Participants from various branches of the public and private sectors on Wednesday began attending a day-and-a-half Business Continuing Plan Workshop, related to disaster management, held at La Vue Boutique and Inn.
Director of Disaster Management, Melissa Meade, said it was the Fourth Annual Business Continuity Workshop. “We are here today to reinforce the need for business continuity plans at this aptly themed workshop – Building Business Resilience,” she told the participants.
“Business Continuity is simply activity performed by an organisation to ensure that critical business functions will be available to your users.”
She stated that the Department of Disaster Management, and the National Disaster Management Committee, felt that the workshop was an important undertaking to help build resilience or the strength of businesses to recover from the effects of disasters. “As such, a continuity plan should not be delayed as this may save the life of your business,” Ms Meade stressed.
Permanent Secretary, Finance, Foster Rogers, examined many of the difficulties that could be experienced by key business establishments due to a lack of a disaster continuity plan. He stated that such a plan was a central part of any response by an organisation. “A plan of that nature sets out how the business will operate following an incident, and how it expects to return to business as usual in the quickest possible time afterwards,” Mr Rogers added.
Sponsorship for the workshop was provided by the National Bank of Anguilla. Romeo Kelsick, speaking on behalf of the bank, said in part: “NBA is proud to be associated with the 2013 Business Continuity Workshop. NBA recognises the importance of uninterrupted business services to our community and country during a crisis. Consequently, NBA has partnered with the Department of Disaster Management in this workshop to ensure that awareness, preparedness and proper business continuity plans are developed and practiced among the businesses in the communities in which they serve.”
The workshop has come at a time when Anguilla continues to be alert during the current hurricane season.
