DRJ's Spring World 2008 - March 30 - April 2, 2008

Sunday Workshop Session

Sunday March 30, 2008 (1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday Workshop Session 1
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Developing the Recovery Strategy: The Next Step

Barney Pelant, MBCP
Barney F. Pelant & Assc.

Once the business impact analysis (BIA) has been completed, the next logical step in the development of a business continuity program is the formation of the business recovery strategy.
The results of this effort provide us the infrastructure for carrying out the successful recovery of the organization in case of a disastrous event or business interruption.
This infrastructure is also the foundation for the procedures that we develop next, a.k.a. our business recovery plan.
This session is a former breakout session that has been expanded by popular request to a workshop.
During the workshop we will examine a proven methodology for taking the findings of the BIA and developing successful strategies.
Learn important and logical steps to take when structuring the business recovery strategy. You’ll take home answers and solutions that you can implement immediately.

Barney Pelant is owner and director of Barney F. Pelant & Associates. His professional background includes more than 30 years focusing on business continuity planning, disaster prevention and recovery. Pelant’s technical experience ranges from the design and development of domestic and international business centers, to the development of contingency plans to ensure their ongoing viability. His consulting experience includes roles as consultant and director of contingency services (consulting services) for SunGard Recovery Services, and senior manager - business continuity planning for Ernst & Young.

Sunday Workshop Session 2
Intermediate/Advanced

Developing Your Own BCMS Capability Model

Sandesh Sheth, MBCP
Satyam Computer Services Ltd.

Joe McHugh, CBCP
Judicial Info. Systems

Learn an approach for developing a BC Management System (BCMS) Capability Model (CM). An organization-wide BCMS is needed due to increasing uncertainties and increasing reliability on IT as a strategic enabler. The development of a Capability Model for BCMS would ensure the ability to measure the present maturity level, ability to benchmark and hence track improvement. The prerequisites for such a model would be that it be based on the three major building blocks of BCMS and that the maturity levels are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. The BCMS-CM draws its inspiration from the SEI CMM in terms of the levels and the principles of maturity. However the commonalities end there, as the components of a BCMS are different from that of software development.
The session will address the needs of professionals who are entrusted with developing, implementing and validating the BC and DR plans for their organizations. Also included are the contents of a business impact analysis survey, risk assessment, vital records plan, emergency response procedures, disaster recovery plans, etc at a macro level only.

Sandesh Sheth is a business continuity consultant, developing and implementing business continuity management systems for organizations worldwide. He represents Enterprise Risk Management Consulting Group of Satyam Computer Services Limited. He is presently implementing a BCMS for State Government Judicial Information Systems.

Joseph McHugh is the executive deputy director operations for Judiciary Information Systems (JIS) of the State of Maryland Judiciary, US. He is responsible for providing mission supportive facilities and infrastructure, ensuring security and optimizing operations at JIS. He is the project champion for business continuity management system implementation project at JIS.

Sunday Workshop Session 3
Intermediate/Advanced

Team Coordination Training for Disaster Response: Part 1

Paula Smith, PhD
Catastrophic Planning

Limited to 200 participants.

This two-part workshop will provide attendees with a chance to earn a Certification in Catastrophic Planning: Advanced Team Coordination Training. In part one, there will be discussion on the use of principles specific to the type of group dynamics which evolve in response to disasters. Circumstance brings together persons with diverse roles, experience, skills, organizational ideology with the expectation that all will act in a cohesive and effective coordinated effort.
We have the notion leaders will take charge and the team that develops will be unified. However, as events change and evolve, so too must the response and recovery elements while considering the effects and potential of the disaster as well. We will address these issues, strengths and weaknesses through recognition, identification, and disaster response team coordination training.
Participants will have a chance to work out the particulars with specific guidelines and tasks particularly designed for initiating leadership, decision making, flexibility, recognition of changing needs and roles, and the dynamic of the group in potentially stressful situations and in light of the strategies and tactics of response by persons dealing with extremes. Materials will be included and there will be group homework.
The presenter will host a workshop on Tuesday in conjunction with this session. Those participants who successfully complete both sessions, the homework and a take-home exam will be awarded the Certification in Catastrophic Planning: Advanced Team Coordination Training for Disaster Response.

Paula Smith, Catastrophic Planning Policy Review Committee, has a PhD in BioMedical Psychology, executive training through Harvard Business School, and has worked in clinical and university settings as well as industry and government. She has experience in contingency planning as an emergency and disaster management professional in the DC area.

Sunday Workshop Session 4
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Impact of Panic: Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise

Barbara Citarella
RBC, Ltd.

Businesses around the world are planning and conducting exercises in order to prepare for the next pandemic influenza. How prepared an organization is can determine the difference between staying in business or going out of business. Critical thinking and cool heads are paramount to a successful resilient continuity of operations plan. But drilling on a regular basis as well as conducting tabletop exercises is also very important.
This tabletop exercise focuses on a very different aspect of a pandemic. It focuses on the impact of panic. As much as one prepares, the reality is that in some situations processes may not happen smoothly or calmly. This scenario will:

• stimulate creative thinking
• utilize the Incident Command System
• require on the feet thinking
• quickly identify the leaders
• quickly identify the critical thinkers.

At the end of this exercise participants will be able to discuss the incident command systems strengths, discuss the need for being able to think outside the box and identify the problems that occur when social panic and social disorder occur. This is an exercise that will be conducted in groups and will assist organizations in identifying some key aspects necessary for business continuity.

Barbara Citarella is the founder of the award-winning company RBC Limited, a healthcare and management consulting business. In addition to consulting in all areas of health care, RBC Limited has worked extensively with law enforcement, government agencies and the private sector with regard to business recovery planning, protection of personnel assets, infrastructure protection, exercise observer, all hazards planning and the Incident Command System.

Sunday Workshop Session 5
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Can Mid-Sized Enterprises Get A BC Program To “Yes”? Of Course!

Tom Frangione
Simply Continuous

Business continuity programs cannot survive without management support. Getting management support and budget can be a complicated, frustrating process with seemingly illogical twists and turns. Mid-sized companies face an added challenge – many times transitioning from IT centric processes to a broader program. However, the challenge is not different from other corporate initiatives and can be managed to be predictable.
This session will illustrate how a consultative approach builds the case for business continuity. The approach’s foundation is:

• Assess the company’s situation
• Know audience, their priorities and concerns
• Collect and understand the facts
• Assess and analyze the implications
• Present your conclusions to ensure success

Small and mid-sized enterprises are typically considered those with 200 to 1,000 employees. However, any organization or unit of a larger organization struggling to commit to a comprehensive approach or limited resources to commit to business continuity would find the workshop valuable.
Attendees will walk away with an approach to gaining management support that will greatly increase the likelihood of getting to “Yes”. Attendees will leave the session with a framework to present your program, templates to assess your company’s situation and collect the relevant facts, and an approach to winning management support for your valuable continuity program.

Tom Frangione is the president and CEO of Simply Continuous, a company founded in 2006 to provide business continuity services to small and medium sized enterprises. He is a veteran of small and medium company management. He co-founded and was the first CEO of Telephia, the leading provider of performance measurement in the wireless industry.

Sunday Workshop Session 6
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Mock Disaster Exercise