ERP Self-Assessment
The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and  Research and Training Center on Community Living Research and Training Center on Community Living
Emergency Response Preparedness Self-Assessment Instrument
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Assessment FAQ - (Frequently Asked Questions)


How is the assessment instrument organized?

How can I optimize the way the assessment instrument is organized?

How can I change the organizational format of the instrument?

What is a sub-account?

How do I create a sub-account?

How do you recommend I complete the assessment instrument?

Saving Your Responses. Is my work saved if I stop in the middle of a section and return at a later date to finish?

Can I view/print a copy of my State's assessment?


How is the assessment instrument organized?
The assessment instrument has been developed to allow states to organize the questions to best fit their own emergency response planning documents. The assessment's basic framework can be modified to evaluate preparedness in terms of:
  • Operational Levels (individual, service provider, local/municipal authorities, county, state and national agencies);
  • Management Activities (preparation, response and recovery); and
  • Content Areas (collaboration, stakeholder involvement, communication, etc).
For further explanation of the instrument's organization and terms, view our glossary.
How can I optimize the way the assessment instrument is organized?
The instrument can be customized to assign specific content sections to different individuals to complete or to enable the user to complete the various sections in a different order.
  1. Assign different content sections to different individuals (See FAQ on Sub-accounts for more information).
  2. Select different content areas to complete (See FAQ on changing the organization of the instrument for more information).
  3. Tracking Progress - View the Assessment Completion Report for a detailed breakdown of assessment progress.
  4. Try it out. Before you begin formally using the instrument, we recommend that you practice using the options provided on the Assessment Menu to familiarize yourself with the wide variety of ways to view the evaluation statements on the instrument.

How can I change the organizational format of the instrument?
The instrument's organizational format can be modified on the Assessment Menu. There are two ways to customize the instrument.
  1. Choose the order of your headings (Operational Levels, Management Activities and Content Areas). This option allows you to rearrange the instrument headings.
  2. Choose the sections to view. This option allows you to organize the evaluation questions on the instrument in a variety of ways, customizing the way the information is presented.

What is a sub-account?
Each state has a primary login/account assigned to the State Developmental Disabilities Director. Using this account, the DD Director can create new login accounts and assign access permissions to portions of the assessment instrument to be completed by appropriate organizations and/or individuals. These are called sub-accounts. New sub-accounts created with "State Administrator" access level will have the ability to create additional sub-accounts. After sub-accounts have been created, State Administrators can change existing access permissions using the "Edit permissions for existing sub-accounts for MN" link in the User Settings menu.
How do I create a sub-account?
Click on the User Settings link in your login bar (located near the top of the page). On your User Settings menu page, if you see links to "Create a new assessment login..." and "Edit permissions for existing logins..." then your login has the ability to create users and assign assessment access permissions for your state. Click the appropriate link and follow instructions to create new logins and assign assessment access permissions.
How do you recommend I complete the assessment instrument?
You may want to consider several different ways of completing the instrument. We would recommend that you first become familiar with the instrument and its organization and the types of questions within the instrument. We recommend that you try using the instrument to become familiar with its features. At this stage, there is no need to save your work as this is a chance to practice using the instrument. Once you're comfortable with the instrument, you may want to consider assigning sections of the instrument for completion to the appropriate individuals or agencies (see sub-accounts). For those sections you feel comfortable addressing, feel free to beginning completing the information and remember to save your work.
Saving Your Responses-- Is my work saved if I stop in the middle of a section and return at a later date to finish?
Your work is saved every time you click the save button at the bottom of each page. We recommend that you save your work frequently to avoid accidental loss of data due to electrical outages or other unforeseen events.
Can I view/print a copy of my State's assessment?
You can view all available reporting options by clicking on the Reports link in your login bar (located near the top of the page). Currently, you can view printable reports of your State's assessment in its entirety or by section. You can also view a report summarizing your State's responses.