Roadmap

Assessment. Identify available planning resources, guidance, agency capacity, and stakeholders.

Define a Planning Model. Determine assumptions and parameters, and build conceptual model and timeline.

Devise a Concept of Operations. Develop the plan in its general, “broad brush” form.

Construct Operational Plan. Build the detail—policies, procedures, job descriptions, algorithms, flow charts, etc.—by which the response will be conducted.

Consider Variations. Broaden beyond the initial planning assumptions to assess the adequacy of the plan in face of challenges posed by the variable scale of activations, different diseases and different stakeholders.

Vet the Plan. Ideally this is undertaken periodically throughout the planning process as the product evolves. Ensure that agency leadership has the opportunity to review the progress and direction, to flag concerns, and to identify significant policy and resource issues. If the planning workgroup is broadly representative of stakeholders, some of this vetting can be done internally within the workgroup. Regardless, efforts need to be taken to ensure that those who will be tasked with activating the plan have a chance to periodically review and comment upon its efficacy. Exercises and public focus groups (see below) provide occasions to vet the plan with response partners and the public.

Train to the Plan. Both internal responders and key external partners should be involved in training.

Exercise. Test the plan via tabletops and other exercise activities.

Convene Public Focus Groups. Introduce the plan to various community constituencies for feedback. Use this as an opportunity to clarify how an I & Q response can be mounted to ensure optimal voluntary public cooperation.

Revise the Plan. Incorporate the insights provided via focus groups, lessons learned in the course of exercises, etc.

Vet the Final Plan. Ensure that leadership and key stakeholders are comfortable with the definitive plan.

Address Sustainability of Response Readiness. Identify how readiness for the I & Q response will be sustained. For example, identify where responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the plan components will reside.