
Pandemic – 5 Key Aspects for Planning the Unplannable
Recently, URM delivered a webinar on pandemic planning. This blog will look at the key questions which arose during the webinar.
Once we have considered and addressed any immediate staff welfare issues, our attention needs to turn to how we maximise the operational effectiveness of our business in these unprecedented times.
Stepping back, the majority of disruptions that put an organisation at risk and therefore often trigger Business Continuity (BC) incidents and subsequent BC plan invocations, are short, typically hours, days or maybe one or two weeks. They are also acute in terms of the impact of the incident and its escalation over time. For example, a ransomware attack or a terrorist attack.
For many organisations, business continuity management (BCM) and associated planning does not look at an incident that lasts for longer than one or two weeks. However, with the current coronavirus pandemic and the recent reoccurring floods across Britain, we have examples where organisations are being challenged not just to provide an effective crisis management response (whose main aim is usually to return to a business as usual operating level as quickly as possible), but also to provide the ability to maintain a level of continuity throughout lengthy impactful incidents.
So, how can an organisation adapt its approach to planning?
There are 5 key BCMS elements to consider: