Building Community Partnerships Toward A National Mitigation Effort: Interorganizational Collaboration In the Project Impact Initiative
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Date
2000
Authors
Wachtendorf, Tricia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Disaster Research Center
Abstract
In 1997, the Federal Emergency Management Agency implemented a national disaster mitigation program in seven pilot
communities across the United States. This initiative, Project Impact, was soon expanded to over two hundred city,
county, and regional designations. Its objectives include 1) to build community partnerships; 2) to identify hazards and
community vulnerability; 3) to prioritize and complete risk reduction actions; and 4) to develop communication
strategies to educate the public about Project Impact. Based on an analysis of one hundred thirty-seven in-depth
telephone and face-to-face interviews, community sites visits, seven focus groups, and an extensive analysis of
documentary material compiled as part of an ongoing, independent assessment of the initiative’s implementation process,
this paper closely examines the first objective - community partnership building - and discusses the issues and
challenges involved in establishing such relationships under this program.
Description
Keywords
Disaster Mitigation Program , Project Impact , communication , hazard , community , risk