Though progress has been slow, the maturity level of the contingency planning program at my place of work continues to grow, as does the need to ‘let go’ of components of the program (i.e. individual business unit BCPs). I am responsible for facilitating BIAs, developing BCPs, performing training and exercise sessions, and then ultimately, handing responsibility of the BCPs to the business. Being a one man team has made the use of non-dedicated individuals from across the organization to manage plans necessary. This approach of giving ownership to the business is becoming necessary as more and more plans continue to be developed – one person can only manage so much.
While I trust those in the business to manage and maintain their business continuity plans, it must be remembered that continuity planning is not their primary function or responsibility. As such, I have been developing a means of mitigating the risk of plans becoming stale and of the overall contingency planning program becoming forgotten by those whom I have worked with. The thought is that BCP Coordinators from the organization whom are responsible for the maintenance and activation of business continuity plans for their business unit will report to myself on a quarterly basis using the score card or “BCP Preparedness Index” below. Business units (and coordinators) will be scored each quarter based on various criteria. Business units failing to meet base requirements will run the risk of having their poor results reported to senior management. A summary report will also be produced and presented to the board on an annual basis, giving the program traction and visibility at the highest level of management.
While I have made significant progress in developing a measurement tool, I would welcome your thoughts on other criteria / areas which should be measured. I would also welcome feedback from those whom have developed a similar system at their workplace – what has worked / not worked?
I look forward to your responses.
Have a wonderful weekend.
The Continuity Blogger
Business Unit Title / Manager
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Please note: One (1) point will be allotted for each 'yes' answer while a 'no' answer will result in a score of zero (0).
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Quarter
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Q1
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Q2
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Q3
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Q4
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Business impact analysis (BIA) reviewed within the last calendar year
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Plan reviewed and understood by all employees, team leaders, and managers
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Continuity strategy reviewed within the last calendar year
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Overall plan updated / reviewed within the last calendar year
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Plan tested and individuals exercised within the last calendar year
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Plan distributed to all employees (including new employees within the last year)
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Level of confidence in continuity strategy (high / medium / low)
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Comment or concerns
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Preparedness Level
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Score
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Q1
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Q2
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Q3
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Q4
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Poor
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0 to 4
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Average
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5 to 8
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Excellent
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8 to 10
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