Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan- Safeguarding Organizational Continuity and Resilience

Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan- Safeguarding Organizational Continuity and Resilience

In an organization, different activities and functionalities support the objectives of the company. The occurrence of a disaster can lead to the company not being able to achieve its objectives since the disaster paralyzes the company’s activities. To ensure that a company does not suffer prolonged instances without performing essential activities due to the occurrence of a disaster, the definition of a disaster recovery plan in the company is essential. A disaster recovery plan involves a definition that outlines the activities that a company should follow to resume the activities and functionalities that were affected by the disaster (Omar, Alijani, & Mason, 2011). A disaster recovery plan provides various benefits to an organization. Some of the benefits include mitigating the effects of disasters that occur in the company, providing the capability of recovering from the disaster, and reducing the disruptions that affect the essential activities of the company (Mohamed, 2014).

This document entails a succinct presentation of the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) for XYZ Corporation. It strategically aims to minimize operational and monetary impacts from a tragedy to promote the sustained running of the business. The outlined strategies involve process-level plans that encompass the most effective response measures after a catastrophe. This plan is well developed and structured to foster its comprehensibility among employees and other stakeholders. Such simplicity makes its implementation more convenient, especially during unplanned predicaments. Each party mentioned herein has unique roles and responsibilities in incident response and plan activation.  However, the document is prone to adjustments when the need arises to enhance the safety of systems and people. The disaster recovery team recommends the plan be tested twice per year to reinforce its success in the actual implementation (Wold, 2020). The below breakdown of the plan features the most critical aspects in disaster recovery as defined by industry compliance standards.

Roles and Responsibilities

The disaster recovery team is set to implement corrective operations to counter the circumstances immobilizing business. It is made up of cross-functional personnel to tap diversified specialties from different departments. The members will deliver the entrusted duties within the stipulated guidelines and time limit. Their dedication and coordination will greatly influence the recovery process in the long run. Roles and responsibilities will be assigned depending on the level of seniority, with the crisis manager and facility security manager occupying the upper tier. The hierarchy trickles down to the less demanding tasks, making the entire plan more realistic. The table below provides a detailed overview of the selected roles and responsibilities.

Name	Contact Information	Roles and Responsibilities
Crisis Manager	bobbycollymore7@gmail.com	-Contact the insurance provider. -Holds power in the overall recovery decisions.
Recovery Management Team	susancole@gmail.com	Authorized by the crisis manager to enforce recovery in all functional areas (Soni, 2020).
Physical Plant Manager	eliaskan38@gmail.com	Caters to the reinstatement of basic utilities, including electricity and water.
IT Manager	Chriskelly5@gmail.com	Attends to IT systems and ensures their operations run smoothly.
Media Relations Manager	hildahades@gmail.com	Creates a connection with mainstream media amidst the recovery efforts.
Vendor Manager	erickblissw@gmail.com	Connects with contractors to ensure there is a constant supply of the required goods and services.
Facility Security Manager	higginskg@gmail.com	-Secure the premises from unauthorized access and maintain the facility’s surveillance. -Establish and maintain communication with the government (Moşteanu & Roxana, 2020).
Customer Service Manager	amadawailers33@gmail.com	Keep in contact with the clients and reinstate their services as soon as possible.
Human Resource Manager	calebkress@gmail.com	Oversees personal policies, relocates the workforce, and prepares layoff programs.
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Manager	mustafadrake9@gmail.com	-Implement safety programs to safeguard workers from illnesses and injuries. -Provide disaster integrity recovery training and tests.
Critical Operations Support Staff	elisabailly@gmail.com	These are employees who are deemed crucial to the company’s operation, and they will work as a team to support business continuity.
Security Office		Receive emergency alerts.

Incident Response

It is imperative to acknowledge that disasters can materialize at the workplace in various categories, including but not limited to physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial (Sawalha, 2021). A well-detailed response plan will help counterattack the incidences and restore operations to the norm. Therefore, the below course of action will be implemented if the organization is facing an undefined predicament.

The first individuals to discover the disaster will contact the premises dispatch office – The ground security office will be expected to be available 24/7 to attend to the arising issues.

The ground security office will reference the call from the affected department and document the relevant information. – This step will facilitate the retrieval of details such caller’s details, the incident’s nature, and when the event was detected.

The subsequent step will be contacting the crisis manager or the incidence response manager – This will be accomplished through a phone call, message, or email. Other designated managers will also be contacted in the long run.

The contacted members will collectively discuss the best way forward – The deliberations will be conducted over the telephone to save time. The decision will be guided by various criteria, including the magnitude of the disaster, its impacts, its target, and whether it is still in progress (Muflihah & Apol, 2018).

Creation of an incident ticket – The ticket will be based on categories such as a threat to lives, systems, data, or services. The situation will also be gauged in terms of severity levels to classify whether it is low, medium, high, or extreme.

Plan Activation

Plan activation is extremely critical as it determines the overall effectiveness of the recovery efforts. Disasters do not allow sufficient time to figure out the most appropriate cause of action, and for this reason, this section is of great significance in the recovery plan. The orderly execution of the plan will follow four precise steps: react, respond, recover, and evaluate.

React – This phase will seek to recognize an event that is triggering the disaster. It will be acknowledged in readiness for the subsequent step.

Respond – This stage will involve the actual activation of DRP in response to the identified catastrophe.

Recover – This step will aim to reinstate operations to the track and facilitate full recovery from the disaster. It is the most critical step and encompasses a wide array of activities.

Evaluate – The team will then appraise the entire incidence as a strategic means of proactive preparation for a similar future predicament (Sawalha, 2021).

Plan activation will also involve several elements that ensure the program is comprehensive and applicable.

