An Outline for Business Continuity Planning

This outline is intended to help you begin to develop your own business continuity plan. The outline is excerpted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) booklet Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry and sample plan documents.

You can use this outline to jump-start your planning process. However, we strongly recommend that you also get a copy of the FEMA booklet. It has detailed information about each of the steps identified here and also identifies substeps. You can purchase it or download it from www.fema.gov/library/bizindst.pdf.

1. Planning steps
   • Step 1: Establish a planning team
     • Form the team
     • Establish authority
     • Create and issue a plan mission statement
     • Establish a schedule and budget
   • Step 2: Analyze capabilities and hazards
     • Review internal plans and policies
     • Meet with outside groups
     • Identify codes and regulations
     • Identify critical products, services, and operations
     • Identify internal resources and capabilities
     • Identify external resources
     • Do an insurance review
     • Conduct a vulnerability analysis
     • List potential emergencies
     • 142 Estimate probability
     • Assess the potential human impact
     • Assess the potential property impact
     • Assess the potential business impact
     • Assess internal and external resources
   • Step 3: Develop the plan
     • Write an executive summary
     • Describe emergency management elements
     • Describe emergency response procedures
     • Add support documents
     • Detail the development process
     • Identify challenges and prioritize activities
     • Write the plan
     • Establish a training schedule
     • Continue to coordinate with outside organizations
     • Maintain contact with other corporate offices
     • Review the plan, conduct training, and revise the plan
     • Seek final approval xiii. Distribute the plan
   • Step 4: Implement the plan
     • Integrate the plan into company operations
     • Conduct employee training
     • Determine the planning considerations
     • Evaluate training activities
     • Evaluate employee training
     • Evaluate and modify the plan
2. Disaster management issues to consider
   • Direction and control
     • Emergency Management Group (EMG)
     • Incident Commander
     • Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
     • Security isolation of the incident scene
     • Coordination of outside response
   • Communications
     • Contingency planning
     • Emergency communications
     • Methods of communication 143
       1. Employee and family communications
       2. Notification
       3. Warning
   • Life safety
     • Evacuation planning
     • Evacuation routes and exits
     • Assembly areas and accountability
     • Shelter
     • Training and information
     • Family preparedness
   • Property protection
     • Planning considerations
     • Protection systems
     • Facility shutdown
     • Records preservation
3. Community outreach
   • Community involvement
   • Community service
   • Public information
   • Media relations
4. Recovery and restoration
   • Planning considerations
   • Continuity of management
   • Employee support
   • Resuming operations
5. Administration and logistics
   • Administrative actions
6. Processes to think about
   • Evacuation plans
   • Communication plans
   • Building security
   • Reconstruction of computer services
   • Restoration of accounting services
   • Reconstruction of files
   • Mail handling
   • Employee relations
   • Stress reduction