An organizational structure for preparedness groups
What is a preparedness group?
A preparedness group is a small community of individuals and families who cooperate and prepare for adverse events. Individuals are often called “preppers” who tend to be secretive and work alone, but lack the utility and efficiency of numbers.
Consider reading How To Find Prepper Groups.
In the wake of recent disasters, government response has either been counter productive, “with strings attached” or completely absent.
e.g., COVID-19 response, Ohio Train Derailment, etc.
As a result, communities must develop parallel decentralized systems to support a productive standard of living, which is necessary to maintain freedom and sovereignty. A preparedness group must be structured and organized to manage the wide variety of resilience and sustainability tasks.
Below is a simplified organization structure I created based on my personal experience with organizational theory.
A preparedness group requires several Functional Units:
Operations.
Managing production and consumption of resources, goods and services.Projects.
Managing endeavours to increase operational capacity and efficiency.Training.
Providing baseline skills and knowledge for individuals and teams.Emergency management.
Operational task force to manage emergency conditions.Communications.
Managing internal communication and external relations.
Each Functional Unit consists of one or more Sections, which provide support throughout the organization.
(Lists of possible Sections are provided further below).
The structure of Function Units and their Sections may change depending on the needs of individuals and groups. Some areas of expertise may not be available within the group, which typically reveals areas for improvement or external procurement.
How are these implemented by organization size and type?
My suggestion would be start small and scale as appropriate.
There is safety in numbers, but too many hands can add unnecessary overhead. A practical balance is required, which will depend on each community.
Larger groups may be best suited for specialization.
e.g., Security, training, communications, etc.
Below are usage suggestions based on organization sizes.
Single family / homestead / farm.
Use Functional Units and Sections as a checklist.
Have periodic family discussions / lessons learned for each topic.
Multiple families (e.g., 2-4).
Host meetings with minutes for each Functional Unit.
Facilitate group discussions.
(Log notes, questions, concerns, actions, etc.)Plan and execute joint exercises and rehearsals.
Larger group (5+ families).
Assign a single point of contact for each Functional Unit.
Draft and retain technical procedures and documentation.
Organize and operate like a business.
The following describes each Functional Unit and recommended Sections necessary to achieve effective long term preparedness.
Operations
Operations are the day-to-day jobs and tasks for a homestead or preparedness group. It involves the necessary tasks to maintain a safe and productive standard of living over a long period of time.
Think of a homestead or preparedness group like a business.
Operations management is an area of management concerned with designing and controlling the process of production and redesigning business operations in the production of goods or services.
It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as few resources as needed and effective in meeting customer requirements.
— Operations management, Wikipedia
Below are high level Sections of the Operations Functional Unit.
Security.
Day-to-day monitoring, control, mitigation, etc.Food and water.
Storage, inventory, procurement, harvest, preparation, planning, delivery, etc.Infrastructure.
Sanitation, energy and maintenance, e.g., washrooms, repairs, HVAC, fuel, electricity, etc.Living.
Cosmetics, medication, textiles and entertainment, e.g., clothes, pain relief, games etc.Economics.
Finance, production and procurement, e.g., income, expenses, supplies, assets, etc.
Projects
Projects have a defined beginning and end that produce tangible deliverables.
Projects are required to produce positive change for Operations and other Functional Units. There are many project management methods and techniques, which depend on the size and structure of the organization.
The PMBOK is a resource containing standardized project management process groups, processes and knowledge areas. In practice, projects are tailored to the specific environment, but usually address these processes in one form or another.
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a set of standard terminology and guidelines (a body of knowledge) for project management.
The body of knowledge evolves over time and is presented in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), a book whose seventh edition was released in 2021.
— Project Management Body of Knowledge, Wikipedia
Smaller projects and project teams tend to be more efficient and successful.
Below are high level Sections of the Projects Functional Unit.
Strategy.
Determining how projects fit into the overall vision of the organization and operations.Planning.
Scope, scheduling, resource procurement, risk assessment, etc.Execution.
Implementing project deliverables.Monitoring and control.
Managing risk, schedule, scope and delivery.
Training
Training is necessary to ensure jobs and tasks are performed correctly and efficiently.
Each organization will have different training needs, which must be reviewed and assessed for validity. Training should be planned and delivered appropriately to avoid negative training — training that produces counter productive performance.
A structured form of training used in critical industries is called the Systematic Approach to Training. See my previous article describing structured decentralized educational alternatives.
Below are high level Sections of the Training Functional Unit.
Identification.
Assessing and reviewing organizational training requirements.Planning.
Developing training scope, material, scheduling, review, etc.Initial delivery.
Developmental skill and knowledge training.Continuing delivery.
Periodic refresher training or preparation for critical task execution.
Emergency management
Know what disasters and hazards could affect your area, how to get emergency alerts, and where you would go if you and your family need to evacuate.
Make sure your family has a plan and practices it often.
— Disasters and Emergencies, FEMA
An organization can begin by completing an Emergency Response Plan and become familiar with Risk Assessment resources. FEMA has a variety of useful pages for reference. However, do not depend on government assistance programs.
It is critical to have predeveloped plans and training for efficient execution.
Below are high level Sections of the Emergency management Functional Unit.
Risk assessment.
Identifying and assessing hazards and exposure.Planning.
Developing a response strategy appropriate for scenario and risks.Response, monitoring and stabilization.
Executing and monitoring emergency plan to stabilize situation.Resource management.
Managing goods, services and personnel (including response training).
Communications
Communication is an essential part of day-to-day activities.
It plays an important role in all Functional Units of preparedness.
There are different ways to view a communication management plan:
Below are high level Sections of the Communications Functional Unit.
Operational security.
Sensitive information control.Internal communications.
Communication within the group, scheduling, etc.External communications.
Communication outside the group (e.g., public relations).Knowledge retention.
Resources, documents and libraries to store information.
Concluding remarks
For most, this will take form as a checklist.
Use the checklist to consider areas that need attention, thought or discussion. As individuals, the level of rigour required in each area is minimal. As preparedness groups grow, more rigour, organization and specialization is required.
Each Functional Unit and Section provides a preparedness organization coverage. This helps a group manage adverse events coherently using organizational theory.
Operations.
Security.
Food and water.
Infrastructure.
Living.
Economics.
Projects.
Strategy.
Planning.
Execution.
Monitoring and control.
Training.
Identification.
Planning.
Initial delivery.
Continuing delivery.
Emergency management.
Risk assessment.
Planning.
Response, monitoring and stabilization.
Resource management.
Communications.
Operational security.
Internal communications.
External communications.
Knowledge retention.
Government has many useful resources available to the public, but in times of crisis we cannot rely on their service. There are too many coincidences to ignore that government no longer works in our interest.
We should never forget the consequences of government overreach.
Instead of relying on government, we have to take our future into our own hands. This means becoming responsible, disciplined and mature. We need to learn to operate like de facto small nations, and protect our families and communities. This requires a sound, competent and ethical organization of its members.
Parallel systems and a parallel society is the only solution to totalitarian regimes.
Start your plan today and get together with like minded people.
If you have any preparedness suggestions, please leave them below in a comment so others may benefit!