Business Continuity and Contingency Planning

Business continuity and contingency planning awareness is just as important as the plan being made in the first place. The purpose of an awareness program is to raise the level of awareness of an employee’s role before, during and after an event.

It is important to emphasize preparation, mitigation and personnel safety. By making employees more aware and involving them, you are making employees champions of business functions and company assets, as well as their own assets. But that’s not all.

An awareness program can also be used to establish a baseline of your organization’s awareness against which to measure the effectiveness of awareness efforts and to garner ongoing management support.

Business continuity and contingency planning – awareness

It is important to make use of all communications channels to get the messages across, particularly early in  the cycle of Business continuity and contingency planning. Use the organization’s newsletters, Intranet site, posters, theme and team meetings, and seminars.

Aim the communication at the specific needs and wants of each target group. For example, a presentation to computer operators, stressing the benefits of lower management costs, and increased business availability, may be less likely to inspire them than the idea that they will have the chance to gain new skills and opportunities, or that they will be supported by the latest advanced management technology so that they spend less time trying to get the systems up with inadequate tools.