Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

Contingency Planning
Introduction to NonStop Operations Management–125507
10-6
Step 2—Developing the Plan
6. Is insurance available? Should your company purchase insurance for loss of
equipment or business?
7. What are the recovery alternatives, the costs associated with each alternative, and the
best alternative for your needs? Recovery alternatives usually include the use of a
backup site. For a description of backup site options, refer to “Backup Sites,”later in
this section.
By answering these questions, the planning team will be prepared for the second step in
disaster recovery planning—developing the plan of action.
Step 2—Developing the Plan
A disaster recovery plan that is flexible and comprehensive allows the staff to respond to
a variety of situations. A plan that specifies what steps should be taken, and by whom,
helps the staff recover promptly from a disaster. Plans are most effective when they
include the following information:
•
The plan requirements, including a list of the items that need protection and their
locations.
•
Evacuation plans, procedures for accounting for all personnel, and procedures for
contacting rescue authorities can help you protect employees. The first priority in a
recovery plan should be protecting employees and preventing injury and loss of life.
Your staff will feel more confident and secure if it knows its safety is your top
priority.
•
The name and phone numbers of the person who has ultimate decision-making
authority for both determining when the plan must be activated and for
implementing the plan.
•
Damage assessment procedures. Damage assessment provides the information that
you or others must have in order to determine if people are injured, if the facility is
safe for entry, if the equipment is salvageable, and if data has been lost or corrupted.
It is a good idea to form and train a damage-assessment team so there will always be
someone who can quickly determine the extent of damage and provide the
information you need to recover from a disaster. Figure 10-2 illustrates the
responsibilities of the damage-assessment team.