It’s Disaster Awareness Week in New Zealand…
To help raise public awareness a series of activities are taking place during Disaster Awareness Week (8-14 October), which coincides with the United Nations’ International Disaster Reduction Day on 11th October. More information about regional activities can be found at www.civildefence.govt.nz The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management is offering the following advice about business continuity: (published verbatim) Whilst the Ministry is not engaged in risk management or business continuity consultancy, there are key messages that all businesses should understand prior to initiating or reviewing continuity planning arrangements: 1. It is not an option to be unprepared. Disasters do happen, but you can 'make the mess less' and hasten a return to normalcy through prior planning and committing to mitigation and preparedness activity. 2. Risk assessment must consider risks posed by external factors; particularly interdependencies or out-sourcing arrangements - 'look outside the fence'. 3. Business continuity must protect business assets - staff, equipment, facilities, IT systems, reputation, market-share, liquidity, etc. 4. Business continuity must protect external service, particularly in support of CDEM critical activity (such as emergency services and medical facilities) - Forecast and prioritise external demand before the event. 5. Planning can only be effective if developed co-operatively so that responsibilities and roles are clearly understood and assumptions validated. 6. Risk, asset, and emergency management or continuity planning processes must engage across an entire organisation, and be complete cycles from hazard assessment through to testing, review and feedback.
•Date: 11th October 2006• Region: New Zealand •Type: Article •Topic: BC general |
