Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations [Hardcover]

Kenneth N. Myers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047135838X | ISBN-13: 978-0471358381 | Publication Date: September 7, 1999 | Edition: 2

With the help of an implementation strategy, guidelines for minimizing development costs, and insight into a proven plan development methodology, Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations helps you to:
* Establish a corporate contingency plan policy and strategy that will ensure timely completion of a plan with minimal disruption to operations.
* Minimize plan development costs
* Understand the importance of conducting briefings to communicate the proper mindset before the plan development process begins.
* Save time and money by avoiding the consultant's traditional approach of extensive information-gathering that contributes little to the development of practical solutions
Remember that you have good people on your management team who don't need a lot of detailed instruction on how to do things in an emergency situation. Precisely "how" they do anything will depend on the specific nature of the disaster and the extent of the damage. Addressing complex hypothetical disaster combinations does not make good business sense. Just prepare "what if" strategies for a worst case and rely on the judgment of your line managers to cope with less severe incidents.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

As businesses grow more aware of the need to provide some level of protection against an unplanned disaster, management needs to know how to structure such a strategic planning project so that it is completed quickly and with a minimal disruption to operations. Managers need to develop business continuity strategies that will enable the organization to retain market share, service customers, and maintain cash flow if a disaster does occur. Kenneth N. Myers, one of the world's foremost innovators in the field of disaster recovery and business continuity planning, now provides you with a time-tested contingency planning philosophy, an implementation strategy, and a plan development methodology that matches the low probability of a disaster with the need for low-cost solutions. While other books offer complex and detailed approaches that are difficult to understand and even more costly to implement, Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations presents an unusually straightforward format that deals in "what if" strategies instead of inordinately detailed procedures. It also emphasizes strategies to maintain business continuity, regardless of the cause of the disaster. Myers lays the foundation by prompting you to document a corporate contingency planning policy and strategy in writing before delegating the project to anyone. Solidifying and documenting a contingency planning policy and strategy is, in Myers's words, "the key to containing development costs and to completing the project on time." He also stresses the importance of documenting the assumptions on which a plan is to be based to prevent "witch-hunting" during plan development. What's more, you'll learn that losing the computer system is probably not your most serious threat; losing vital buildings or critical production operations pose much more serious problems. And you'll also learn that, contrary to popular belief, risk management programs and emergency response plans should not be developed first, but only after "what if" departmental business continuity strategies are documented. The first step is using a "worst case" scenario to cover various disaster possibilities and their impact on your ability to service customers and maintain market share following a physical disaster. Most computer systems can be restored in an alternate location, without the costly expense of computer hot-site agreements, within ten working days. Developing "what if" strategies for continuing to ship products is the real challenge. In a highly competitive world where vital buildings and critical operations are essential for business continuity, your company must have a strategic plan for coping with unplanned disasters that could suddenly threaten its survival. Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations presents a time-tested approach that helps you do just that.

From the Back Cover

With the help of an implementation strategy, guidelines for minimizing development costs, and insight into a proven plan development methodology, Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations helps you to:
* Establish a corporate contingency plan policy and strategy that will ensure timely completion of a plan with minimal disruption to operations.
* Minimize plan development costs
* Understand the importance of conducting briefings to communicate the proper mindset before the plan development process begins.
* Save time and money by avoiding the consultant's traditional approach of extensive information-gathering that contributes little to the development of practical solutions
Remember that you have good people on your management team who don't need a lot of detailed instruction on how to do things in an emergency situation. Precisely "how" they do anything will depend on the specific nature of the disaster and the extent of the damage. Addressing complex hypothetical disaster combinations does not make good business sense. Just prepare "what if" strategies for a worst case and rely on the judgment of your line managers to cope with less severe incidents.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047135838X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471358381
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,458,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensible approach to quickly getting a plan in place, September 23, 2001

By 

Linda Zarate "IT Ops Consultant" (Azusa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations (Hardcover)

While this book addresses contingency planning across the enterprise I found it extremely useful for a much narrower scope, which is assuring applications and systems availability, and service delivery.

The book focuses on quickly developing and implementing a basic contingency plan. The approach set forth is straightforward and covers the basics of contingency planning: problem framing, impact analysis, developing the plan and testing/validating the plan. At 234 pages it is not a comprehensive text for disaster recovery or business continuity planning professionals, but for managers who see gaps or are exercising due diligence, this book covers all of the basics in sufficient detail.

What I like most is the simplicity of the approach, which will give you a starting point for implementing business contingency and continuity plans quickly. Once implemented in accordance with the approach set forth in this book you will have a working plan that covers response strategies and roles and responsibilities that can be built upon and refined. The most valuable chapters in this book address telephone communications, computer processing and vital facilities, all of which are critical to business operations. Also pay careful attention to the beginning of the book because it clearly describes management's responsibility and culpability for having a viable plan in place.

Also valuable are the appendices, which include case studies, sample computer contingency plan and sample business continuity strategies. These samples illustrate how these important documents should be structured.

This book does not eliminate the need for professional assistance as the plan takes shape or after a baseline plan has been implemented. Indeed, prudence and due diligence should guide you to seeking the services of certified business continuity planners or disaster recovery professionals, either as consultants or in-house staff positions. However, this book does provide a starting point, especially for smaller businesses that do not have a formal plan in place.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars some interesting concepts, September 11, 2003

By 

BCP Project Manager (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manager's Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations (Hardcover)

There are some interesting ideas presented by Mr Myers in this book. But, for the most part the concepts are too old-school, naive and simplistic. Truth is, it would be hard for most modern day corporations using ERP systems, automated production and other technologies to apply the principles of this book.

Nonetheless, this book might be worth it, if one is starting on a BCP project and is open to an alternative viewpoint. However, it is so redundant, that there is really no point reading beyond the first twenty or so pages. To make matters worse, the information is presented in an endless array of bullets, exhibits, tables, numbered lists. All different from one another, yet presenting the same material again and again.

Even for a dry business subject, this is a frustrating, unenjoyable read. Worth only one star.