|
DHS FEMA NFIP Services - eWaterwark Article
|
We, Too, Are the NFIP
When you request NFIP statistical information, is it a Federal employee who writes the computer program that will produce the
data you need?
No, in most cases, it is an employee of a Federal contractor who works closely with FEMA staff to ensure that your request is
met quickly and accurately.
When you call the NFIP toll-free number, is it a Federal employee who answers your call?
No, contractor staff trained by FEMA specialists answer all but the most complex telephone calls as well as the emails that are
sent to "Ask the Expert" on the NFIP website.
When you read a FloodSmart bulletin or NFIP newsletter, technical document, or other publication, is it a FEMA employee who
produced it?
Not directly. All publications are carefully reviewed and approved by FEMA staff, and often text is contributed by FEMA
specialists. However, most NFIP publications are written and produced by highly trained Federal contractor employees who work
closely with their FEMA counterparts to produce flood insurance, mitigation awareness, and technical guidance materials.
The NFIP is a single organization with several components, all uniquely suited to carry out its numerous and diverse functions.
Fewer than 175 Federal employees work in the Mitigation Division at FEMA. But more than twice that many specialists work for FEMA
contractors to support the efforts of their Mitigation Division counterparts. This article is the first in a series about the
companies that currently are contracted to assist the Mitigation Division in fulfilling its mission. We want you to know who
these companies are and what they do so that the next time you interact with the NFIP, you'll have a better idea of how the
organization works.
The NFIP Bureau and Statistical Agent
In 1983, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) was awarded its first contract as the NFIP Servicing Agent. Under this contract,
CSC was responsible for servicing the 1.9 million policies in force at that time through the direct flood insurance business.
This contract also involved creation of a new partnership with the private sector insurance industry in which insurance companies
were permitted to issue NFIP policies through the WYO Program.
In 1993, the NFIP Servicing Agent contract, which included public awareness, customer service, and document distribution center
functions, was split into separate contracts. CSC successfully won the NFIP Bureau and Statistical Agent contract.
The NFIP Bureau is made up of a team of CSC employees who provide project and program management services for the Mitigation
Division. These services include insurance underwriting and research; claims management; training and stakeholder communications
support; WYO company support; meeting planning and coordination; financial planning, analysis, and management; market research
support; and information and data management.
Underwriting and Claims Support
The NFIP Bureau's Claims and Underwriting Department provides the Mitigation Division and the WYO companies with underwriting
support, documentation, and training. The majority of work performed by Bureau underwriters is reviewing more than 10,000
submit-for-rate applications from the WYO companies each year, documenting thousands of rating errors made on flood insurance
policies and appeals submitted on CBRA properties and Preferred Risk Policies. In addition, hundreds of requests for underwriting
information are researched annually. These requests come from the Mitigation Division and the FEMA Regions, as well as the NFIP
Help Center and the "Ask the Expert" portion of the NFIP website. The Underwriting Group also conducts onsite and teleconference
NFIP underwriting training for new WYO companies and for employees at the Flood Response Offices (FROs) established after a major
flooding event.
The Bureau's claims personnel spend the first 6 months of each year offering dozens of training seminars to thousands of
insurance adjusters across the U.S. to ensure that they are prepared to adjust NFIP claims accurately after a flood event.
In addition, before the hurricane season officially begins on June 1 each year, Bureau claims personnel travel to states that
are vulnerable to tropical cyclones so that they can arrange claims coordination agreements with state windpool associations.
Bureau claims staff closely track storm systems as they move across the U.S. or threaten its coasts or territories to ensure that
NFIP general adjusters are on site to assist Program stakeholders and consumers, often before flooding begins.
When flood disasters occur, Bureau employees participate in disaster response by establishing FROs in the affected areas in
conformance with FEMA guidelines and within the required time. Bureau insurance specialists are deployed to FROs and to FEMA's
Disaster Field Offices to answer questions about NFIP rules and regulations as well as claims processing and to provide onsite
NFIP training. When losses include both wind and flood damage, the Bureau establishes a Claims Coordinating Office to simplify
and accelerate claims processing by combining claims adjustment for both hazards, in accordance with the agreement made with the
affected windpool.
