Disaster Recovery Journal

Role Description: BC/DR Consultants are individuals who participate in a wide range of IT and storage process related consulting engagements. These projects may include risk assessment, business impact analysis (BIA), requirements definition and solution design as related to business continuity and disaster recovery. The work may also include implementing solutions including new process components, organizational structures or policies. Individuals may also participate in business case development and financial analyses.
Aligned to BC/DR (Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery) Practice.
Specific Skills & Experience Required for Role:
• Ability to participate in the analysis and design of a client BC/DR environment including existing processes and technology.
• Experience or exposure to EMC technology or significant competitor technology (HDS, IBM, Veritas, etc.)
• Experience with Disaster Recovery planning, analysis and implementation is required
• Certification in one or more Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery organizations (BCBP, DRI, etc.) is desired.
• Exposure to ITIL process implementation is a plus.
Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Experience:
• 3-4 projects or at least 3 years of experience in one or more of the following areas:
o DR for Data Center management/operations
o DR for server & storage
o DR for network and applications
o Operational recovery/high availability
General Skills Required:
• Quality and efficiency focused
• Ability to translate business requirements into technology requirements
• Project Management skills including work-planning, estimating, meeting facilitation and issue resolution
• Experience with MS Project and MS Office Suite.
• Experience with process and quality management.
• Ability to manage detailed analysis of business problems and technical environments
• Ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills

Personal Qualities:
• Detail Oriented
• Quality Focused
• Efficient
• Well spoken
• Flexible
• Collaborative
• Motivated
General Experience Required:
• 3-5 Years experience or a minimum of 2 completed project implementations in a project environment
• Multiple smaller projects as part of a larger program
• Experience in a Professional Services environment as a consultant is preferred.
• Experience in workflow and process design (Six Sigma Certification a plus)
• Exposure to ITIL process implementation is a plus.
Education:
• Undergraduate or Graduate degree preferred in any of the following disciplines:
o Engineering
o Computer Science
o MIS
o Other Technology or Business Fields

email scott.ripley@emc.com

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS

SENIOR DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNER

Franklin Templeton Investments’ DR Program is fully internal through our new, state-of-the-art recovery Data Center. Ample opportunities exist to develop, create, and implement innovative recovery solutions. The program is at the threshold of launching expanded recovery strategies that leverage new technologies including cloud computing, virtualization, and HA in an active/active environment.

The Senior Disaster Recovery Planner provides leadership and expertise in the development, maintenance, testing, and implementation of domestic and international Information Technology (I/T) Disaster Recovery programs and processes across the enterprise.

S/he is responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of advance arrangements, plans, and procedures to ensure that the IT services supporting critical business functions will resume within a predefined time-frame in the event of a disaster, with minimal loss of data. This responsibility includes coordinating the design, development, maintenance, and exercising (testing) of the overall disaster recovery plans for each critically-designated application in the specified regional location.

The Senior DR Planner will lead and conduct the necessary research to ensure the appropriate recovery solution is developed to meet the requirements of business and regulatory obligations, and to protect the image of the corporation. The recommend solution must be cost-effective and technically-supportable in a steady-state environment.

The Senior DR Planner is also responsible for performing project management activities including but not limited to: development of project scope and objectives, development of delivery schedule, securing of approval(s) and funding, implementation, and transition to steady-state. The Senior Disaster Recovery Planner will also be responsible for providing leadership and guidance in all actual disaster recovery efforts.

For immediate consideration, forward your resume to Marjorie McCamey at mmccame@frk.com or visit www.franklintempleton.com and click on careers to submit a resume on-line

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Fire Department is expanding and seeks a Business Continuity Manager. The Business Continuity Manager is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and maintaining the tribe’s disaster recovery programs, including continuity of government (COG) and business continuity planning (BCP), and crisis management (collectively referred to as Continuity of Operations [COOP]).

The manager will ensure that COG, business continuity, and crisis management plans are prepared, updated, and tested as necessary. This individual will conduct recovery training exercises for tribal citizens and employees; act as liaison to other departments; assist in the management of major disaster response and recovery operations; work closely with the Disaster Services Manager; and perform other related duties as required.

