public sector communityadaptation strategyclimate vulnerability assessmentfema grantshazard mitigation planning
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Outcomes that landed
30% weight
Check which adopted plans they authored: hazard mitigation plans, climate action or adaptation elements, floodplain ordinances. Ask what got funded, built, or codified, and the dollar amounts secured.
Evidence to listen for
Names programmes or initiatives that were adopted, funded, or delivered
States their own role rather than the department's
Gives measured reach or impact
Distinguishes work that landed from work that stalled, and explains why
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No delivered work; describes intent and process only.
2
Needs Improvement
Involved in initiatives but cannot say what resulted or what they owned.
3
Satisfactory
Real delivery with adequate ownership; impact described loosely.
4
Very Good
Named outcomes with clear personal scope and some measures.
5
Excellent
Names adopted plans and funded projects, such as a BRIC or HMGP award, with council votes, timelines, and CRS class improvements.
02
Evaluation factor
Stakeholder facilitation
25% weight
Probe how they ran public workshops in flood-prone or heat-vulnerable neighborhoods, and how they reconciled public works, emergency management, and developer pushback on managed retreat or setbacks.
Evidence to listen for
Brings a real contested case, not a philosophy of engagement
Names the competing interests and the resolution method
Uses concrete engagement formats and can point to input that changed a decision
Treats every group as legitimate
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Diplomacy-speak with no case attached, or contempt for one group.
2
Needs Improvement
Recalls conflict but no method; engagement is a box to check.
3
Satisfactory
Real case and workable approach; resolution thin on specifics.
4
Very Good
Names the tension and method; cites engagement that shaped the outcome.
5
Excellent
Describes specific charrettes and technical advisory committees, names the conflicts, and shows how community input changed the adaptation strategy.
03
Evaluation factor
Regulatory and policy command
25% weight
Test command of the NFIP, CRS, Stafford Act requirements, 44 CFR 201 plan updates, state comprehensive plan mandates, and any CEQA or NEPA review they handled.
Evidence to listen for
Names the statutes, funding rules, and processes they have worked under
Explains how those requirements sequenced their work
Owns the compliance thinking rather than deferring it entirely
Knows where the discretion sits
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Outsources all regulatory thinking; cannot name a framework.
2
Needs Improvement
Generalities about compliance; no sequencing or named rules.
3
Satisfactory
Knows the main frameworks; sequencing described loosely.
4
Very Good
Names relevant frameworks and how they shaped a timeline.
5
Excellent
Cites the exact review cycles and eligibility rules, explains where state law constrains local adaptation, and holds AICP or CFM credentials.
04
Evaluation factor
Evidence and reporting
20% weight
Assess fluency with downscaled CMIP6 projections, sea level rise and heat vulnerability mapping, HAZUS loss estimates, ArcGIS work, and EJScreen or CEJST equity screening in reports.
Evidence to listen for
Uses data to choose between options, not to justify a decision already made
Names the sources and methods behind their numbers
Reports to funders, councils, or the public in terms those audiences can use
Tracks whether the intervention worked
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No use of evidence; decisions are assertion.
2
Needs Improvement
Cites data but cannot explain its source or limits.
3
Satisfactory
Uses evidence competently; evaluation after the fact is thin.
4
Very Good
Evidence drives choices and is reported clearly to lay audiences.
5
Excellent
Explains scenario and uncertainty choices plainly, shows maps or dashboards they built, and ties findings to specific budget or capital improvement decisions.
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