So What About the Bird Flu!

A Pragmatist’s Guide to Business Continuity Planning in Tertiary

Education

ATEM Conference - Tauranga 4 July 2006

Peter SherwinDirector, Arahanga Associates Limited

What Do the Terms Mean and What’s the Difference?

DRP = a plan to get stuff going again

BCP = a plan to keep the business running while someone’s getting the stuff going again.

Can include IT and/or any other facet of the business

Why?

Because Audit NZ says so

Because standing beside the Fire Engine in the carpark at 2:00am is not an ideal place to be making decisions!

It is a Script,

Hopefully never a Screenplay!

What it Doesn’t Include

Natural Disaster, Pandemic or Civil Defence Emergency

What it Doesn’t Include

Natural Disaster, Epidemic or Civil Defence EmergencyIndustrial Action [However it should include other human resource issues e.g. unavailability of a staff group due to accident or disaster.]

Minor issues or detail [more detail = greater maintenance, less ownership, higher cost, etc]

Some General Principles

Keep it SimpleMaximum length – 50 pages!!

WE CAN MAKE THIS THING AS BIG AS AFRICA IF WE TRY

Some General Principles

Keep it SimpleMaximum length – 50 pages!! But it does need to be yours – you can’t borrow someone else’s.Rely on common senseNeed management commitmentNeed time to put it togetherDon’t ask for a major effort from staff [unless specialist info]Only issues that may result in business interruptionNot risk management but may identify some risks along the way

Process

PolicyBuild on existing processesMeet with each unit

Identify disasters/risks Estimate downtime thresh-hold Brainstorm continuity strategy

Identify potential barriers and addressIdentify/negotiate reciprocal arrangementsPull together documentAssign responsibility

Reciprocal Agreements

Forget the “My Patch, My Problem, I’ll Fix It” AttitudeOther ITPs, Schools, PTEsDefines the scope

May include staff

Nominated contact person – build the relationship nowDoesn’t oblige parties to carry redundant capacity$$$ principles to avoid opportunismOngoing but reconfirmed annually

Ongoing Reporting/Management/Maintenance

Who?How?How OftenTesting

The experts say that there is still a significant risk of avian flu becoming pandemicEstimated 40 % of NZ will get it, 2% deathsMost susceptible = healthy adultsLikely window of about 2 – 3 months

So What About the Bird Flu?

What Will the Likely Effect Be?

Movement control – mandatory closure We’re not an essential industry

Those who don’t contract the disease may well be looking after others who do.

What Should We Do?Plan now for a controlled shut-down of your organisation How will you do it? What resources and data need to be secure? Staff salaries Other accounts? The “catch-up” is likely to be a national issue

Educate your staff and students Keep well Vaccinations Good hygiene practices Store food and paracetamol

Many Thanks

Have a Safe Trip Home