Business Continuity Management services include: performing business impact assessments and risk assessments, developing recovery strategies, developing business continuity plans, designing continuity management governance functions, developing business continuity policies and procedures, creating crisis management programs, and testing business continuity and crisis management plans.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be at least 21 years of age Available for "on-call" response after-hours for significant incidents

Demonstrated ability to make presentations, conduct training, and prepare reports for senior-level executives

Incident Command System Certification (100), IS700 (NIMS) & IS800 (National Response Framework) Certification

One year supervisory experience

One of the following:

Business Continuity Certification (i.e. DRII- Certification, BCM Institute Certification, National Institute for Business Continuity Management certification )

Bachelor’s degree in Business Continuity Management, or a closely related field

Experience as a Business Continuity professional

PREFERRED:

E580 & E581 course completion. IS-120a "An introduction to exercises"

IS-130 "Exercise evaluation and improvement planning"

IS-139 "Exercise design"

IS-520 "Introduction to continuity of operations planning for pandemic influenzas"

IS-522 "Exercising continuity plans for pandemics"

IS-546a "Continuity of operations awareness course"

IS-547a "Introduction to continuity of operations"

IS-548 "Continuity of operations (COOP) program manager"

Final candidate selected will be required to undergo and successfully pass extension background investigation to obtain and maintain a San Manuel Class "A" Gaming License issued by the San Manuel Gaming Commission.

For more information:
www.sanmanuel.com

The successful candidates must have a minimum of 5-7 years working knowledge of Business Continuity/Continuity of Operation planning. Candidate must have extensive experience writing BCP/COOP plans for commercial and government entities and possess a professional designation such as a CBCP, MBCP. MBCI, PCP, or MCP.

Requirements:

•5-7 years of BC/COOP planning experience
•CBCP, MBCP, MBCI, PCP, or MCP designation
•Self motivated and capable of being productive in short timeframe
•Adaptable, innovative, enthusiastic, and professional
•Strong oral and written communication and negotiation skills
•Capable of working in a team environment and a team player
•Possess excellent PC skills (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
•Willingness to travel.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience


PSI offers a competitive hourly contract rate.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and reserve the right to perform substance abuse testing. A criminal background check is required and an offer is contingent upon results.

To be considered, send resume and compensation history in confidence to psijobs@paradigmsi.com. Please reference position PSI022012 (no phone calls please)

This individual will provide professional, specialized skills including project management, problem analysis and resolution related to Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Incident/Emergency Management. Facilitate and coordinate the development and maintenance of work area (business function) Business Continuity Management plans.

1.Requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in health care administration, business, liberal arts or related field
2.Requires 3-5 years experience in business continuity management planning
3.Prefers (3) three years work experience in health care industry

Apply directly online at http://bit.ly/zQ78dP

Paradigm Solutions International, a leader in Business Continuity Planning/Continuity of Operations (COOP) software and services is currently looking for seasoned, self-motivated Part -time BCP consulting professional.  The successful candidates should have a minimum of 3 years consulting experience, preferably with working knowledge of Business Continuity planning.

Requirements:

• 3 years of Consulting experience preferably in Business Continuity Planning
• Self motivated and capable of being productive in short time frame
• Adaptable, innovative, enthusiastic, and professional
• Strong oral and written communication and negotiation skills
• Capable of working in a team environment and a team player
• Possess excellent PC skills (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
• Willingness to travel.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and prefer CBCP, MBCP, MBCI, PCP, or MCP designation.

Benefits:

In addition to our competitive salary plans, our firm offers a comprehensive benefits package.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and reserve the right to perform substance abuse testing. A criminal background check is required and an offer is contingent upon results.

To be considered, please send cover letter, resume and salary history in confidence to PSIjobs@paradigimsi.com . (No phone calls).

A Culture of [Business] Continuity | Part I

This two-part series from Avalution Consulting focuses on defining and embedding a “culture of continuity” within organizations.

PART I: DEFINING A CULTURE OF CONTINUITY

“Culture of continuity”…it sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? It flows off the tongue so naturally as we describe the quintessential business continuity program – a program embedded into an organization so well that personnel fully commit to business continuity and consider it in every decision they make. An environment where executive management considers the organization’s ability to recover from disruption during strategic planning discussions, and thinks about minimizing downtime and maximizing recovery during project development (as opposed to after-the-fact implementations). But, what does that phrase really mean? In part one of this series, we’ll define “culture of continuity” and dive into its importance and fit into every organization.

A Definition
The term “culture of continuity” is widely used by business continuity practitioners, but, unfortunately, there really isn’t an agreed upon definition. Sure, articles and blogs have been written on the topic and business continuity standards allude to it, but it seems as though a specific definition or roadmap toward implementation simply doesn’t exist. So, in collaboration with industry leaders and business continuity professionals, we developed the following definition:

Culture of continuity, noun
An organizational state of being in which all personnel inherently work to minimize the likelihood of downtime and improve responsiveness and recoverability as they perform day-to-day activities.

Assuming you agree with this definition, does your organization have a culture of continuity? Do you agree with the term as defined? Based on what we’ve seen in working with dozens of organizations over the past several years (including some with robust business continuity programs), we would say that the answer is probably “no”. To be honest, this definition represents an extraordinarily mature business continuity program. In reality, even mature programs with well-executed business continuity lifecycle activities oftentimes fail to transition from a push-pull environment to one in which everything and everyone thinks about the business continuity implications of decisions.

