SunGard and ICM have both issued statements covering their policies for continued service during a pandemic.

SunGard Availability Services states that all locations worldwide are operating normally and have entered a ‘heightened awareness’ phase.

SunGard has a tested, functional Pandemic Action Plan as part of its internal business continuity management plans. The Pandemic Action Plan includes specific, pre-planned actions at various stages of alert and is connected to the WHO, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and national governments’ stages of pandemic response.

“We continue to monitor the status of the swine flu outbreak,” said Stephen Buckus, vice president, operations - recovery services at SunGard Availability Services. “We are providing information to customers about the situation and are preparing for possible scenarios. SunGard will keep customers informed of any significant changes in our preparations or actions to deal with this issue.”

To help customers and other interested parties, SunGard has created a Pandemic Planning landing page on its website with information on response planning. The page can be accessed here.

ICM states that its pandemic plans are being put into action, although its plans are, understandably, focussed extensively on the impacts being felt in the UK. The UK pandemic response plans, available on the Department of Health website, make it clear that the intention is maintain as much ‘business as usual’ as far as is possible. In line with that, ICM intends to respond to circumstances in a measured and proportionate way.

At present ICM continues to offer full services including scheduling and undertaking rehearsals. ICM will advise when and if it is deemed appropriate to reduce the risk of the spread of any infection by, for example, limiting rehearsals.

ICM is drawing customers’ attention to The Recovery Site Providers Statement of Intent which was drawn up in 2007 when the
Financial Tripartite Authorities met with the four major business continuity recovery site providers, ICM, IBM, HP and SunGard, to provide clarity as to how they might respond to a pandemic. This is reproduced verbatim below.

ICM says that “customers are encouraged to examine the Statement of Intent and their contracts to check that they have the cover that they need and to discuss with their ICM account managers any areas of uncertainty.”

Recovery Site Providers' Statement of Intent published on 26 November 2007

Introduction

Seventy major organisations participated in the UK Financial Sector Market Wide Exercise on pandemic over a six week period. One of the key issues that arose was uncertainty about the impact of a pandemic on the service that UK Business Continuity Providers would provide. The Tripartite authorities [Financial Services Authority, Bank of England and Her Majesty's Treasury] have worked since the exercise with HP, IBM, ICM and SunGard and consulted with the BCI to draft the following high level statement which applies to all, not just financial sector customers. As the document states, you are encouraged to speak with your provider on matters of detail.

Supplier Statement on Business Continuity Services relating to a Pandemic

Given the specific challenges raised by a potential Global Pandemic, the undersigned UK Business Continuity Providers1 have been asked to issue a joint statement of clarification of their approach and capabilities in respect of a pandemic event affecting their customers.

Firstly, all the undersigned BC Providers can confirm that it is not their intention to limit, or reduce, the ability of its subscribing contracted customers to utilise its contracted services for the purpose intended. A pandemic event does raise areas that require clarification in advance both in respect of contracted rights, obligation and capability to deliver services. This statement seeks to provide that clarification.

Contracted Rights – Syndicated Services

The basis of Syndicated BC Services is for the BC Provider to provide replacement equipment, facilities and expertise on a shared basis in the event that a contracting customer suffers a loss of their own.

Whether contracted on a first come first served, or equitable share, it is accepted that these facilities are shared amongst a number of customers and the rights of the overall customers subscribing need to be protected on an equal basis.

- In the event that a customer expects to be, or is actually impacted by a pandemic, but still has full and free access to its own site and facilities, this would not be a circumstance under which the contracted BC services should be called upon.

- However, if as a consequence of a government/health service edict, such as an isolation cordon around the customer's own location, the facility becomes inaccessible, then the customer would be able to call upon the BC services.

- Furthermore, during the pandemic, should the customer suffer a non-pandemic related loss of the site or facilities, (a ‘traditional incident’), then the customer could call upon the BC services as would be the case in a non-pandemic environment.

Contracted Rights – Dedicated Services

The basis of dedicated BC services is for the supplier to provide services only to a single customer.

- In the event that a customer expects to be, or is actually impacted by a pandemic, but still has full and free access to its own site and facilities, the customer may utilise the dedicated BC Provider’s services according to their contract subject to the capability of the BC Provider to provide support (see Providers Capabilities).

- All other circumstances in respect of use apply to the dedicated services as detailed within the Syndicated Services section above.

Contracted Rights – Service Testing

In the event of increased local Pandemic threat, then in order to reduce the chance of infection, the BC Provider may defer any pre-arranged testing that would involve human contact.

