When the supervisor-to-subordinate ratio exceeds manageable span of control, additional teams, divisions, groups, branches, or sections can be established. Which NIMS management characteristic does this describe?

The NIMS management characteristic that describes the process of establishing additional teams, divisions, groups, branches, or sections when the supervisor-to-subordinate ratio exceeds a manageable span of control is Modular Organization.

Modular Organization is foundational to its ability to manage incidents of any size or complexity efficiently. This characteristic allows for a systematic expansion or contraction of the organizational structure in response to the operational needs and complexity of the incident. For instance, in a large-scale disaster with multiple sites of operation, ICS can expand to include several branches, divisions, and groups, each with a specific scope of responsibility.

From the perspective of incident management personnel, the Modular Organization characteristic of NIMS provides a clear and flexible framework for structuring the response to an incident. This approach allows supervisors to effectively manage their resources by ensuring that each leader or supervisor has a direct oversight of a manageable number of subordinates.

The Modular Organization characteristic significantly impacts the strategic planning and operational execution of incident response. It allows incident commanders and leaders to allocate resources dynamically, establish clear lines of authority and responsibility, and ensure that all efforts are closely aligned with incident objectives.

Source: https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is200c/english/instructor%20guide/is0200c%20ig.pdf