The Bureau's general adjusters not only offer adjuster training prior to flood events, but also manage claims quality control
after a disaster occurs, conducting an extensive program of re-inspections and special assist inspections, file reviews, and
special audits when claims issues are submitted for further analysis to the Mitigation Division.
Technical Assistance and Communications
The NFIP Bureau's Technical Assistance and Communications (TAC) Department operates education, technical assistance, and
information programs nationwide for agents, WYO companies, lenders, adjusters, real estate agents, engineers, and special-interest
audiences. These programs are offered through a central office, on-site workshops conducted at 10 regional offices and one
satellite office, online, and through teleconferences, NFIP flood forums, and seminars for target audiences. Dozens of these
training opportunities each year are post-flood workshops held in response to major flooding events in the U.S. and its
territories.
Since 1983, CSC has organized and managed the NFIP's National Flood Conference, which now draws an average annual attendance of
700. Bureau personnel also support the Mitigation Division by providing administrative assistance as well as underwriting, claims,
and information technology expertise to NFIP-related insurance industry committees, working groups, and task forces.
Specialists in the Bureau's TAC Department develop and distribute NFIP informational materials, procedures, and technical manuals.
These materials now include CDs, video, audio, electronic, and printed technical assistance. Since October 2003, the department
has made NFIP training available online through a dedicated website (http://training.nfipstat.com/portal2/default.asp) that has
had more than 250,000 hits since it was launched.
Besides writing and producing the Watermark newsletter in conjunction with FEMA specialists two to three times each
year, TAC specialists regularly update Program manuals and other documentation-such as the Flood Insurance Manual, the
Actuarial Rate Review, the Adjuster Claims Manual, and the Transaction Record Reporting and Processing (TRRP) Plan.
More than 20 years ago, CSC established a "clearinghouse" system to coordinate the distribution of timely, accurate, and
consistent information from the NFIP to its stakeholders. The Bureau maintains contact lists and, as bulletins are posted on
the BureauNet, appropriate stakeholder groups are notified by email.
In 2005, the NFIP Help Center was established to assist policyholders who have concerns or issues with their WYO carrier. This
center is staffed to respond to calls during normal business periods and is expanded to handle the increased number of calls
received from government employees, insurance department personnel, and policyholders after flooding events. Help Center
Specialists also serve as the points of contact for responding to insurance-related inquiries through FEMA's web-based "Ask the
Expert" site.
The Bureau is responsible for guiding new insurance companies through the process of becoming fully integrated into the WYO
Program as well as monitoring data submissions for WYO companies to ensure accuracy and adherence to the TRRP Plan. Startup
support for WYO companies includes training, responding to frequent requests for assistance and monitoring these to successful
conclusion, and providing an array of reference documents, NFIP technical reports, bulletins, and other materials for the WYO
Program.
Information Technology and Financial Management
At the center of the Bureau's support of the Mitigation Division is transaction record reporting and processing--the process of
collecting and consolidating all of the policy and claim information from the WYO companies, checking its quality, and producing
reports for FEMA to track and administer the NFIP. In addition to maintaining the WYO policy database, which has grown to more
than 5 million, the Bureau's Information Technology Department also supports the activities of the Mitigation Division's
functional organizations and their information requirements, including sales reports and analyses, program evaluation, special
underwriting reports, claim history analysis, and disaster operations data.
The Bureau's Financial and Statistical Control Department conducts cost analyses, manages the NFIP's accounting and financial
reporting systems, maintains general ledger operations, performs cash management, and oversees compliance with the WYO Financial
Control Plan.
Effective and Experienced Staff
CSC has been assessed People-Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM) Level 2 by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute for
its work as the NFIP's Bureau and Statistical Agent. All departments within the Bureau contain knowledgeable insurance
professionals and flood insurance subject matter experts who provide support to FEMA.
The Bureau is immediately responsive to FEMA's requests, priorities, and objectives, staying in close communication through a
variety of formal meetings held on a weekly, biweekly, and quarterly basis between Bureau personnel, FEMA monitors, and other
FEMA personnel. Many informal and ad hoc meetings also are held between Bureau personnel and FEMA in all operational areas. More
than 2 decades of NFIP experience is applied continuously to make recommendations for the operation and improvement of the
Program.
|
|
Check out FloodSmart.gov! |
| Business-Driven Technologies.
|
| Last Modified:
Friday, 21 January 2011 |
|
