Organizational Relationships in Disaster Recovery Chapter 6

You Will Learn How To… Identify organizations to work with during a disaster Develop procedures for working with public service providers Create procedures for working with insurance companies Develop procedures for working with private service providers Create procedures for working with the business arena Communicate with the media Communicate with stakeholders

Identifying Organizations to Work with During a Disaster Members of the disaster response and communications teams must contact numerous people and organizations in a disaster The disaster recovery planning team needs to develop lists and procedures for establishing these communications Required contacts vary by organization, and depend on the disaster’s severity and specific disaster recovery needs

Identifying Organizations to Work with During a Disaster Local emergency services Local law enforcement Insurance companies Disaster recovery service providers Telecommunications service providers IT service providers Public utilities IT equipment providers and software companies Business partners Suppliers Customers Stakeholders Organizations in the local community

Disaster Response Contact Sheet The disaster response team must Quickly determine the extent of the disaster, and the expected duration of system downtime or facility closure Develop contact instructions for the preceding organizations alternate telephone and fax numbers the names of disaster recovery liaisons other information to assist in recovery Determines which organizations to contact, and then includes this information in the disaster recovery plan

Disaster Response Contact Sheet Trained teams of disaster response workers are responsible for making contacts The response team should report all communications with other organizations in a disaster response activity log The team should also complete a disaster response contact sheet for each contact it makes Disaster response contact sheets can be useful for evaluating the response of service organizations, as well as the effectiveness of the disaster recovery plan and procedures

Disaster Response Contact Sheet

Working with Public Service Providers An organization works with several local agencies during disaster response and recovery, including Emergency services Utilities Public works organizations One of the first series of necessary contacts is with local emergency services and law enforcement agencies The disaster recovery planning team must develop thorough procedures for contacting the proper organizations and agencies quickly

Emergency Response Organizations Ambulance and emergency medical services Fire and police departments Hazardous material response teams Regional and local disaster agencies Vehicle removal and debris removal services Building maintenance and construction contractors

Developing Procedures for Working with Emergency Services The need for emergency service varies based on the disaster The possibility of physical injury and death requires ambulances and emergency medical services The scope and intensity of a disaster may require a wide range of emergency response, including Firefighters Police Contractors to remove debris or damaged vehicles To effectively use emergency services, contact procedures that enable rapid response must be developed

Checklist for Emergency Service Contact Procedures

Procedures for Working with Public Utilities and Departments Disaster recovery often requires working with public utilities To temporarily cut off services for safety reasons To restore them for normal operations Public utilities are generally well-equipped and experienced when it comes to dealing with disasters

Procedures for Working with Public Utilities and Departments An organization may need recovery assistance from public utilities or Public Works departments in the following areas: Electric and gas power Water and sewer services Telephone lines Steam service Waste removal Road and highway maintenance and repair Forestry services Recycling services Environmental protection services Flood control services Animal control and protection Building inspection services Occupancy and use permits

Checklist for Working with Public Utilities and Departments

Creating Procedures for Working with Insurance Companies Once disaster response begins the organization must contact its insurance companies The insurance and damage assessment team assembles information to provide to insurance carriers The speed with which an organization initiates insurance claims makes a large difference in its ability to recover from a disaster Some insurance policies may cover an emergency operations center or temporary facilities if needed Insurance may cover debris removal or emergency construction services It is important to consult with insurance companies while developing recovery plans and procedures to ensure successful insurance claims

Checklist for Insurance Company Contact Procedures

Procedures for Working with Private Service Providers An organization works with many types of private service companies and equipment vendors during disaster response and recovery Some of these companies can provide specialized recovery services Services are needed from a variety of contractors, telecommunications providers, IT service organizations, IT equipment suppliers, and software companies

Disaster Recovery Service Providers Plumbing contractors Heating and air conditioning contractors Roofing contractors Electrical contractors General construction contractors Water removal specialists Hazardous material specialists Tree removal contractors Waste removal services Records restoration specialists

Setting Priorities The disaster recovery planning team determines The necessity for restoring particular facilities to operable conditions The priority in which they should be restored After setting these priorities, the planning team develops disaster recovery procedures to restore the facilities accordingly

Checklist for Contacting Disaster Recovery Providers

Working with Telecommunications Service Providers A disaster could affect the following types of telecommunications: Voice services Call center services Fax lines Data communications lines Electronic data interchange (EDI) systems Internet connections Web-based services and Web sites Toll-free customer service lines Voice mail E-mail services Access for remote workers, field staff, and regional offices

Working with Telecommunications Service Providers To maintain critical telecommunications services during a disaster, an organization should develop recovery procedures to Ensure that services can be restored as quickly as possible, or Rerouted to an alternate location if a facility is unusable The priorities set by the disaster recovery planning team dictate which communications systems are most important to the organization’s key business processes Individual recovery procedures are required for each telecommunications service that an organization uses

Working with Telecommunication Service Providers

Developing Procedures for Working with IT Service Providers Most organizations cannot operate for very long without access to their computer systems The disaster recovery planning team Decides which systems are most critical to support business operations Determines what recovery procedures are required to restore these systems as quickly as possible in a disaster

Types of Computer Systems Affected in a Disaster Enterprise systems that support business operations Servers that provide specialized business or manufacturing functions Servers that support supply-chain applications Workstations used in research and development Desktop systems that support office workers Web servers that support e-commerce applications

