuable input, feedback, and support. You should communicate your goals, priorities, and challenges, and solicit their ideas, suggestions, and concerns. You should also collaborate with other departments, agencies, organizations, and sectors that are involved or affected by your emergency management program, and coordinate your budget with them.

4 Use data and evidence

You should base your budget decisions on data and evidence, such as historical trends, current conditions, projected scenarios, best practices, and lessons learned. You should use data and evidence to justify your resource needs, demonstrate your program effectiveness, and evaluate your budget performance. You should also use data and evidence to identify gaps, opportunities, and areas for improvement in your budget.

5 Plan for contingencies

You should anticipate and prepare for contingencies that may affect your budget, such as emergencies, disasters, changes in funding availability, or shifts in priorities. You should develop contingency plans and strategies to cope with different scenarios, such as reallocating funds, requesting additional funds, or reducing costs. You should also maintain a reserve fund or an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses or shortfalls.

6 Review and update your budget

You should review and update your budget regularly, as your goals, priorities, funding sources, and operating environment may change over time. You should monitor your budget execution, track your revenues and expenditures, and compare your actual results with your planned results. You should also adjust your budget as needed, based on changing circumstances, new information, or feedback from your team and partners.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?