Part 2 - ICS Alberta - Redesigning a Provincial Program

Part 2

After six months of gathering data, we developed a three-year plan that would produce a more accountable and sustainable ICS Alberta Program. This would be done by:

• Conducting a committee composition analysis

• Structuring the committee more formally

• Conducting an analysis of all ICS Alberta policy and procedures to fill gaps and document what was being done

• Creating an ICS Instructor Standard with a development and support program (ICS Community of Practice and Instructor guide and support manual).

• Developing an ICS training accreditation program

• Developing more private-public partnerships that would improve ICS training delivery in Alberta

• Enhancing the ICS training supports, such as developing instructor and student videos that are easily accessible

To do all of this meant giving up a lot. For example we stopped producing more one and two day position specific courses and we had to adjust our online training delivery strategy. It also meant that we would be looking to reduce our Train the Trainer courses so we could focus on supporting the instructors that were already developed and actively instructing.

There was never any doubt, additional training products were needed, but if the Alberta ICS program was going to mature AEMA spending time and money on more training products was not the answer.

To evolve we had to develop a system that would empower ICS Instructors and private sector organizations to develop courses using provincial standards. ICS Alberta would be the group to help develop and enforce those standards.

After two years the following was completed:

• A committee composition analysis

• An analysis of all existing, and required, ICS Alberta policies and procedures

• An ICS instructor application manual with a development and support program (ICS Community of Practice and Instructor guide and support manual)

• A plan to develop a formal ICS Alberta Committee using section 5 of the Alberta Emergency Management Act

• A pilot for an ICS training accreditation program

• Several private-public partnerships that would improve ICS training delivery in Alberta

As of December 2019 we still needed to:

• Have the plan to develop a formal ICS Alberta Committee using section 5 of the Alberta Emergency Management Act approved (It was on its way up to the Minister of Municipal Affairs in January 2020)

• Scale up the ICS training course accreditation program

• Complete the ICS Train the Trainer development and support program

• Continue to document all program procedures so better on-boarding of committee members and staff could be conducted

• Continue to develop student and instructor support videos and tools, including an exercise library and online portal for ICS Committee members.

I left the Government of Alberta in April 2020 so I am not to sure where all of this work is at and with COVID-19 I imagine the Alberta Government has put a lot on hold. Hopefully, post pandemic, the plan to enhance the Alberta ICS program continues.

Check out our ICS Programs

Learn through the power of a group

Sneak Peek

For information on Hazardscape Management Inc. visit our about page.

Author: Brad Ison is a professional disaster and emergency management coach. He’s held various position specific roles in the Alberta Provincial Operations Centre and had decade long career at the Alberta Emergency Management Agency where his focus was on Disaster Recovery and his last role served was as the Director for Training, Accreditation, and Standards.

Want to download some of our free guides? Get Access Today!