Prepared or not ... that is the vital question: when unplanned events or full-blown disasters strike, RIM professionals must have a strategy to ensure survival and at a cost that organizations can afford.At the Core This article * defines three types of disasters and explains how to deal with them * identifies potential natural, mechanical, and human risks * provides an outline and guidance for creating a disaster plan Too few organizations are prepared for the emergencies that wait just off stage--their entrances are unrehearsed un·re·hearsed adj. Not rehearsed. See Synonyms at extemporaneous. Adj. 1. unrehearsed - with little or no preparation or forethought; "his ad-lib comments showed poor judgment"; "an extemporaneous piano recital"; "an , but they will happen. Every day, there is the chance that some sort of business interruption, crisis, disaster, or emergency will occur. How prepared organizations and records and information management (RIM) professionals are to handle these events may determine whether those organizations--and RIM jobs--will survive. In fact, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the U.S. Bureau of Labor, 93 percent of companies that suffer a significant data loss are out of business within five years. A 2002 Gartner survey found that only 35 percent of small and midsize businesses have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place. Another Gartner report, The Business Continuity Readiness Survey, revealed that only 36 percent of the companies and government agencies surveyed have a plan for the complete loss of their physical assets and workspace. Whether an unplanned event or full- blown disaster strikes an organization, having an adequate, comprehensive, and tested contingency plan A plan involving suitable backups, immediate actions and longer term measures for responding to computer emergencies such as attacks or accidental disasters. Contingency plans are part of business resumption planning. can mean the difference between functioning as usual and not functioning at all. Management must implement a strategy to ensure an organization's survival at a cost, in terms of money, time, and effort, that it can afford. What are Disasters? The U.S. Code A multivolume publication of the text of statutes enacted by Congress. Until 1926, the positive law for federal legislation was published in one volume of the Revised Statutes of 1875, and then in each sub-sequent volume of the statutes at large. of Federal Regulations (CFR CFR See: Cost and Freight ) in 36CFR1236 defines a disaster as "an unexpected occurrence inflicting widespread destruction and distress and having long-term adverse effects on agency operations." An emergency is defined in the same CFR as "a situation or an occurrence of a serious nature, developing suddenly and unexpectedly, and demanding immediate action." Identifying Potential Risks In planning to meet potential disasters and emergencies, organizations must identify what those disasters might be and how they could impact operations. The potential severity of these events greatly influences the response and the cost to protect against and recover from them. While the exact nature of potential disasters and their impact may not always be predicted, the benefits derived from identifying potential hazards and then working to eliminate or mitigate them are obvious. Level of Impact Most disaster planners divide the possible threats and hazards into three areas: 1. Natural or environmental threats or hazards 2. Technical or mechanical hazards 3. Human activities or threats Disasters must be identified by the extent of their influence. The broadest range of influence affects large populations. They may be community-wide, such as an earthquake, tornado tornado, dark, funnel-shaped cloud containing violently rotating air that develops below a heavy cumulonimbus cloud mass and extends toward the earth. The funnel twists about, rises and falls, and where it reaches the earth causes great destruction. , flood, power blackout A complete loss of power. See brownout. , or terrorist act. These would affect not only one organization, but thousands of others as well. Disasters that may be local to one building or a few businesses and people might include a water leak resulting from mechanical failure or faulty building construction. Another local disaster could be caused by arson, which is said to be the most prevalent cause of business fire disasters today. Disasters may be individual, affecting only one organization or department. The disgruntled dis·grun·tle tr.v. dis·grun·tled, dis·grun·tling, dis·grun·tles To make discontented. [dis- + gruntle, to grumble (from Middle English gruntelen; see employee's sabotage sabotage [Fr., sabot=wooden shoe; hence, to work clumsily], form of direct action by workers against employers through obstruction of work and/or lowering of plant efficiency. Methods range from peaceful slowing of production to destruction of property. of computer record systems is becoming a more common, costly problem. And lost or misplaced mis·place tr.v. mis·placed, mis·plac·ing, mis·plac·es 1. a. To put into a wrong place: misplace punctuation in a sentence. b. files can cost companies tremendous amounts. In fact, lost information often damages an organization more seriously than a major natural disaster. Yet these occurrences are often easy to prevent by educating staff about simple safety and record handling procedures. Business Impact Assessment (BIA BIA abbr. Bureau of Indian Affairs ) In disasters, RIM professionals must have a strategy to ensure the survival of their organization's information. Human life is always the first consideration in any emergency