The following is an Op-Ed that was featured in the December 14, 2008, edition of the Lake Charles American-Press.

State learning lessons from previous recovery missteps
By Dr. Monteic A. Sizer
President and CEO
Louisiana Family Recovery Corps

In the coming weeks, the Louisiana Recovery Authority will present its plan to disburse Louisiana’s initial allocation of $438 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) funds related to recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

We all remember the challenges associated with the statewide recovery programs established by the previous administration as it relates to distributing federal funds in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Jindal Administration, at least on paper, is attempting to avoid similar bulky state-run programs which have proven inefficient and ineffective.

According to the initial version of the state’s action plan for distributing these funds, a large portion of the federal dollars will be funneled directly to the affected parishes to distribute. The thinking behind this concept is that local officials are much better situated to determine the needs of their citizens than is the state. Additionally, this plan will allow the parishes to develop smaller programs that, in theory, will operate in a much more efficient manner than those created by the state.

As an agency created by the state to help coordinate its human recovery efforts in the wake of disasters, the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps applauds the LRA and the Jindal Administration in understanding the problems that occurred in the past and acting to ensure that bureaucratic red tape does not continue to hamper recovery efforts in Louisiana.

This approach, however, is not without its potential pitfalls. While some of the more populated parishes may have the infrastructure to develop, implement, and execute the types of programs necessary to effectively and efficiently distribute funds and/or services to affected citizens with the proper accountabilities in place, this may not necessarily be the case in every parish.

Thus, we must be aware that the possibility exists that funds may not always be distributed in an efficient, equitable, or orderly fashion. In extreme cases, there could again be mismanagement of these federal dollars. In these instances, there must be some oversights in place to protect the people’s money.

As the state considers awarding funds to local parishes, part of its grants management protocol should include the requirement that each parish evidence its resources and demonstrate its ability to implement programs in terms of scale, scope, sustainability, accountability, experience, expertise, and oversight compliance for any and all programs for which it requests funds.

Finally, each parish should evidence the need of each program allocation in the context of long-term recovery and the expected outcomes for its citizens. It would be questionable to allocate money to a situation for short-term gain without addressing the underlying cause or root problem.

The Recovery Corps believes in the non-profit system and the non-profits’ ability to efficiently and effectively provide services to people while maintaining proper accountabilities. Non-profits have certain unique advantages that allow for a more timely and wide-spread delivery of key services to the people most affected.

Therefore, it would be in the state’s and the parishes’ best interests to at least consider eliminating layers of bureaucracy and expediting the delivery process by investing in those non-profit organizations that have proven to have the actual abilities to perform at a high level in terms of effectiveness and efficiency and which also own a distinguished track record of accountability to deliver CDBG funds and/or services to its residents.

The Recovery Corps has been and will continue to be a great partner of the LRA and the state. From providing funds for home repairs, household furnishings, and rent and utility payments to providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services, we have distributed millions of dollars in services and funds to countless families in every region of Louisiana and we will continue to do so. We have been entrusted with resources by numerous governmental agencies and private organizations and have continued to shepherd those resources to those Louisiana residents who most need them.

We stand ready to assist the state and the affected parishes in much the same way. Our proven successful experience in the recovery effort, as well as our already established programs and the lessons learned from the earlier storms, places the Recovery Corps in a unique position to serve Louisiana and its residents.

Dr. Monteic A. Sizer is the incoming President and CEO of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps. For more information about the Recovery Corps, visit www.recoverycorps.org.