Building and Scaling an Emergency Operations Team During COVID-19

Company: Private Government Contractor (Anonymous)
Location: Southeastern United States
Industry: Emergency Management and Disaster Relief

Situation

At the onset of COVID-19, a private emergency operations contractor was tasked by the Governor’s Office and State Emergency Management to manage and distribute over $1 billion of CARES Act funding. The initial objective was to quickly train incoming staff on FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program and Policy Program and Guidance (PPAG) standards, ensuring compliance for project approvals and fund distribution.

Although the company’s leadership had deep experience in disaster response, COVID-19 presented a unique and unprecedented scale of complexity. Unlike traditional physical disasters, the pandemic required rapid, adaptive, and highly coordinated responses with an evolving rulebook. In addition to team building, a secondary objective emerged: design and implement technology solutions to drive operational efficiency and success measurement.

Habits

Unlike many situations, there were no ingrained team habits to undo—this was a brand-new operation built from the ground up. However, the company’s traditional approach to disaster operations—geared toward physical, boots-on-the-ground events—did not translate seamlessly to a public health crisis requiring digital coordination and precision. Leadership communication leaned heavily toward transactional exchanges, missing the opportunity for transformational leadership that the moment demanded. Emotional intelligence across the organization was low, from senior leadership down, compounding stress and communication breakdowns under high-pressure conditions.

Insights

It became clear that what the company lacked wasn’t talent or willpower—it was scalable structure. Technology, hiring systems, training, and accountability frameworks were underdeveloped relative to the rapidly expanding needs of the crisis. New FEMA regulations and procedural changes were being issued almost daily, requiring extreme adaptability. Staff grew by 300% within six weeks, but operational logistics, onboarding, and leadership pipelines did not keep pace. Although communication with state-level officials remained strong, translation of those directives into operational success inside the company was inconsistent due to the sheer volume and pace of change.

Formulation

The solution focused on building a solid foundation for scaling:

• Technology and Project Management: Implemented routines and advanced measurement tools to support project tracking, communications, and workflow management.
• Meeting Infrastructure: Standardized meeting agendas and established regular communication cadences to prevent information bottlenecks and reduce confusion.
• Leadership Development: Created layers of leadership within the rapidly expanding team. Built a leadership pipeline by identifying capable individuals and promoting them into structured roles based on span of control principles.
• Operational Leadership: Took over the Director of Operations role to directly oversee scaling efforts, including leading all hiring processes, onboarding systems, team management, and leadership development efforts.
• Team Structuring: Organized the operation into four distinct teams, each with clearly defined leadership roles and responsibilities, matching the capabilities and growth trajectories of the emerging leaders.

Through these efforts, the organization could adapt to the reality of COVID-19 rather than continue applying outdated disaster response models.

Transformation

The results were significant under the circumstances:

• Project Approval Success: Achieved a 95% project approval rate from FEMA, ensuring critical relief funds flowed efficiently to impacted communities.
• Statewide Engagement: Successfully executed campaigns that increased participation from every county in the state, significantly expanding involvement in the PA program.
• Cultural Shift: Transitioned the team from a traditional leader-follower model to a more resilient leader-leader structure, where autonomy, accountability, and collaboration became the norm rather than the exception.

Conclusion

Scaling an operation in the middle of an evolving, worldwide public health emergency is one of the most difficult leadership tests imaginable. By building structure, empowering emerging leaders, and adapting traditional practices to the realities of COVID-19, the company was able to meet its objectives, serve the state effectively, and position itself for sustained success in future emergency operations.

“The effectiveness of training is realized in how the organization measures and experiences the results. To create this, organizations must be set free to reach their greatest potential through the leadership of their people.”

Glenn A. Lewis, CEO – REDSHIFT