Pandemic Flu Gap Analysis
With the outbreak of Swine Flu in April 2009 and the risk of a stronger strain and a higher impact pandemic in 2010, organisations are being forced to review their existing resilience plans; appoint deputies for key roles and implement new remote working strategies. Most organisations realise that disruption to critical services e.g. no access to email or the Internet can damage its ability to operate and undermine its reputation.
Business continuity management controls specifically written with regard to a flu pandemic outbreak ensure that your organisation’s processes are protected from disruption and that your workforce is able to respond positively and effectively should an incident occur. If you are currently unsure as to what impact a flu pandemic would have on your organisation, the following questions need to be considered:
- Has your organisation documented who its key personnel are for each department?
- What are your critical services?
- If key members of staff were off for a long period of time does your organisation know what impact this would have on your organisation’s critical service provision?
- What current alternative business continuity arrangements are in place should key personnel go off on long term sick?
- Who are your organisations key 3rd party service delivery providers?
- What would happen if these service providers halted operations or slowed service provision because they are affected by the pandemic?
- What are their current business continuity arrangements with regard to flu pandemic, if any?
- Do you have alternative arrangements should 3rd party service providers be affected?
- What current home working or remote working provisions does your organisation have in place?
- Which groups of staff would be able to work remotely and if they did what effect on business continuity would this have?
If your organisation cannot definitively answer these questions then Sapphire can provide a one day gap analysis geared specifically to the threat of a pandemic outbreak. Upon completion a current state report will be produced which will provide your organisation with the key tasks in order to improve business continuity resilience to the H1N1 influenza strain.
For more information about this Sapphire service line or any other services Sapphire offers please contact Sapphire on 0845 58 27001.