Activation criteria – This factor considers the impact, severity, and duration of the disaster.

Approval mechanism – Approval of the plan will be based on the line of business affected, management personnel, and other executives.

Activation logistics – It is imperative to ensure that the facilities required for plan activation are available and ready for execution.

Communication procedures – This element aims to inform other stakeholders about the decisions and conclusions pertaining to plan activation.

Document History

Documenting the entire event is very important for future reference. Some of the details to be highlighted include:

Assembly sites – This information will be used to evaluate the relevance of the specific locations in relation to calamities.

Nature of the disaster – Its magnitude is crucial in assessing the extent of imposed damage.

Actions taken – A detailed report of all the implemented recovery mechanisms will shed light on how well they served the event. They will later be evaluated and streamlined for better productivity in the future.

Problems encountered – The loopholes identified in the entire event should be surfaced and amended afterward.

Lessons learned – The key takeaways are vital in DRP to serve as examples for future use (Wold, 2020).

It is the sole responsibility of each team member to note down the major findings in the recovery process. The collective outcomes will then be channeled to the DRP coordinator for compilation and storage. The history should be detailed to capture finer details such as who and when each step was completed. The activity log will then be reviewed to establish the suitability of various individuals for their assigned positions.

Procedures

DRP procedures are the actual steps that will be invoked in response to the disaster. They go in hand with incident response and ensure that the business stabilizes once more in the shortest time possible. The section below highlights the key processes that will have to be observed.

Identify the plan triggering events – The DRP will only be activated under specific circumstances, including loss of a building, total loss of communication or power, and flooding of the workplace (Sawalha, 2021).

Gather at the assembly point – Having obtained an incident ticket, employees will be expected to gather at designated locations, namely the extreme end of the parking lot or the fire assembly points. This move will enhance the coordination of all parties with fewer constraints.

Dispatch of Emergency Response Team (ERT) – During this phase, the team will determine the specific elements of DRP that deserve to be invoked. Being specific ensures that only the major concerns are tackled for effective outcomes.

Dispatch of the Disaster Recovery Team (DRT) – This group will be tasked with reinstating the core services, coordinating with first responders, and reporting to ERT. Some of the stakeholders that fall under this category include the EHS manager.

Disaster recovery plan for management – The management will maintain a hard copy of each department’s employees’ names and contacts. They will also possess a copy of recovery and business continuity. These documents will make it easier to monitor their subordinates and obligations if the headquarters buildings are inaccessible.

Call upon the Backup staff – This party will go a long way in assisting the recovery plan in situations where a head figure is incapacitated or absent.

Establish and maintain updates – The involved staff will be provisioned with a hotline to record essential details concerning the tragedy.

Notify the family – In the event of casualties, relatives will be notified on time for follow-up.

Engage with the media – The media relations manager will observe post-disaster guidelines to evade adverse publicity when communicating with the media.

Follow up with insurance – The crisis manager will follow up with insurance providers to consider the aftermath and the potential compensation (Soni, 2020).

Conclusion

DRP plays an irreplaceable role in business continuity after a disaster. The program entails different sections, with each containing essential details applicable to recovery efforts. The roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined to avoid inconveniences for various stakeholders. The incident response seeks to address the situation and encompass crucial details that are usable by the response team. It is worth noting that a plan is just a blueprint, and for this reason, it has to be activated and put into practical use. The activation process is guided by several elements and observes a set of well-defined steps. Documenting the history is necessary for future reference, while the procedures offer step-by-step assistance on how to handle the situation. This DPR is very applicable to the XYZ corporation and might be used in the future whenever applicable. Every business needs to develop a recovery plan since most catastrophes are unforeseen.

References

Omar, A., Alijani, D., & Mason, R. (2011). Information technology disaster recovery plan: Case study. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 10(2), 127.

Mohamed, H. A. R. (2014). A proposed model for IT disaster recovery plan. International Journal of Modern Education & Computer Science, 6(4).

Moşteanu, D., & Roxana, N. (2020). Management of disaster and business continuity in a digital

World. International Journal of Management, 11(4).

Muflihah, Y., & Apol, P. S. (2018). A basic element of it business continuity plan:

systematic. Jurnal Informatika, 12(1).

Sawalha, I. H. (2021). Views on business continuity and disaster recovery. International Journal

of Emergency Services.

Soni, V. D. (2020). Disaster recovery planning: Untapped success factor in an

organization. Available at SSRN 3628630.

Wold. G. H, (2020). Disaster Recovery Planning Process. Disaster Recovery Plan Template.

Retrieved on 13^th August 2021 from: https://www.disasterrecoveryplantemplate.org/disaster-resilience/disaster-recovery-planning-process/

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Develop a disaster recovery plan for an organization. There are many different templates available online for you to use as reference and guidance. Your plan should cover the following sections (these sections detail the elements in a DR plan in the sequence defined by industry compliance standards ISO 27031 and ISO 24762):

Important: This section should summarize key action steps (such as where to assemble employees if forced to evacuate the building) and list key contacts with contact information for ease of authorizing and launching the plan.

Introduction
Roles and Responsibilities
Incident Response
Plan Activation
Document History
Procedures

Your paper should meet the following requirements:
Be approximately SIX TO EIGHT PAGES in length, not including the required cover page and reference page. (Remember, APA is double spaced)
Follow APA 7 guidelines. Your paper should include an introduction, a body with fully developed content, and a conclusion.
Support your answers with the readings from the course and at least four scholarly journal articles in addition to your textbook to support your positions, claims, and observations.
Be clearly and well-written, concise, and logical, using excellent grammar and style techniques. You are being graded in part on the quality of your writing.