Who Needs a Culture of Continuity?
This takes us to an important point: establishing a culture of continuity isn’t needed for EVERY organization. If a culture of continuity is the highest form of maturity for a business continuity program, then there are lots of organizations out there that may not be willing to invest the resources needed to achieve such a high level. However, for some organizations, continuity really is that important. These might include:

• Health Care Providers
• Financial Services Organizations
• Government
• Outsource providers

In these organizations, reliability of the services they provide is a defining characteristic of their value. As a result, a culture of continuity is a reasonable expectation. If your organization’s need for a culture of continuity is unclear, then a discussion with senior management about their goals for business continuity may help determine how mature of a program is needed.

Building a Culture of Continuity
Many of today’s leading standards, including the draft business continuity standard ISO 22313, make reference to a culture of continuity:

“The organization should build, promote and embed a Business Continuity Management culture within the organization that becomes part of the organization’s core values and management and makes interested parties aware of the business continuity policy and their role in associated procedures.”

If you’ve already taken a decentralized approach to business continuity planning, especially if it’s anchored by strong governance, you’re on the right path. Assigning business units and departments ownership for business continuity planning holds them accountable for planning, maintenance and execution. However, a culture of continuity isn’t just about getting other personnel in the organization to update BIAs and plans (although sometimes this is a feat in and of itself). It’s about developing an environment in which people inherently promote continuity every day and don’t blame their inability to support business continuity on one or more of the following reasons:

• “Sorry, but this just isn’t a priority right now. Perhaps we can touch base in a couple months”;
• “I could care less about my supplier’s business continuity arrangements – all that matters is that we have a plan internally”;
• “I’m really busy this quarter – I’ll get around to updating my plan next quarter when things slow down”;
• “I’m sorry, but I just can’t pull my team away from billable work this month to participate in an exercise. We did one last year – we’re good to go”; and
• “Everything I need is backed up in the ‘cloud’ – I don’t need a business continuity plan”.

Through general change leadership techniques and principals, business continuity practitioners can work to achieve a culture of continuity and make activities as routine as grabbing a morning cup of coffee, going to lunch or evacuating the building during a fire alarm.

In part two of this series we will share an implementation framework and provide recommendations for how you can begin to embed a culture of continuity within your organization.

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The Avalution Team
Avalution Consulting: Business Continuity Consulting

Although data is relatively scarce on the process of living through a disaster, we know from what has been published that survivors often separate themselves from victims by accepting the new reality, having the ability to formulate a plan to escape/survive and possessing a strong desire to survive.

I had an opportunity to see this in action several months ago. While the stakes were not life and death and the property at risk was limited to one customized vehicle, the lesson is still valid and the results worth sharing because this actual situation unfolding in real-time was as good as any table top exercise that could have been contrived. And I clearly saw survivors and victims.

The situation unfolded during an air show event in the Midwest that featured a jet truck act. For those of you that are not familiar with this novelty act, the jet-powered vehicles acts crisscross the country performing at air shows, racetracks and drag strips. As part of its lead-up to their high speed run these jet vehicles exaggerate their show with impressive fireballs, massive amounts of smoke and thunderous noise by controlling the flow and ignition of fuel through their afterburner-equipped jet engines.

On this particular Saturday morning the laws of physics caught up to this jet truck act as years of constant heating and cooling fatigued the metal and pressure from the engine exhaust finally ruptured the heavy stainless steel of the afterburner.

This did not expose anyone at the event to danger, not even jet truck’s driver (although ignited gases escaping through the gaping hole in the afterburner did torch the harness of one of two arresting parachutes). What it did mean was simply that this popular attraction would remain parked the balance of the weekend.

However, mirroring published accounts of actions during a life-threatening disaster, a few survivors stepped forward while the majority of victims simply accepted their fate.

In this case while members of the air show staff made preparations to announce the cancellation of the jet truck act and adjust performance schedules for the remainder of the event a small group of “survivors” formed to assess the situation. They were able to review the damage and formulate a simple repair strategy – source a suitable piece of stainless steel and weld the patch to the inside of the damaged afterburner.

The plan sounded simple enough except that they needed to source a significantly thick piece of stainless steel and find a welder experienced with jet engines on a Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend.

From here the story takes a romantic turn, in what has quickly become the stuff of air show legend, the piece of stainless steel was acquired from an old industrial kitchen sink that had found a home in the air show’s operations area while a skilled aircraft welder brought his wife and daughter to spend the evening with him as he welded the patch in place. And by 11 p.m. the jet truck was ready to go again performing the next two days of the air show.

