SOPs to tackle disasters

Thiruvananthapuram: Major government departments in the State will
soon have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place to help them
cope with natural disasters and other emergencies and accidents.A
two-day workshop organised by the Department of Revenue and Disaster
Management, which concluded here on Saturday, finalised a draft
outline of the procedures for the State police and the departments of
Health, Education, Public Works and Revenue.While SOP for the police
will deal with disaster response, that for the Health Department will
focus on hospital management. The procedure for the Education
Department will cover school safety. As the nodal agency for
coordinating rescue and relief operations during natural calamities,
the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management will have a SOP on
emergency operations.The draft of the various SOPs were presented and
discussed at the workshop. They will be released after consultations
with the respective heads of departments. The workshop was organised
under the Disaster Risk Management Programme supported by United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Delivering the keynote address,
Kamal Taori, retired IAS officer, highlighted the crucial role of
Panchayati Raj institutions and the need for public-private
partnerships in disaster management.He called upon the representatives
of line departments to focus on good governance in disaster
management.Nivedita P. Haran, Principal Secretary, Revenue and
Disaster Management; James Varghese, Secretary, General Education;
Teeka Ram Meena, Secretary, Planning and Economic Affairs; Piyoosh
Rautela, Executive Director, Disaster Mitigation and Management
Centre, Uttarkhand; Ajith Chacko, State Programme Coordinator,
Disaster Risk Management Programme, UNDP; and officials from the
departments of Revenue and Disaster Management, Public Works
Department and the Police participated in the workshop. Speakers who
addressed the delegates underlined the need for government departments
to contend with the increasing complexity in emergency response
techniques and equipment. They called for better coordination and
sharing of resources in disaster management.The workshop was organised
with the objectives of providing emergency service providers with
better understanding and helping them navigate the maze of regulatory
and administrative requirements.Managers, on the other hand, need a
mechanism to convey operational guidance to the members and ensure
departmental compliance with laws, regulations and standards. They
need tools to direct and control the rapid pace of change.
Well-designed SOPs help fill both needs.For individual workers, SOPs
clarify job requirements and expectations in a format that can be
readily applied on the job.They explain in detail what the department
wants them to do in the situations they are most likely to encounter.
For department managers, the advantages are equally great.According to
UNDP officials, SOPs provide a mechanism to identify needed changes,
articulate strategies, implement regulatory requirements, enhance
training and evaluate operational performance.Participants in the
workshop discussed the procedures for crisis management, resource
management, coordination with other departments during emergencies and
mock drills. The roles and responsibilities of line departments and
disaster preparedness and response were evaluated.

The Hindu, 1st December 2008