Victorian Preparedness Framework

Introduction

Victoria faces various challenges and emerging threats from both natural and non-environmental risks. As the risk profile of Victoria shifts, driven by climate change, demographic changes and transitions, increased population density in high-risk areas and advances in technology, the likelihood and impact of emergencies grows. This subsequently increases the demand on the capability and capacity of the emergency management sector and Victorian communities.

The following Victorian Preparedness Framework (VPF) Education Video covering the 2022-23 VPF Review, includes:

• an introduction to the VPF
• the recent review, and
• resulting updates.

The development of Victoria’s preparedness model started in 2015 and is based on the United States’ National Preparedness Goal. Victoria’s model includes:

Victorian Emergency Management Capability Blueprint

The Victorian Emergency Management Capability Blueprint outlines the State Capability Principles and desired future state for Victoria’s emergency management capability. The overall aim of the Blueprint is to have effective emergency management capability across Victoria that can meet future needs.

Victorian Preparedness Framework (this document; the Framework)

This Framework is developed to enable Victoria to achieve the desired future state for capability outlined in the Blueprint. The Framework was first released in 2016 and updated in 2018. In 2022, Emergency Management Victoria worked with emergency management agencies to strengthen and validate the Framework. The Framework now also incorporates the Victorian Preparedness Goal that was previously published separately:

The Framework is established to be a planning tool that can be used in a variety of ways.  It sets out a common language and processes that planners at the State, regional, municipal, community, agency or group levels are encouraged to integrate into their emergency management planning. The Framework also provides a level of confidence and visibility of preparedness to identify what ownership is required at each level of emergency management preparedness. 

We all have a role to play in emergency management. The Framework encapsulates an ‘all communities, all emergencies’ approach which emphasises that emergency management is a shared responsibility across all of Victoria’s diverse communities, Victoria’s First Peoples, community groups, networks, businesses, individuals, households, visitors to Victoria, government and non-government organisations, and emergency management sector.

The Framework sets out 21 core capabilities and their critical tasks as a foundation of how we can mitigate, plan, prepare, respond to and recover from emergencies. The core capabilities embedded in the Framework are what Victoria and the emergency management sector requires to meet the challenges and risks Victoria faces. By understanding what core capabilities Victoria needs, we can work to identify and maintain our capability strengths and where there are opportunities to improve our capabilities.

The capacity of each of these core capabilities is determined by the extent to which the 5 core elements (people, resources, governance, systems and processes) can be sustained during the mitigation, planning, preparedness, response and recovery phases of emergency management.

To test Victoria’s preparedness for emergencies (i.e. our capability and capacity), risk assessment results are used to inform which emergency scenarios have been developed. These scenarios can be used to determine anticipated emergency impacts and the desired outcomes, known as capability targets.

In a commitment to continuous improvement, the Framework to be reviewed at regular intervals and adapted in line with changing emergency risks, government policies and sector reforms.

Capability and Capacity definitions

Capability - Our collective ability to reduce the likelihood and consequences of an emergency before, during and after.

Capacity - The extent to which the 5 core capability elements (people, resources, governance, systems and processes) can be sustained, before, during and after an emergency.