Disaster plan must-haves

You can’t plan for everything, but a disaster recovery plan should anticipate the high probability items and provide guidelines for all other hazards. While plans are made to be followed, the reality of any given disaster requires that the recovery team be given the flexibility to deviate from the plan's tasks while remaining within the spirit and framework of the recovery objectives. Here are several must-have elements for any disaster recover plan:

Versioning and revision control. Decide who’s authorized to update the master copy of the disaster recovery plan. The first page of the plan should clearly identify the revision history, who updated the document and why, as well as the expected next revision date. Don’t forget to include what version it’s on every page of the document.

Telephone numbers. Too often disaster recovery plans don’t include the area code when listing telephone numbers for staff, utilities or vendors. The vendor and utility listings also should include account/customer numbers, licenses and other identifying codes. It’s best if the number listed is a negotiated, direct line to someone ready to assist; no one needs to spend 15-plus minutes on hold during an emergency. Also include alternate methods for contacting staff in the event telephone lines are down or cell phone networks are overloaded.

Duties. Who does what when? It can be very confusing during a disaster. The plan needs to identify and assign the roles and responsibilities necessary to execute the plan, and don’t forget to designate an alternate in case someone is unavailable (e.g., on vacation).

Training. Staff members that are unfamiliar with the plan and their duties will become a liability during an event. The plan should include a section on how training will take place.

Distribution plan. When a revision does occur, the first thing to do is replace all previous versions. It’s critical to designate a person to distribute the most current version and ensure no outdated copies exist.

Recovery site. All staff should know where the site is, how to get there and where current copies of the disaster recovery plan are stored at that location.

Click here to download Eric Bauer’s five-day checklist.

Click here to download a sample plan from Ready Business, a government-sponsored disaster-planning Web site (ready.gov)

Koch is the owner and primary consultant of Eagan, Minn.-based Business Resource Management, a firm that provides risk assessment, plan creation, training, emergency declaration and recovery support for public and private clients.