Bush Administration Found FEMA 'Adequate'

The Office of Management and Budget evaluated the Federal Emergency Management Agency's emergency response program as part of President Bush's fiscal 2006 budget request. The evaluation portrays a decently managed program that could fall prey to a few legal hang-ups. The program didn't earn top marks, but did garner a grade of "adequate."

Of 607 programs evaluated for 2006 using a questionnaire called the Program Assessment Rating Tool, 26 percent earned adequate ratings. About a third of the programs ranked in lower categories, such as "ineffective" or "results not demonstrated," and 41 percent ranked higher, either "effective" or "moderately effective." Even though FEMA's response program wasn't at the head of the pack, OMB's program review failed to point out the shortcomings that would make it a magnet for criticism after Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA received high scores on the management and planning sections of the PART, with lower marks for "purpose" and "results/accountability." Flaws included a lack of performance-based budget requests. Evaluators also noted potential legal obstacles. The 1984 Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act prevents FEMA from disbursing federal aid until states issue a disaster declaration, potentially limiting the effective targeting of resources, assessors found.

"There may be situations in which resources that the government has invested in cannot be used," they wrote. "The opposite [could] also occur. Resources may be used in support of a community that should not be receiving federal aid."

The overall assessment remained positive, however. Evaluators praised FEMA for conducting quarterly reviews to identify management deficiencies. These reviews helped managers home in on "fundamental flaws in logistical response times during Hurricane Isabel [in 2003]," OMB stated. In response, FEMA created the Pre-Positioned Disaster Supplies Program "for more efficient logistical responses in the future."

OMB spokesman Alex Conant would not say whether the administration sees a disparity between the PART evaluation and FEMA's Katrina performance. But he did say hurricane relief efforts would factor into future evaluations of FEMA and other agencies.