As a Business Continuity professional at my company, I know that when a disaster hits, we are armed with tested plans to ensure we are prepared to react. What is not well documented in the plans is of utmost importance in a real disaster - Is my family OK? According to Forbes Magazine, a poll found that during 911, fewer than one in three adults in that corner of the country had an emergency plan for their family (32 percent) or a disaster supply kit (29 percent). The old analogy "the p...

With the spring weather I find myself using baseball analogies. This includes getting ready for the the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Our team is ready but the rulebook is not. We can request the best equipment to improve our ability to win. Common sense, fair play and a good sense of direction will be our best defence. Knowing what plays work and what doesn't (best practices). Having knowledgeable coaches to keeps us focused. We need to prepare for the game based on instinct. All w...

Emergency Response/Crisis Management/Life and Safety/Rapid Response..... Many names for responding to events that can not be managed by normal operational processes. For those in a firefighting mode, the right questions to ask would be simple since you are getting a lot of practice. For those who have matured their operations, their focus would be process issues and continuous improvements. This group may not have the sharp firefighting skills of the first group. A quick reference ...

After filling a BC position annually it was time to re-think our hiring criteria. Rather that swap lessons learned stories with you, my approach in this article is to think positive and know the right fit is out there for us.Some elements were obvious - accreditation from the BC/DR community such as CBCP for example. But what would be the staying power to help our division to grow. What soft qualities would ensure the new hire would look at the challenges and not be frustrated. What could a...

Recently my team has been investigating interpretations of force majeure and it's implications to Business Continuity. Specifically, could this have a major impact on our ability to justify recovery solutions. I was refered to a powerpoint presentation that included the following bullet point: " Common Law Requirements - "Force Majeure" exculpatory clauses usually cover events beyond a party's reasonable control. However, business or operational continuity capability is easily ob...