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In the face of a crisis, the performance and resilience of your organization hinge on the capabilities of your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) team. This team’s composition is crucial—not only must members collaborate seamlessly, but they also need to possess the appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience pertinent to their roles within the company.
Here’s a guide to assembling a BCP team equipped to handle emergencies:
- Select Based on Skills and Experience
Prioritize skills, knowledge, and expertise above all when selecting team members. While the most qualified individuals may not always be available to join, it’s vital to choose participants who are not only skilled but also experienced in relevant departments.
- Align Roles with Regular Duties
Opt for team members whose emergency functions align with their regular duties. This ensures that they are familiar with the tasks at hand under normal operational circumstances. For instance, it wouldn’t be practical for a database administrator to manage network operations during a crisis.
- Ensure Adequate Team Size
The team should be sufficiently large to maintain functionality even if one or more members are incapacitated. This redundancy ensures that critical processes continue uninterrupted, regardless of individual availability.
- Train Alternates and Utilize External Vendors
Prepare for the worst-case scenario by training alternate staff members and engaging external vendors who can step in during a catastrophic event. Additionally, cross-train personnel in key functions to provide an extra layer of resilience. This strategy ensures that, should several team members be unavailable, the organization can still respond effectively to emergencies.
By adhering to these four guidelines, you can fortify your company against crises, ensuring that a competent, well-prepared team is ready to manage emergencies efficiently. The goal is to have a diverse array of individuals who can confidently assume critical roles during an emergency, safeguarding your organization’s continuity and resilience.
Michael Herrera
Michael Herrera is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MHA. In his role, Michael provides global leadership to the entire set of industry practices and horizontal capabilities within MHA. Under his leadership, MHA has become a leading provider of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery services to organizations on a global level. He is also the founder of BCMMETRICS, a leading cloud based tool designed to assess business continuity compliance and residual risk. Michael is a well-known and sought after speaker on Business Continuity issues at local and national contingency planner chapter meetings and conferences. Prior to founding MHA, he was a Regional VP for Bank of America, where he was responsible for Business Continuity across the southwest region.
