|
Pandemic Business Continuity Planning
|
Where do we start?
Past pandemics and outbreaks of other diseases have shown the need for businesses to move pandemic preparedness planning to the top of their agenda. The most practical way of achieving this is to incorporate pandemic planning within their existing business continuity management. Businesses can also use this opportunity to review their overall business continuity requirements.
It is vital that organisations adequately identify the risks that are likely to occur if there is a global pandemic and ensure that their business continuity plan can evolve to cope with a rapidly changing situation. The plan should consider the different WHO phases so that the organisation can evaluate the impacts of the disease and allocate additional resources as necessary.
First and foremost, organisations must appreciate that pandemic planning should take account of significant staff unavailability not the loss of premises as is the norm in business continuity planning. This means identifying critical personnel as well as critical functions and finding alternative ways of allowing the critical functions to continue when faced with severely reduced staff numbers.
Writing the Plan - 20 Actions & Issues for Consideration
Using the following guidelines to write your plan will help analyse the risks and so minimise the impacts of a pandemic on your business:
- Prepare for the potential loss of 50% of workforce over one or more waves of a pandemic each lasting 12-15 weeks and occuring weeks or months apart
- Allow for relocating staff to other sites or home to avoid crowded situations where infection rates will be greater
- Identify scenarios, e.g. working normally as far as is practicable, taking account of staff shortages and other related pandemic issues; or “shutting up shop” as far as possible
- Identify the Pandemic Incident Management Team (and a ‘back up’ team in the event of team members becoming unavailable)
- Develop a Pandemic Operating Regime which should become operational during the Pandemic Outbreak phase (or earlier)
- What will the trigger point be? Identify when the Pandemic Operating Regime will come into play. This could be when a previously determined number of staff become absent or when the government officially declares a pandemic.
- What are the company’s critical processes that will need to be sustained throughout?
- Who are the critical personnel whom the company cannot do without?
- Can other staff be cross-trained to take over in an emergency situation?
- Communication – ensure staff, customers and other interested parties are kept informed of the company’s preparedness planning for a pandemic situation and updates are issued regularly
- Staff welfare – refer to Government guidelines and establish a policy on staff welfare during a pandemic such as how to deal with infected staff, when to quarantine and offering counselling in the event of bereavement.
- Review HR policies with regard to absenteeism, compassionate and sick leave, wages, etc.
- Monitor events as they happen and be aware of government measures such as travel restrictions or quarantines.
- Identify staff who can work remotely, either from home or another location
- Review IT and telecoms networks to allow for usage by remote workers (and increased customer usage)
- Video-conferencing and other communication alternatives can be used to allow essential staff to continue working productively
- Supplies – how will critical functions be maintained if essential supplies are disrupted? Check suppliers have pandemic business continuity plans and make sure they are tested regularly
- Stakeholders – ensure they are aware of your pandemic preparedness planning
- Travel – establish how travel restrictions could affect productivity and how to deal with employees ‘stranded’ in other countries where a pandemic has been declared
- Test and test again – test plans frequently and as they are triggered by alerts. Review during each phase and update as necessary.
Teed has prepared a Guidance Note on Pandemic BC Planning (in PDF format) which can be accessed by following the link:
|
| Guidance Note on Pandemic Business Continuity Planning |
How can Teed Business Continuity Help? |
Teed has already gained much experience in pandemic preparedness planning by incorporating this element into their clients’ existing business continuity arrangements. We have developed a proven methodology using our own “Five Phases of Pandemic Planning” which give organisations the ability to identify what actions should be taken when. This process also allows businesses to allocate resources when they are required as well as enabling them to take cost-effective actions now to minimise the impacts later.
By undertaking a Critical Function Analysis, business areas can identify their critical functions and the number of staff required to maintain these during a pandemic outbreak and post-pandemic when subsequent waves may occur. Business areas may have specific objectives to be met whilst adhering to the organisation’s overall aim and these can be satisfied during the analysis process.
Using a workshop-style approach raises awareness by bringing key personnel together to discuss and talk through the possible impacts of a pandemic on their business area and the organisation as a whole. Participants will be asked to:
- Identify key functions and processes and measure the impact upon them of a pandemic situation
- Assist in the identification of specific issues, priorities and alternative, viable methods of working
- Agree pre and post pandemic actions.
Variables and issues such as quarantining, supporting employees who are ill, public transport disruption, health and safety issues, restrictions on travel and movements, restrictions on or disruptions to essential supplies and services available to the company, minimum order points and stockholding, alternative sources of goods and services, relocating to other sites, etc., can also be explored during the workshops. The decision making process and policies which may need to change or be introduced during a pandemic will also be discussed.
Teed will ensure that evolving views and best practice on pandemic business continuity planning are taken account of accordingly.
Once all issues and actions have been agreed, Teed will collate the information into a formal Plan to be used in conjunction with existing business_continuity_management processes.
It is imperative that the Plan is reviewed and tested regularly to ensure new information is incorporated such as staff changes, new business acquisitions, new product lines, changes in company policy, government advice, etc. Unless the Plan is tested frequently, it is unlikely to be able to respond effectively to a flu pandemic or outbreaks of other virulent diseases.
For further information on pandemics, please follow the links below:
Impacts_of_a_Pandemic
What_is_a_Pandemic?
Past_Pandemics |
|
 | |  | |
Reviewing Continuity in the Supply Chain |
| Most organisations have a high dependency on external suppliers of goods and services in order to function efficiently and meet their objectives. However this dependency is often taken for ... |
| |  | |  |
|