Developing Procedures for Working with IT Service Providers Some systems might be supported by IT service providers or set up for restoration through a hot site A hot site provides replicated computing environments Procedures are necessary for activating backup computer facilities and emergency computer services A variety of hot site services are available The basic service is usually a replicated environment in a data center This allows organizations to bring their computer systems back online quickly at a safe location

Checklist for IT Service Recovery Procedures

IT Equipment Providers and Software Companies When developing procedures to restore computer systems and services, organizations must address the following concerns: The processes to move computer services to hot sites The staff needed to report to hot sites and maintain operations How a disaster may affect the need for equipment maintenance services How a disaster may affect the scope of software license use How using a hot site for computer support affects the cost of software licenses How IT equipment providers and software companies can assist in recovery

IT Equipment Providers and Software Companies

Creating Procedures for Working with the Business Arena An organization has many business relationships that it must address during disaster response and recovery Organizations must also develop strategies for contacting and working with the many suppliers and service providers that make business operations possible Above all, organizations must communicate with customers and assure them that transactions, deliveries, and relationships will continue to run smoothly Contemporary business etiquette dictates that organizations maintain good relationships with business partners, suppliers, and customers by keeping in touch during a disaster

Developing Procedures for Working with Business Partners Organizations can have important economic relationships with a variety of business partners A disaster can affect the operations of these partners, which include Value-added resellers (VARs) Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Distributors Licensed resellers Franchised operations The planning team needs to develop recovery procedures for contacting and working with business partners to help mitigate the impact of a disaster

Checklist for Contacting and Working with Business Partners

Working with Suppliers and Business Service Providers Organizations depend on their relationships with suppliers and service providers Suppliers include organizations that provide raw materials, parts used in manufacturing, and consumable items that support business operations Service providers include assembly contractors, testing contractors, logistics organizations, building cleaning services, and exterior maintenance services A disaster can damage supplier operations and result in a surfeit of materials arriving at an unusable facility

Working with Suppliers and Business Service Providers

Developing Procedures for Working with Customers Organizations rely heavily on their relationships with customers

Communicating with the Media A disaster often results in extensive media coverage An organization’s dealings with the media during a disaster can reflect its management philosophy, and open communication is often interpreted as a mark of good citizenship The disaster recovery plan should Include procedures for the organization’s external communications Designate an official media spokesperson to disseminate management-approved information All media inquiries should be referred to the spokesperson

Communicating with the Media All statements to the media must be consistent Shareholders, investors, employees, and their families will see television and newspaper reports about the disaster, and everyone will have private concerns Consistent statements help to ease these worries Inconsistent information supplied by executives, media spokespersons, and employees can only heighten concerns and intensify uncertainty The official spokesperson should have a background in working with the media Before top executives make statements to the media, they should seek assistance from the public relations staff

Checklist for Media Relations Procedures

Communicating with Stakeholders An organization has a wide variety of stakeholders A stakeholder is any person or organization that faces risks when disaster strikes a facility Stakeholders include investors, employees and their families, and the surrounding community, all of whom depend on the facility in some way The disaster recovery plan should include procedures for working with all stakeholders

Stockholder and Investor Relations Stockholders and investors naturally become concerned when one of their investments is affected by a disaster An organization must respond quickly To inform stockholders and investors about any damages To assure them that steps are being taken to minimize the damage and restore normal operations The primary goal of stockholder and investor relations during a disaster is maintaining their confidence Angry stockholders and investors can do considerable damage to an organization’s reputation if they publicly question or criticize how the disaster response team is handling recovery The Investor Relations Department should be the primary contacts for stockholder and investor inquiries

Checklist of Procedures for Stockholder and Investor Relations

Communicating with Employees If a facility must be evacuated, employees need to know what to do next If employees do not work on the disaster response team, they may not need to report at all for a period of time Communicating such information to employees makes disaster recovery efforts run more smoothly Employees can also face great stress after the disaster Because they may be uncertain of their future or Concern about co-workers who were affected by the disaster Employees deserve definitive and honest answers as quickly as possible

Checklist for Employee Communications Procedures

Communicating with Families of Employees An organization needs to communicate with families of employees and support them during a crisis When disasters strike, families become frightened, and sometimes they even panic Employees want to know that family members are kept informed of their health and safety The stress can hinder employees from focusing on recovery efforts

Communicating with Families of Employees If a crisis-counseling program is established for families of employees, it must be staffed with qualified and experienced counselors Department managers and supervisors Need to be sensitive and sympathetic to the needs of families during a disaster They should not attempt to provide counseling themselves

Procedures for Communicating with Families of Employees

Working with the Local Community All organizations have a complex set of relationships with their surrounding communities Local businesses have economic dependencies on a facility Disasters can create concerns about the future of their community An organization must be sympathetic in its relationships with businesses, institutions, schools, civic organizations, and the community at large

Checklist of Procedures for Working with the Local Community

Chapter Summary Members of the disaster response and communications teams must contact numerous people and organizations in a disaster When a disaster occurs, one of the first series of necessary contacts is with local emergency services and law enforcement agencies Once disaster response begins and dangerous circumstances have been addressed, the organization must contact its insurance companies To maintain critical telecommunications services during a disaster, An organization should develop recovery procedures to ensure that services can be restored as quickly as possible, or Rerouted to an alternate location if a facility is unusable

Chapter Summary An organization has many important economic relationships that it must address during disaster response and recovery The disaster recovery plan should include procedures for the organization’s external communications and designate an official media spokesperson A stakeholder is any person or organization that faces risks when disaster strikes a facility