Giving Compass' Take:

• Katharyn M. White explains how federally funded research and development centers can provide neutral solutions for communities working to improve disaster resilience. 

• How can communities work with federally funded research and development centers efficiently? What other existing resources should communities be calling on? 

• Learn about investing in resilience after disasters.  

We may never know exactly how many people lost their lives in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, but it's clear that the human toll was catastrophic: According to a new assessment of "excess mortality,"nearly 3,000 individuals perished in last year's storm and its aftermath, and the cost for rehabilitating the U.S. territory's infrastructure will be measured in the tens of billions. In Houston, the cost of recovery from Hurricane Harvey is approaching $125 billion.

Hurricanes, of course, are hardly the only threat American communities face. Flooding, wildfires, hackers, terrorism and mass shootings all have exacted large human and economic costs while straining public resources to the breaking point. In response, cities and states are struggling to become more resilient, but it's not easy being a mayor or governor in this environment. There's plenty of outside advice and sales pitches for "solutions" to their jurisdictions' vulnerabilities.

Where should an elected official focus limited resources? Making the right decisions requires a deep understanding of acquisitions, policy, technology and systems. There are many options out there for localities to get advice and gather the facts to help with decision-making, including universities, think tanks and industry. Yet what's missing, in my experience, are outside entities with some essential qualities: a broad view of the threats communities face, deep technical expertise in tackling complex problems, an understanding of the need for integrating state and federal resources, and, critically, the mandate to offer unbiased advice with no investment in the answers, financial or otherwise.

Beginning in the late 1940s the federal government began working with specially created nonprofits through the federally funded research and development center model. FFRDCs address long-term problems of considerable complexity, striving to approach technical questions with a high degree of objectivity and provide cost-effective solutions.

Read the full article about federally funded research and development centers by Katharyn M. White at Governing Magazine.