Looking at this fun story from a business continuity vantage it offers a great illustration of the three very important disaster survival tips:

• Accept your reality. From the moment it was known the truck had suffered damage the survivors were ready to deal with it head-on. There was no putting off the issue or even thinking that it was out of their hands – they were only focused on going about fixing the problem.
• Make a plan. To them the next steps were obvious – source the metal and get it welded in place. Because they had a plan they were able to move forward in a unified direction. Without a plan there would simply be a dozen gear-heads gawking at the gaping hole in the truck’s engine.
• You have to want it. I doubt the plan would even have been formulated had this small group of Mr. Fix-Its not been passionate about the customized vehicle they were attempting to repair. While the jet truck act was a proven crowd pleasure and an important element in the show’s mix of ground/air performers each of the members of this survivor group had a specialty affinity for cars and this one-of-a-kind vehicle in particular.

In a disaster the majority of people do nothing – they are simply unable to accept their new reality. We want to believe things are OK because experience has told us things are OK. Too often we fail to accept that there has been a change; and in a disaster change occurs quickly and those able to accept the change are able to adjust to it.

To accept the situation and then to move forward with a plan can mean the difference between victim and survivor. Often in the midst of a disaster those affected wait for rescue or help from the outside. This can be a fatal mistake. We see time and time again that rescue and resources take time. FEMA has exerted great effort to prepare the population to the fact that, in the event of a major disaster, they should be prepared to be on their own for 48-hours.

Amanda Ripley explains in The Unthinkable, about the importance of having a plan as it provides focus, and, under much more stressful conditions, can overcome the paralysis that often stops victims in their tracks. With their plan in place our group of Survivors simply moved forward dealing with issue after issue in their efforts to “work the plan.”

Time and time again experts note the importance of being able to formulate and implement a plan. Laurence Gonzales, who has written extensively on disasters and survivors, in his book Deep Survival describes the traits of a survivor as one who plans my setting small, manageable goals then systematically goes about achieving them. He states “You don’t have to be an elite performer. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to get on with it and do the next right thing.”

And in order to have a plan you must have a goal. Perhaps in a legitimate disaster the goal may be to cross the room or build a fire. Goals do not need to be big and plans do not need to be elaborate. However they must be achievable and you have to want it. Back to the air show incident, it is most interesting to note that one of the people not involved in this make-shift repair team was the owner/operator of the vehicle. Perhaps it was because this was merely one event in a long season of events. Perhaps it was because all he could see was that his next stop was his shop at home that had all the tools and materials necessary to fabricate and repair whatever the truck needed. Whatever the reason, he – the person best suited to solve the repair problem -- was not motivated by the goal so the plan meant nothing to him. If we extrapolate this little story onto the set of a major disaster, the truck’s owner does not survive; rather he would be huddled in the corner to accept his fate waiting for rescuers to find him or the disaster to consume him.

“The maddening thing for someone with a Western scientific turn of mind is that it’s not what’s in your pack that separates the quick from the dead,” writes Gonzales. “It’s not even what’s in your mind. Corny as it sounds it’s what’s in your heart.”

Of course what really makes this story so appealing is the sink – that late in a Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend with no access to commercial sources of stainless steel, the team discovers that the industrial sink tucked in the corner of an operations area could yield a piece of stainless steel of sufficient size and thickness for the patch. What seems almost miraculous to others would likely not be so surprising to Gonzales, an adventurer himself. He states, “Chance is nothing more than opportunity, and it is all around at every turn; the trick lies in recognizing it.” Had the team not formulated the plan, the sink would have been meaningless to them. It was only recognized when the plan called for a piece of stainless steel. Think of how many times we have wondered aloud, “wasn’t that lucky?” Wasn’t that lucky that Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger had a clear patch of the Hudson River that morning?

I recently toured the Intrepid Air and Space Museum floating on that same Hudson River and learned the story of the aerial torpedo that struck the ship on Feb. 17, 1944, and jammed her rudder in one direction. Only the efforts of a crewmember that happened to have experience with his mother’s sewing machine were they able to jury-rig a makeshift sail with which they were able to steer the mighty aircraft carrier to safe harbor for repairs. Wasn’t it lucky that the particular crewmember happened to be on-board that ship?

And even then only one of nearly a dozen people saw the sink as something other than a sink. Others had used the sink or walked past the sink. But it was one guy who realized its potential. It was Louis Pasteur that said, “Luck favors the prepared mind.”

So even without lives at risk and the only danger being a disappointed audience, the events of that day clearly demonstrated the difference between survivor and victim during a real-life crisis.
On that day in September I witnessed a group that unbeknownst to them demonstrated a textbook Survivor response by adjusting to new data, formulating a plan to deal with that new data, overtly desiring a positive outcome, and moving forward with a plan to achieve that goal. In doing so, at least one member of that group, was able to recognize the tools around that could be used to implement that plan.

And should a real disaster strike I know the person I am going to follow – that guy that saw a sink for something other than a sink.

Dominic Bonacci is a business continuity professional with BEP Institute in Cleveland, with a 20-year history of meeting, conference and event planning. More about BEP Institute at www.bepinstitute.com