or disaster. The next issue is the risk to mission-critical functions and operations. A business impact assessment/analysis (BIA) is a process or methodology that determines critical functions of an organization's business or mission. The BIA involves identifying such functions and determining the impact of the unavailability of records and information to keep those operations going. The BIA presents findings documenting the financial, service level, or other impacts to the organization. Sample BIA questions might include: * If the online computer systems were not available, how would the department continue to operate? * What is the minimum office space the organization needs to continue to operate? * Could the organization operate without most of its office equipment for five days? The BIA also determines declines in service levels, the areas of a company most likely to be impacted, an estimate of the effects, and the anticipated allowable recovery time. The process includes workflow analysis to determine business-process interdependencies and interviews with department heads to select restoration sequencing. This analysis is essential to establishing the proper sizing and configuration of the selected recovery strategy. The Planning Process It takes planning to be prepared to prevent the worst from happening and practice in order to recover and survive. Investing in the planning process can be thought of as a type of insurance. The basic planning steps include: Step 1: Obtain Top Management Support and Commitment The first step is to secure senior management support and commitment. They must be responsible for coordinating the development of the disaster preparedness and recovery plan as well as implementing and maintaining it. For the plan to be effective and ongoing, adequate time and resources must be committed to the process. Appropriate resources will include financial allocations, specific staff time involvement, and general staff education. Who will develop and implement the plan? Will outside consultant help and software programs be necessary? How much time and capital should be devoted to program development, implementation, and maintenance? These and other resource and scope questions can only be answered at the senior management level. Step 2: Establish a Planning Committee planning committee n (in local government) → comité m de planificación The second step involves people. The planning effort will need leaders. A disaster planning disaster planning - disaster recovery committee should include representatives from all functional areas of the organization. Key committee members should include operations/administration management, computer processing, and RIM professional staff. The committee will define the scope of the plan and develop a policy statement. Step 3: Perform the Risk Assessment In order to allocate appropriate funds for developing programs to prepare, protect, and recover from a disaster, there must be an adequate and thorough risk assessment. The risk assessment is an analysis that includes the * identification of and likelihood of various types of disasters (natural, human, and technical) occurring * consequences and impact on the entire company of each disaster scenario * estimated costs of lost/damaged information/records and lost time and customer goodwill * costs to replace and restore records, equipment, and facilities, as well as to hire or replace staff, versus the costs to develop and maintain the disaster plan * risk of the worst-case scenario worst-case scenario n → Schlimmstfallszenario nt striking the organization Step 4: Establish Processing and Operating Priorities The critical operating and processing needs of each department should be carefully evaluated. Part of the preparation must be concerned with business as usual, only with fewer--perhaps untrained--staff located in another building or city, and with fewer supplies. Other operational concerns include: * What equipment is needed to complete jobs, e.g., computers, copiers, calculators, or microfilm A continuous film strip that holds several thousand miniaturized document pages. See micrographics.  Microfilm and Microfiche reader/ printers? * What communications devices Typically refers to a terminal used to send voice, video or text. Mobile phones, wireless PDAs and personal computers equipped with microphones, speakers and cameras are all considered communications devices. See modem. are required, e.g., phone, long-distance lines, or fax machine? * What if the main phone system is affected by the disaster? * What detailed steps and procedures must be followed? Where are these steps documented? * What people will be needed to complete daily business? Will they be able to work and under what conditions? * What vital records (those records that should they be destroyed, lost, or stolen would place the organization in jeopardy of survival) must be protected? (Editor's note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : Comprehensive information on this topic can be found in ARMA's Vital Records Programs: Identifying, Managing, and Recovering Business-Critical Records, which is an American National Standard (standard) American National Standard - (ANS) A common prefix for ANSI documents or standards, e.g.: "ANS Forth", or "American National Standard X3.215-1994". Institute standard available through the ARMA online bookstore.) These questions must be answered and prioritized as part of the disaster preparedness process. While many organizations have some sort of disaster/contingency plan for their computer-generated records, few have adequate provisions for the same type of identification and protection of their paper records (especially inactive records), and even fewer address the maintenance of regular business functions during an unplanned event. Step 5: Perform Data Collection This important step involves * determining and locating external resources and making contracts/ agreements with them * determining backup/duplication systems * preparing staffing information * gathering various inventories, e.g., records, equipment, supplies, or forms * locating policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental manuals * preparing master lists, e.g., staff, telephone, vendor, or insurance * reviewing all security systems * evaluating the facilities for potential problems * locating cold sites (an unequipped Adj. 1. unequipped - without necessary physical or intellectual equipment; "guerrillas unequipped for a pitched battle"; "unequipped for jobs in a modern technological society" facility that can be used as a backup site A backup site is a location where a business can easily relocate following a disaster, such as fire, flood, or terrorist threat. This is an integral part of the disaster recovery plan of a business. ) and hot sites (a backup site that has the equipment and supplies to recover affected business functions) Step 6: Prepare the Written Plan Where feasible, it is advisable that the staff is involved in the planning phases In amphibious operations, the phase normally denoted by the period extending from the issuance of the order initiating the amphibious operation up to the embarkation phase. The planning phase may occur during movement or at any other time upon receipt of a new mission or change in the and updating of the plan. An outline of the plan's contents should be prepared to guide the development of the detailed procedures. Top management should review and approve the proposed plan. Any changes to the scope and goals of the plan will be finalized See finalization. before writing the formal plan. A standard format should be developed to facilitate the writing of the detailed procedures. If the organization decides to use a software package for this plan, the software should be easy to understand, use, and update. In addition, there should be procedures that allow key personnel or an outside consultant to review the plan on a regular basis. Just as staff in all areas of the company should be involved in the planning process, internal teams need to be created to implement the disaster procedures. Responsibilities should be assigned to appropriate teams for each functional area of the organization. Some of the teams' functions include * administrative activities * facilities services * logistics * user support * computer and hard copy backup systems Noun 1. backup system - a computer system for making backups ADP system, ADPS, automatic data processing system, computer system, computing system - a system of one or more computers and associated software with common storage * restoration * department operations Those responsible for the filing, storage, and retrieval of an organization's records (including vital records) must understand and be able to execute the plan, performing protection, recovery, and, possibly, salvage tasks for their areas of responsibility. Step 7: Test the Plan It is essential that the plan be tested and evaluated on a regular basis--at least annually. The tests ensure that the plan's steps and assumptions are accurate, inclusive, and, most important, that the staff can easily follow them. Other objectives include * identifying areas in the plan that need modification * reviewing the reliability and compatibility of backup systems, facilities, and procedures * ensuring that backup and duplication procedures are adequate and appropriate * providing training for team members * demonstrating the organization's ability to recover * providing motivation for maintaining and updating the plan After testing procedures have been developed, an initial test of the plan should be performed. This test should be done in sections, by each operating unit operating unit A type of operating company that engages in transactions with outsiders and that is owned by another business. For example, in 1995 the stockholders of Capital Cities/ABC approved a $19 billion merger with the Walt Disney Company, whereupon and after normal business hours BUSINESS HOURS. The time of the day during which business is transacted. In respect to the time of presentment and demand of bills and notes, business hours generally range through the whole day down to the hours of rest in the evening, except when the paper is payable it a bank or by a , to minimize disruptions to the overall operation of the company. Recovery and Salvage Processes The disaster has happened. What now? If the event occurs when people are in the building, the first concern will be for the safety of the individuals inside. Practice drills should be conducted on a regular basis to reduce panic during the real event. Escape routes and procedures for evacuating the building should be presented to all personnel and visitors. The following are recommended steps for an effective recovery operation: Step 1: Assess the Damage The first step immediately following a disaster is to assess the type and extent of the damage. Once an accurate assessment has been made, salvaging operations may proceed based on the priorities established in the plan. The basic objective of salvage and recovery operations Operations conducted to search for, locate, identify, rescue, and return personnel, sensitive equipment, or items critical to national security. is to stabilize the condition of the records before and after removing them from the disaster area by creating the necessary environment to