2022-02-11
The National Audit Office assessed the readiness of the country’s institutions to respond to emergencies: more focus on preparedness would make emergency management smoother
About 660 emergency incidents occur each year in the country. Over the last three years, 4 state level and 64 municipal level emergency situations have been declared in Lithuania.
The National Audit Office carried out an audit assessing the preparedness of the institutions responsible for emergency management to do so. Having assessed the readiness of ministries and municipalities to manage these situations, the National Audit Office notes that not all the institutions assessed are adequately prepared for potential high-risk and very high-risk hazards.
The effective planning and preparedness for the efficient management of emergency situations requires more clarity on the competences and responsibilities of the institutions coordinating preparedness. The inter-institutional coordination and cooperation is also insufficient. The lack of coordination is demonstrated by the fact that the National Emergency Plan approved by the Government does not include management actions and measures to manage potential high and very high risk hazards identified in the National Risk Analysis. The National Emergency Plan does not include risks such as: cyber-attacks, mass unrest, terrorist attacks, threats to national security, major industrial accidents.
The National Audit Office issued recommendations, the implementation of which would ensure better preparedness to respond to emergencies. In order to better prepare for these situations, the competences and responsibilities of the institutions coordinating their preparedness should be clarified. In order to ensure the systematic conduct of risk analysis of potential hazards and threats, an institution should be designated to coordinate the conduct of the National Risk Analysis. In order to plan appropriate actions to manage high and very high risk hazards identified during the analysis, processes for updating and reviewing the National Emergency Plan need to be envisaged.
The National Audit Office also notes that, in order to effectively prepare for and manage emergencies, it is necessary to regulate the assessment of the justification of that situation, which makes it possible to determine whether the actual situation still meets the conditions and criteria for its declaration. In order to prepare for crisis situations, criteria should be established to determine and identify them.