Where Do You Begin?

Top Level Commitment

Management must be committed at the highest level for the plan to be successful. The plan must be part of the strategic business plan and the company must budget appropriately and separately for the program. A top-level policy statement should be issued that affirms the value of planning, acknowledges and accepts the associated costs, documents management responsibilities and includes the goals and expectations of the plan, as well as any organizational assumptions or parameters.

Building the Planning and Management Team

The first step in your Continuity Planning Process is to build a Planning and Management Team. This team is responsible for creating, implementing, updating and maintaining the plan. To demonstrate management’s commitment and promote cooperation, a statement authorizing the planning team to take steps necessary to develop the plan should be issued. A team leader should be selected and a clear line of authority between the group members and group leader should be established. Team members should also be prepared to view this task as a continual process, rather than a one-time event.

The size of your team depends on the size of your business. The team should be representative of the entire organization. Planning cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. You will need the feedback from every department, as well as their support in the development and implementation of the plan. If appropriate, the team should be comprised of key management employees from each business unit. Once the team is formed, it is important to set up a work schedule and deadlines.

Some items to consider are:

Timeline for key deliverables
Budget
Assignment of specific tasks
Formation of an Emergency Management/Crisis Management Team