prevent future damage. Questions that should be answered include: * How much damage has occurred? * What kind of damage is it? (fire, smoke, soot soot, black or dull brown deposit of fine powder resulting from incomplete combustion of fuel of high carbon content, e.g., coal, wood, and oil. It consists chiefly of amorphous carbon and tarry substances that cause it to adhere to surfaces. , clean or dirty water, heat, humidity?) * Is it confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to one area or is the entire building affected? * What types of materials have been damaged? Are the records vital, important, or non-records? * Are the containers holding the records damaged? Will it require help to remove the records? * Can internal staff salvage the records, or will outside resources be required? * Has contact been made with the insurance carrier and supply sources? Step 2: Stabilize the Environment Mold grows in 48 hours or less. Paper starts sticking after 24 hours and warping after 48 hours. Microfilm and photograph emulsion emulsion: see colloid. emulsion Mixture of two or more liquids in which one is dispersed in the other as microscopic or ultramicroscopic droplets (see colloid). Emulsions are stabilized by agents (emulsifiers) that (e.g. begins to break down within 24 hours. Therefore, it is critical that the environment be stabilized as quickly as possible. The following equipment and supplies should be readily accessible to help with this task: * portable power generators (if backup power An additional power source that can be used in the event of power failure. See UPS and backup.  A Half Minute of Backup This roomful of lead acid batteries stands ready to drain itself entirely in less than a minute. is not available) * pumps to remove standing water * fans to circulate air * thermometers, hygrometers, and/or sling sling (sling) a bandage or suspensory for supporting a part. mandibular sling a structure suspending the mandible, formed by the medial pterygoid and masseter muscles and aiding in psychrometers to measure temperature and humidity * plastic sheeting to hold wet records and material and to protect dry materials * absorbent absorbent /ab·sor·bent/ (-sor´bent) 1. able to take in, or suck up and incorporate. 2. a tissue structure involved in absorption. 3. a substance that absorbs or promotes absorption. paper, such as newsprint newsprint low grade paper used for newspapers. Old newspapers are fed to cattle as an alternative roughage and may occasionally be ingested by dogs. Significant amounts of lead are accumulated in tissues; no cases of poisoning have been recorded in cattle, though it has been paper, paper towels, or wax paper Step 3: Activate the In-house Recovery Team Organize the work crews. Be sure procedures are understood by all members and that responsibilities are clearly defined. Plan for frequent rest breaks; food and beverages F&B is a common abbreviation in the United States and Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong. F&B is typically the widely accepted abbreviation for "Food and Beverage," which is the sector/industry that specializes in the conceptualization, the making of, and delivery of foods. should be available. Step 4: Restore the Area After the plan has been activated, the initial problems handled, and people are safe, the area must be cleaned. Fungicides This page aims to list well-known chemical compounds, to stimulate the creation of Wikipedia articles. This list is not necessarily complete or up to date – if you see an article that should be here but isn't (or one that shouldn't be here but is), please update the page and other chemicals should be used by professionals. Other Recovery Considerations In most scenarios, an organization's staff will not participate in the actual recovery process. Many processes require the use of hazardous and dangerous chemicals or knowledge of detailed salvage methods. However, internal staff should know how to act quickly and effectively in obtaining outside help and supplies. In small, localized disasters, knowledge of recovery techniques and being able to complete simple recovery steps may be all that is required to save the records, information, or equipment. There are restoration companies that can assist with the technical and dangerous recovery processes and activities. Knowing who they are and possibly having written agreements with them will be particularly crucial in times of widespread disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, when many organizations will be seeking help. Disaster planning involves more than offsite storage or backup processing. Written disaster/emergency plans must address all the critical business operations Business operations are those activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders. Compare business processes. The outcome of business operations is the harvesting of value from assets and functions. It must include methodologies for protecting and recovering both hardcopy and electronic information and records. It must provide information on the organization's non-information--its equipment, supplies, security systems, forms, and checks. It must include documented and tested procedures and methods to update and revise the plan. No organization is immune from disasters. A disaster plan, however, like insurance, provides a measure of protection. It gives the organization a road map or path to follow and provides a tool to make decisions under stress-decisions that sometimes are life-or-death. Above all, when the unplanned emergency happens or disaster occurs, an effective disaster plan will help you and your organization return to business-as-usual as soon as possible.
