Commentator Paul Light talks about possible cures for the problems at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Light is a professor at New York University and the author of a book on how to strengthen sprawling agencies.
STEVE INSKEEP, host: So there's a plan for rebuilding New Orleans.  Now here's a plan for      rebuilding the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  Commentator Paul      Light is author of "The Four Pillars of High Performance," which outlines      his strategy for strengthening organizations like FEMA.</s>PAUL LIGHT: Contrary to the now conventional wisdom, FEMA was not the victim of the      Homeland Security merger.  Flooded by inexperienced political appointees      at the top, the agency already ranked dead last on the list of best      places to work in government well before Katrina hit.  According to the      federal government's own surveys, employees reported sharp declines in      morale and resources in early 2002.  Less than a third said they held      their new leaders in high regard.  The concerns are familiar across      government where employees complain about the lack of resources and the      politicalization of even trivial decisions, but the FEMA opinions are the      worst I have ever seen, period.</s>PAUL LIGHT: FEMA had only recently rebounded from years as a political dumping ground      for campaign aides with no place else to go.  It failed miserably after      Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992.  Eight years of hard work brought      the agency up to peak performance.  Then inexperienced appointees brought      the agency back down. Katrina shows yet again how important effective      leadership is to government performance.  On the day Katrina hit, half of      FEMA's top political jobs were occupied by executives without any      meaningful disaster experience.  Seven of the top civil service jobs were      filled by acting appointees.  It's no wonder FEMA hesitated as the      catastrophe took hold.</s>PAUL LIGHT: Luckily, the 2002 surveys also show that FEMA employees are deeply      committed to their agency's mission.  The vast majority know why their      jobs matter and two-thirds say they have the skills and training to      succeed.  The challenge now is to mobilize that commitment and give every      employee the training and resources to do their jobs.</s>PAUL LIGHT: FEMA still has a long way to go in rebuilding its reputation.  Putting      qualified leaders at the top is a critical start, so is focusing the      agency on its primary mission as a fail-safe when local and state      governments call.  If there's a silver lining in Katrina, it's the      possibility that the White House and Senate will finally start asking      harder questions about appointee qualifications.  Too many senators are      willing to give the president's nominees the benefit of the doubt.  That      may work in some positions where experience doesn't matter but not at      FEMA.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: That's a commentary from Paul Light.  He's a professor at New      York University.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: This is NPR News.