Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Strategies to Manage Disruptions
Business continuity planning requires departments to evaluate how essential functions would be impacted if key resources become unavailable. While every disruption is unique, many continuity challenges fall into common categories that can be planned for in advance.
The examples below are intended to help departments identify potential risks, consider operational impacts, and develop continuity strategies that support the continuation or restoration of essential functions.
Loss of workplace/facility
Description
A disruption that prevents personnel from accessing their normal workplace may significantly impact the department's ability to perform essential functions. Causes may include fire, flooding, severe weather, utility failures, hazardous material incidents, law enforcement activity, facility damage, or other events that render a building inaccessible.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- Can essential functions be performed remotely?
- Is alternate workspace available on campus?
- Can employees temporarily relocate to another building?
- What equipment, records, or resources would be required at an alternate location?
- How will employees be notified of relocation procedures?
Potential continuity strategies
- Remote work arrangements
- Alternate campus locations
- Shared workspace agreements
- Relocation of critical operations
- Mobile or temporary workstations
- Manual workarounds until access is restored
Loss of personnel
Description
Personnel disruptions may occur due to illness, injury, retirement, resignation, extended leave, severe weather, transportation issues, or other circumstances that reduce workforce availability.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- Which positions are essential to operations?
- Are critical duties documented?
- Is cross-training in place?
- Are alternates identified for key leadership positions?
- What functions would stop if a key employee became unavailable?
Potential continuity strategies
- Succession planning
- Cross-training
- Alternate staffing assignments
- Temporary duty reassignment
- Contract support
- Documentation of critical procedures
Loss of technology
Description
Technology disruptions may affect applications, networks, cloud services, communication systems, or cybersecurity infrastructure that support departmental operations.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- What systems are required to perform essential functions?
- Are manual workarounds available?
- What is the acceptable downtime for critical applications?
- How are backups maintained?
- What dependencies exist on Information Technology Services or third-party providers?
Potential continuity strategies
- Manual processing procedures
- Alternate communication methods
- Data backup and restoration
- Alternate applications or systems
- Coordination with Information Technology Services
- Cloud-based recovery solutions
Loss of utilities
Description
Utility disruptions may affect electricity, water, natural gas, telecommunications, HVAC systems, or other infrastructure required for normal operations.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- How long can operations continue without power?
- Are generators available?
- What functions depend on climate control?
- What services require internet or telecommunications?
- What manual workarounds are available?
Potential continuity strategies
- Relocation of operations
- Generator support
- Prioritization of essential functions
- Alternate communication methods
- Coordination with Facilities and Information Technology Services
- Temporary suspension of non-essential operations
Loss of Vendor or Supply Chain Support
Description
Many university operations rely on external vendors, contractors, suppliers, and service providers. Disruptions to these relationships may affect the department's ability to perform essential functions.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- Which vendors support essential operations?
- Are alternate vendors available?
- Are contracts current and accessible?
- What supplies are mission critical?
- What services would be impacted if a vendor became unavailable?
Potential continuity strategies
- Alternate vendor agreements
- Emergency purchasing procedures
- Stockpiling critical supplies
- Mutual support arrangements
- Contract contingency planning
- Prioritization of available resources
Cybersecurity incident
Description
Cybersecurity incidents may include ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, unauthorized access, denial-of-service attacks, data corruption, or other events affecting technology systems and information resources.
Planning considerations
Departments should consider:
- What systems are essential to operations?
- Are manual workarounds available?
- How long can operations continue without system access?
- What critical records or research may be affected?
- How will employees communicate if normal systems are unavailable?
Potential continuity strategies
- Manual business processes
- Alternate communication methods
- Coordination with Information Technology Services and Information Security personnel
- Restoration from backups
- Alternate service delivery methods
- Prioritization of critical functions until systems are restored
The examples provided are intended to support departmental continuity planning efforts and are not all-inclusive. Departments should identify risks, dependencies, and recovery strategies unique to their operations when completing Business Impact Analyses (BIAs) and Business Continuity Plans (BCPs). The Office of Emergency Management is available to provide planning assistance and continuity guidance to all university departments.