The UK Resilience Academy (part of the Cabinet Office) has launched a national stakeholder consultation on a proposed expansion of emergency response standards designed to 'strengthen strategic capability' across the UK.
Launched in partnership with The Workforce Development Trust, the consultation seeks to build on the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Resilience and Emergencies published last year by setting out standards that address different aspects of what senior transportation leaders and executives must know and do to strategically anticipate, prepare for and recover from crises.
The Department for Transport (DfT), along with the UK Health Security Agency and other departments, was involved in a ‘diverse working group' that developed the standards, which focus on ‘systemic and chronic risk', as well as the ‘financial and economic dimensions' of resilience, long‑term strategic planning and ‘the role of organisational leaders in ensuring resilience is a whole of society endeavour'.
The expanded suite of Resilience and Emergencies NOS will support bodies such as local and devolved governments, operators of critical infrastructure, emergency services and NHS organisations to ‘further strengthen capability at senior and executive levels'.
Roger Hargreaves, director at Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR), said: ‘NOS support organisations and partners to more effectively prepare, respond, recover and learn from disruptive events. Accordingly, the addition of the new leadership standards can only enhance the capacity of organisations and partners to fulfil these vital functions.'
Gabrielle West, head of operations (Transport Security Operations Centre) at the DfT, added: ‘The NOS provide a clear and consistent framework for the competencies and performance required to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive events across the UK's transport systems.
‘This review and expansion of the Standards is a vital step in strengthening system leadership capability across our sector and enhancing the resilience of our critical national infrastructure.'
The Workforce Development Trust is now inviting responses to the consultation from senior leaders and stakeholders in national emergencies and systems resilience, with submissions due before 8 May. Click here to submit your response.