Potential Types of Exposure
Natural Threats Technical and Human Activities
and Hazards Mechanical Hazards and Threats
Fire Power outage/failure Computer error
Flood Gas leak Lost or misfiled
documents/records
Hurricane Software failure/
malfunction Vandalism
Earthquake Sewage failure/backup Theft
Lightning
strike Building structural
failure Bomb threat
Tornado, wind
storm Electrical shortage/
faulty wiring Civil disorder
Snow and ice
storms Toxic spill Strikes
Wind Radiation contamination Kidnapping
Tidal wave Loss of physical access
to resources Terrorism
Typhoon Biological contamination Sabotage
Mold and mildew Train derailment/
airplane crash Loss of key personnel
Insects and
rodents Epidemic
References ARMA International. Vital Records: Identifying, Managing, and Recovering Business-Critical Records (ANSI/ARMA 5-2003). Lenexa, Kansas Lenexa is a city in the central part of Johnson County, located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The population was estimated to be 43,434 in the year 2005.[] It is the fourth most populous city in the county. : ARMA International, 2003. Commonwealth Films Inc. Ready for Anything: Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Preparedness. Boston: Commonwealth Films, 2002 (videocassette A removable magnetic tape module for storing video data. The cassette contains supply and takeup reel (hubs) in the same housing. See VCR. ). Disaster Preparedness Seminar Proceedings--1991. Atlanta: Southeastern Museums Conference. Pamela Meister, Editor. Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical . An Integrated Approach to Natural Hazard Mitigation. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1995. Fortson, Judith. Disaster Planning and Recovery: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians and Archivists (How-To-Do-It Manuals for Libraries, No. 21). Neal-Schuman Publishers: New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , 1992. Jones, Virginia A. and Kris E. Keyes. Emergency Management for Records and Information Programs. ARMA International: Lenexa, Kansas, 2001. Jones, Willie M. "Trial by Tornado." InfoPro. March 2000. Myers, Kenneth N. Manager's Guide to Total Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations. New York: John Wiley John Wiley may refer to:
National Archives National Archives, official depository for records of the U.S. federal government, established in 1934 by an act of Congress. Although displeasure concerning the method of keeping national records was voiced in Congress as early as 1810, the United States continued and Records Administration. Vital Records and Records Disaster Mitigation and Recovery College Park, Maryland College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 24,657 at the 2000 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S. : National Archives and Records Administration, 1996. Robek, Mary F., Gerald F. Brown, and David O. Stephens. Information and Records Management: Document-Based Information Systems, 4th Edition. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1995. Stremple, Rosalie and Michael F Martone. "Disasters Come in All Sizes." InfoPro. March 2000. Tiogo, Jon William. Disaster Recovery Planning: Managing Risk and Catastrophe in Information Systems. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,322. The borough houses the world headquarters of CNBC and the American headquarters of Unilever. : Yourdon Press, 1989. READ MORE ABOUT IT Contingency Planning & Management Magazine. Flemington, New Jersey Flemington is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,201. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County. : Witter witter Verb Chiefly Brit informal to chatter or babble pointlessly or at unnecessary length [origin unknown] witter verb chatter, chat, rabbit (on) Publishing Corp. Available at www.contingencyplanning.com (accessed 1 April 2003). Disaster Recovery Journal, The St. Louis: Disaster Recovery Institute. Available at www.drj.com (accessed 1 April 2003). Lewis, Steven. Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages, 12th Edition. Newton, MA: The Systems Audit Group, 2003. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration has a library of preparation and prevention publications that can be downloaded free from www.fema.gov/library/prepandprev.shtm (accessed 1 April 2003). To locate disaster recovery services and products, consult ARMA's Records and Information Management Buyer's Guide or purchase the Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages, 12th Edition, through the ARMA online bookstore, both at www.arma.org. RELATED ARTICLE: Sample outline of a disaster/contingency plan.
1 Introducton
A. Policy Statement
B. Purpose
C. Overview
1. Definitions
2. Scope
3. Objectives
4. Structure of plan
D. Planning Process Description (use of flow chart)
E. Organization Documents
1. Organization description
2. Security/backup systems
3. Floor plans of electrical, water, exits
4. Insurance documents
5. Resource lists/contracts
a. Equipment vendors
b. Water-related recovery
c. Supply/forms/blank checks
d. Storage companies
6. Organization inventory
7. Vital records listing
8. Locations of operating procedures
9. Distribution of the plan
10. Maintenance of the plan
F. Testing/Training
1. Program description
2. Types of tests
3. Testing frequency/schedules
2 Risk assessment
A. Description
B. Detailed risk assessments
C. Results
3 Event Descriptions/Procedures
A. Level One/Category One
B. Level Two
C. Level Three
D. Level Four
E. Level Five
4 Team Responsibilitities/Organization
A. General
B. Management
C. Logistics
D. Users
E. Records and Information Systems (computers)
5 Restoration Procedures
A. Specific procedures for handling each type of probable
disaster
B. Equipment and supply lists with phone numbers
6 Auditing Procedures
Barb Rike, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. , is a consultant with BRike Consulting in Richardson, Texas Richardson is a suburb in Dallas County and Collin County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 91,803, while according to a 2006 estimate, the population had grown to 99,200. . She may be contacted at Barbr28@hotmail.com. |
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