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In many agencies, recovery
planning is assigned as a sub-function of another full-time
position within the organization. However, assignment
of the duties is significant because of the function’s
unique and critical nature. The function crosses organizational
and budgetary lines. It combines business and technical
information roles and responsibilities and is critical
to the continuation of the agency’s mission.
Assignment of business recovery responsibility includes
authority from the agency head to act as a liaison between
program management and technical management for the
purpose of recovery planning. The function should be
positioned on the agency organization chart with direct
access to the executive office, as is the internal auditor.
Planning as a full-time assignment may be justified,
depending on the size and complexity of the organization,
and the importance of the agency’s mission to
the state. The primary focus of the business recovery
coordinator is to oversee a viable and tested business
recovery plan that demonstrates to management the agency’s
ability to continue critical business functions following
a disruption of services. Maintenance of the plan is
ongoing, reflecting changes in the agency and its mission.
Testing is conducted regularly to ensure the viability
of the plan. Training also occurs on a regular basis
to assure agency-wide awareness of the business recovery
function.
Typically, the business recovery coordinator
- Coordinates the planning activities of team members.
- Develops an initial budget and informs senior
management of any changes.
- Oversees the identification and review of critical
tasks that are essential during recovery, based
on input from program and technical management in
the business impact analysis process.
- Establishes an ongoing training program to promote
agency-wide awareness of the recovery function.
- Establishes a timetable for regular review and
updating of plans, resources, and procedures to
ensure that changes to critical procedures, functions,
and documentation are reflected in the plan.
- Coordinates monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and
annual testing of the plan as needed, reporting
results to management.
- Establishes a standards program that ensures changes
to critical procedures, functions, and documentation
are reflected in the plan. Assures that contact
is maintained with all personnel as necessary to
keep recovery support considerations current.
- Maintains contact with vendors to assure support
during a recovery effort.
- Acts as a liaison for contingency planning issues
between information resources and other business
units, including auditing.
- Meets regularly with recovery teams to review
responsibilities required during a recovery effort.
- Maintains contact with city, county, state, and
federal emergency organizations that may be involved
during a recovery effort.
- Provides input, support, and coordination to other
departmental areas for projects that relate to contingency
planning (e.g., updating documentation, creating
procedures, evaluating security systems).
- Researches, evaluates, and recommends internal
and external solutions to business recovery problems.
- Maintains contracts for alternate facilities and/or
services.
- Provides input for performance reviews of contingency
planning staff. The recovery coordinator’s
role is coordination with and among program and
technical managers. These managers implement and
carry out the recovery.
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