The National Continuous Improvement Guidance provides a framework to conduct consistent and rigorous continuous improvement activities before, during, and after real-world incidents. This guidance is intended for the whole community, including state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); the private sector; and other emergency management organizations.

The National Continuous Improvement Guidance is based on government and industry best practices with direct input from members of SLTT organizations, NGOs, private sector partners, and other emergency management organizations. Additionally, the Continuous Improvement Considerations for Emergency Management Leaders guide provides a short summary of considerations for emergency management leaders regarding the potential positive outcomes for supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the National Continuous Improvement Guidance, please reach out to the Continuous Improvement Technical Assistance Program team at [email protected].

Guidance Viewing Options

The National Continuous Improvement Guidance can be viewed based on a reader’s level of experience with continuous improvement activities and/or the maturity of an organization’s continuous improvement program. Additionally, readers can view the entire guidance using the Full Guidance View, and the guidance can be downloaded as a PDF using the link to the right. Click on the buttons below based on your desired view. When using one of these customized views, only select, relevant portions of the guidance will be presented. 

Resource Constrained Organizations View

This view of the guidance is for individuals or organizations that may have limited resources to engage with continuous improvement activities. The view presents sections of the guidance focused on baseline information about continuous improvement and related topics focused on activities that can be implemented without many resources.

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New to Continuous Improvement View

This view of the guidance is for individuals or organizations that are new to continuous improvement and want to learn the basics. The view presents sections of the guidance focused on introducing continuous improvement concepts and baseline information on a variety relevant activities.

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Established Continuous Improvement Programs View

This view of the guidance is for organizations that have already established continuous improvement programs. The view of the guidance includes sections that provide information about more advanced analytical approaches and considerations on how to establish or manage a continuous improvement program.

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Continuous Improvement Beyond the AAR View

This view of the guidance is for individuals or organizations that want to focus on continuous improvement activities outside of After-Action Reports (AARs). The view of the guidance includes sections that feature information on non-AAR topics, including incident operations, process improvement, and issue resolution.

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