FLOOD04694

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: The Region VIII Cape Study - A Guide for Staff Performing Community Assistance and Performance Evaluation Visits
• Date: 9/1/1984
• Prepared For: Region VIII
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Historic FEMA Regulatory Floodplain Information

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SUMMARY

This Guide describes FEMA's process for Community Assistance
and Program Evaluations (CAPEs) for individuals who will be
perIorming these evaluations. CAPEs have two goals: to
evaluate the effectiveness of a community's response to the
National Flood Insurance Program and to identify the
community's technical assistance needs. The CAPE has five
phases that include many tasks. The order and manner in
which these tasks are performed varies somewhat from one FEMA
Region to another and from State to State. This Guide presents
an approach that draws from the most effective techniques
currently in use.

The key tasks in the first phase -- CAPE Preparations --
include familiarization with the community; collection of
statistical and other descriptive data, reviews of file
materials, ordinances, maps and studies; identification of
development and mapping-related issues, identification of
local contacts and telephone interviews with them; and
arrangement of meetings.

The key tasks in the second phase -- the Community Visit --
include the floodplain tour, meetings with local officials,
lenders and insurance agents, and review of local development
records.

The third phase -- Final Report Preparation -- involves
documenting the results of the CAPE and recommending actions
to address problems and needs.

The fourth phase -- Correspondence Preparation -- involves
the formal notification to local officials of the CAPE findings
and actions to resolve problems or meet identified needs.

The fifth phase -- Follow-up -- involves ensuring that the
actions identified in the Final Report are implemented.

CAPEs are not easy to perform. With about a day's preparation
and another day on-site in the community, the reviewer has to
gather a great deal of information, analyze many issues, draw
conclusions, then devise a strategy for improving community
performance. Novice reviewers need to familiarize themselves
with this Guide, receive training in its use and observe an
experienced reviewer performing one or more CAPEs before
inl tia ting their own.'