Reconstitution During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In these uncertain times, organizations across the nation are grappling with when and how to resume operations while protecting the well-being and safety of their employees and communities. Many organizations will be returning to a new normal and are asking:

• When is it safe to bring people back?
• Do we need to modify how we operate?
• How do we keep our employees, customers and community safe?
• How do we maintain a safe and sanitary environment?

An organization may need to adapt and adopt new processes, address physical and psychological impacts to personnel, recover records and files, reestablish communications and IT equipment, or acquire specialized equipment to regain full functionality. Planning for reconstitution requires expertise and coordination from the entire organization and coordination with partners and stakeholders throughout the community. This fact sheet builds upon the White House guidelines for Opening Up America Again by providing further reconstitution planning recommendations for state, local, tribal, territorial and private sector stakeholders.

General Reconstitution Planning Considerations

Identifying reconstitution considerations assists organizations to develop and coordinate a plan to resume operations. Organizations should determine how to assess the status of personnel, assets and facilities.

Organizations should:

• Begin now by developing a plan and procedures for how operations will be resumed. Organizations may need to consider a time-phased approach to prepare a facility to be reoccupied. Offices, functions and returning personnel may need to be prioritized or work in staggered shifts.
• Communicate with employees and inform them of the process for returning to work. Consider providing online training and guidance for employees before returning.
• Coordinate with partners and stakeholders. Determine what methods will be used to inform employees, customers, vendors and stakeholders that operations are being resumed.
• Identify and implement additional facility maintenance tasks necessary to safely reopen closed buildings.
• Address physical and psychological impacts to personnel through employee and family support plans and other human resource measures.
• Develop an after-action report/improvement plan to note lessons learned and improve plans.

Source: FEMA

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