Provider Capabilities – Pandemic Impact

Regardless of the contracted position in relation to service delivery it would have to be assumed that the BC Provider may also be subject to the Pandemic. In this respect no BC Provider can absolutely guarantee that any service, including dedicated services would be available. In all circumstances a BC Provider’s obligation to the Health and Safety of its own and customers' staff will be paramount in judging whether or not it is able to deliver a contracted service at the location planned.

Some of the issues that would hinder or prevent service delivery are:

Affected staff

BC Providers are subject to the same potential impacts on staff availability as any business impacted by a pandemic. Where the BC Provider is supporting many recovery centres and national locations their key staff are similarly spread across the country. Whilst this provides the safeguard of not having key staff concentrated in any one area there remains the possibility for localised staffing problems for individual locations. Alternative sites still remain available.

Ability to instruct or ‘force’ staff to deliver a Service

A BC Provider cannot compel its staff to work. By maintaining strong Health and Safety structures, by involving staff in all strategic pandemic planning and by ensuring that staff welfare is seen to be the primary concern of employer, the BC Provider aims to maintain the goodwill and assistance of its very dedicated staff. Notwithstanding, if a member of staff refuses to work as a consequence of a perceived risk then this could result in a service not being delivered.

Ability to secure building

During invocations and testing the majority of staff in a Recovery Centre are invariably customer employees. Any pandemic impacts on the BC Provider staff and customer staff sharing a facility will need to be handled in partnership and in some circumstances, it may become appropriate for security and some building management responsibilities to pass to the client, particularly in the context of Dedicated Services. However, if a building cannot be secured then this could result in a service not being delivered.

Site Maintenance

As Pandemics develop there may be opportunities for BC Providers to consider methods by which customers would be capable of being more self sufficient within BC Provider facilities. Power systems, air conditioning, telephony and fire systems are examples of areas that could be explored. BC Providers are preparing their facilities to minimise their reliance on highly trained maintenance staff to maximise service flexibility and availability. Once again, a critical failure that cannot be supported due to lack of maintenance staff could result in a service becoming undeliverable or severely impacted.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are used for various support services including cleaning, security and maintenance. BC Providers are vulnerable to those Subcontractors being unable to deliver normal services during a pandemic. BC Providers regularly review all key Subcontractors for their own pandemic planning and will also ensure that reliance on sub-contracts is kept as low as is practicable. Notwithstanding and as highlighted above under Site Maintenance, this could result in a service becoming unavailable or severely impacted.

Insurance

Current insurance arrangements are in place with clear responsibilities on the BC Providers to manage the insured facilities. Where customers accept additional responsibilities for those facilities outside those that would normally be the case, insurance cover will need to be maintained. Thus the involvement and support of facility Insurers will be key to providing continuance of the services in those circumstances where the BC Providers are not available.

Joint Corporate/Social Responsibility – Cross Infection

The nature of an influenza pandemic means that the risk of person to person cross infection whilst using BC Provider facilities cannot be eliminated. The BC Provider, their customers and their Subcontractors share a corporate/social responsibility to minimise any additional risk of cross infection to, or from, their own personnel attending the BC Provider facilities. The BC Provider expects that all stakeholders in the delivery, functionality and use of the BC Provider’s facilities and services will adopt best practice and adhere, where practical, to all Government and Agency advice in order to limit the spread of the disease and the threat to human life.

Whilst the BC Provider may put some resources in place at its facilities to limit the risk of cross infection for its own and key Subcontractor personnel, such as masks and alcohol-based cleansing gels, it will expect customers to make their own provision in the event of an invocation. The BC Provider will expect all stakeholder personnel attending its facilities to understand and adhere to its Health and Safety practices, which may be different during a pandemic. Individuals failing to comply with the BC Provider's Health and Safety requirements may be denied access or required to leave the facility.

Customers are encouraged to speak to their BC Providers to understand how Health and Safety practices might change during a pandemic and what they need to do as part of their own pandemic planning to prepare for this eventuality.

Summary

In summary, the BC Providers have provided this statement to increase clarity and encourage further discussion. They are in continual discussion with customers and other stakeholders, such as insurance companies and business regulators, to provide for the common understanding and common ground needed to work together through the combined misfortune of a national pandemic and an invocable interruption to a customer's business. Customers are strongly encouraged to maintain a dialogue with their BC Providers and work on plans to facilitate the implementation of any or all of the potential options for contingency in a pandemic as presented in this Provider Statement.

As further clarity is given from many of the consultation events being conducted both within the business continuity and general business forums then the BC Providers will seek to incorporate best practice within their approach.

A resilient economy and resilient community continues to be the aim of Government and Business and the BC Providers play a pivotal role in achieving this aim.

•Date: 6th May 2009• Region: UK/US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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