Don't Panic... yet

Talk about timing. The trip to Boston was planned months ago. The research was completed before Christmas. The scenario was all prepared… and then real life caught up.

Our client wanted us to facilitate a desktop walk-through of a pandemic scenario to test whether their business continuity plan would be good enough to support their response. The exercise was planned for Wednesday, 22nd January. On Tuesday 21st, we went through the scenario with the business continuity manager to ensure it was credible; we knew this would be vital if we were going to keep 20 people engaged for two hours.

On Monday 20th, news broke of the first confirmed US case of the new coronavirus, and three US airports had decided to screen passengers travelling from China's Wuhan province. We worked this new information into the exercise introduction, along with commentary from America's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who reported that there were now 40 confirmed cases and two deaths worldwide. By the morning of Wednesday 22nd, just before the exercise was due to begin, we updated that information to nine deaths and over 200 cases.

We certainly had people's attention.

The Scenario Unfolds

The scenario began with a meeting of the organisation's global managers, held in Boston, which included participants who had travelled from several countries in the Far East. On returning home, one of these visitors became ill.

The first questions came immediately: was he infected when he was in Boston? Who else is feeling unwell? Maybe we should all go home!

Calm restored, we then walked through a scenario of ever-decreasing numbers available to work—identifying what must be done and what could be suspended. Who could work from home, and when did they last do a day's work from home? What do we do if somebody falls ill at work?

The questions were pertinent and numerous. You certainly got the feeling that some participants were treating this as a real event rather than just an exercise.

Real Concerns

People were genuinely concerned. Not every jurisdiction has the generous sick pay conditions enjoyed in Europe, so a pandemic was quickly recognised as a financial concern by individuals.

After two hours of constructive discussion, a number of important actions were identified, including:

• Review of sick pay and travel policies to cover pandemic situations
• Ensuring critical staff could work from home effectively
• Checking business interruption insurance coverage
• Ensuring availability of skills through planned cross-training
• Developing clear communication protocols
• Establishing decision-making authority in crisis situations

Lessons Learnt

Many business continuity plans cater for loss of systems or loss of buildings, but few truly address the scenario where up to 50% of employees are unable to work for several weeks. The good news is that with proper planning, you can control the panic and avoid total disaster.

Some preparation is required, which will also prove effective in addressing short-term succession planning scenarios. However, knowing that you have the resilience to cope with a severe reduction in staff for several weeks gives great comfort to staff, the senior management team, and other stakeholders.

Key Takeaways

1. Test Your Plans: Desktop exercises like this one reveal gaps in your planning that may not be apparent when simply reading through documented procedures.

2. Consider All Scenarios: Don't focus solely on technology failures or building access issues. People-related disruptions can be equally or more challenging.

3. Financial Implications: Consider the financial impact on both the organisation and individual employees. Different sick pay arrangements in different locations can create additional complexity.

4. Home Working Readiness: Ensure that working from home is a tested option, not just a theoretical possibility. Do people have the necessary equipment, connectivity, and skills?

5. Cross-Training: Building skills redundancy across your team is essential for resilience. No role should be dependent on a single individual.

6. Communication Plans: Clear communication protocols are critical during a crisis. Everyone should know how information will be shared and who will make key decisions.

Conclusion

Business continuity planning is not just about having a document on the shelf. It's about testing, learning, and continuously improving your organisation's ability to respond to unexpected events. Pandemic scenarios may seem unlikely until they happen—and when they do, the organisations that have prepared will be far better positioned to navigate the challenges ahead.

For details on how calQrisk can benefit your organisation's business continuity and operational resilience planning, contact us today.