Public and private sector participants attended a one-day workshop on Tuesday this week, which looked at business continuity plans to deliver services to the community despite disruptions caused by any given event. The workshop had as its theme: “Protection against Disruption, Preparing for Continuity.”
Director of Disaster Management, Melissa Meade, whose department held the workshop, defined “Business Continuity” as a process of planning to ensure that an organisation can survive an event that causes interruption to normal business functions.
“Are you aware of what the critical processes are for your department or organisation to continue to function?” she asked the participants, and continued: “This knowledge helps to reduce revenue loss, data loss, loss of service and maintain a good reputation…If a disaster were to occur tomorrow, during normal operations, would you know what to do? If yes, how well do you think your department or business will respond?
“In this age we are living in, continuity of services is expected and should be provided. As a customer, I should not be impacted because you are not prepared.”
Deputy Governor, Stanley Reid, who has responsibility for disaster management, explained that the workshop was part of “an ongoing process of building and embedding a continuity culture in Anguillian organisations.”
Mr. Reid continued: “Business Continuity Plans are designed to ensure that services and products are continuously available to customers. The inability to deliver critical services and products, at appropriate times, can result in severe consequences and therefore we should take steps to safeguard against such an eventuality. It is of course best that we take steps during periods of calm.
“A Business Continuity Plan, when used effectively, allows establishments to not only moderate risk, but to also continuously deliver products and services despite disruption. This is an ideal that we can establish in Anguilla if we all contribute to that effort. We must prepare for the possibility of a disruptive event rather than relying on the hope that the odds are against a disruptive event occurring.”
The Deputy Governor stressed that persons who manage and work in Government and NGO organisations should be motivated to focus on business continuity plans to ensure continuous service by protecting against disruption. He pointed out that the proactive steps towards business continuity would have its return benefits. “This proactive attitude will serve to elevate an organisation in the eyes of existing and potential customers, employees, shareholders and investors,” he said. He noted that such persons would welcome continuous service even in the face of a disaster.
Mr. Reid emphasised, however, that the creation of a Business Continuity Plan was not enough. “After the creation of the plan we must engage in regular training as this is essential to ensuring the effectiveness of a Business Continuity Plan,” he advised. “Staff members must be conversant with the contents of the Business Continuity Plan and must be aware of their individual responsibilities. Exercises must then be carried out to determine the effectiveness of training. Plans must be refined and improved as necessary.”
There were three presentations during the main sessions of the workshop. Two of them were delivered by Damian Barker of the Department of Disaster Management. The other was given by John Rickards, Chief Engineer of NCDS National Commercial Data Services Ltd (NDCS) an Information Systems & Technology company operated by the Anguilla National Bank and the Caribbean Commercial Bank.
The workshop, which included a series of discussions and activities, ended at 3.00 pm with the Vote of Thanks by Nishara Payne.
