Catastrophic weather. Devastating cyberattacks. Unthinkable human-made disasters. The world isn’t getting any less risky (perhaps even more so). For these reasons and many others, organizations must know how to respond to such critical events and maintain essential functions. This is best accomplished using a well-developed, fully executable continuity of operations plan (COOP).
COOPs, as you know, address two primary questions:
- Which functions are essential to the organization or central to its constituents, clients, partners, or other parties?
- What resources are required to continue those essential functions during an emergency or disruption?
Regardless of the size of an organization and the participating number of agencies or departments, all COOPs share certain elements. These include:
- Essential functions (as just mentioned)
- Delegations of authority
- Succession planning
- Alternate facilities
- Interoperable communications
- Vital records and databases
- Human capital
- A test, training, and exercise program
- Plans for devolution and reconstitution
Together, and according to FEMA guidelines, these elements give a COOP a reasonable chance of succeeding—or viability.
At BOLDplanning, a division of Agility Recovery, we believe there is one other thing that will improve a COOP’s viability: automation.
COOPs, in general, can be difficult to develop, and when only printed on paper, even more challenging to maintain. Unfortunately, numerous organizations still reach for binders and thumb through pages when updating (or worse, activating) their COOPs. Such hard-copy approaches leave much to be desired.
With BOLDplanning as your partner in preparedness, automating your organization’s COOP is relatively simple. Our integrated, cloud-based platform walks users (regardless of experience level) through the planning process, easing the burden of COOP development. Information about assignments, duties, teams, etc., can be easily added or updated, with changes cascading throughout the plan. And gone are the days of scouring tables of contents or indexes for pertinent details, as the plan can be searched electronically in a matter of seconds (and from the palm of your hand).
It’s important to note that the BOLDplanning.com platform is also backed by a friendly and responsive team of subject matter experts, or SMEs. These experienced and well-credentialled planners can facilitate COOP workshops, conduct comprehensive plan reviews, and make real-world recommendations for plan improvements.
So, whether your organization is adept at continuity planning or just beginning to formalize its processes, consider automation a viable option for plan improvement and greater resiliency. Consider BOLDplanning and the BOLDplanning.com platform. Email info@boldplanning.com or call 615.469.5558 to learn more now.
