• Councils are missing opportunities to establish up to date disaster recovery plans for ICT services
• Report reveals lack of communication between key emergency personnel as a major obstacle in business continuity

A new report based on research from recent disasters that have hit local authorities, affecting their ICT service, raises serious concerns as to whether councils understand the expectations of the Civil Contingencies Act and are sufficiently prepared to cope with these sort of threats to business continuity.

Be Prepared: Lessons from experiences in business discontinuity, is a new report from the Society of IT Management (Socitm) that draws out lessons from practical experiences of the response required should disaster strike.  The research focuses on six case studies from local authorities and their suppliers who have experienced major disasters.  These include:

• Spelthorne BC - an arson attack at it’s offices
• North Cornwall DC - the aftermath of storm damage at Boscastle
• ICT service suppliers Northgate Information Solutions and Steria and their customers – affected by the Buncefield oil terminal explosion
• Carlisle City Council - major flooding in the city centre
• Middlesborough’s ICT service supplier HBS - a building collapse meant they had to evacuate their premises
• Watford -  a burst water main at the town hall

The report shows that the quality of the response owes everything to the quality of the preparation.  Although every case is different, people need to know what to do, not to ask someone else.  It details the lessons to be learned from experiences that are retold, successes to repeat and mistakes and oversights to avoid.  It asks management teams the question: “How well would you be covered?” 

In addition, it reveals that when something seriously goes wrong, something else happens to compound the problem.  For example, common responses include that it was difficult to contact key personnel – not everyone knew the necessary mobile phone numbers or could use alternative communications equipment properly and that ICT disaster recovery plans had not been updated with information about the new contact centre just opened.  An organisation needs to ensure that any business continuity plan covers such possibilities to result in a positive outcome. 

The report steers clear from being an instruction guide to business continuity management as there is plenty of detailed textbook advice elsewhere.  Instead, it recounts the case studies and provides advice about business continuity management under three headings: vulnerabilities, preparation and conclusions from research.

The report also provides two case studies in disaster recovery planning.  These are the London Resilience Partnerships and WARPS - set up immediately after the events of 9/11 -and the Wales Disaster Recovery Consortium (WADRC), a proactive co-operative approach unconnected to a specific incident.  As these case studies show, disaster recovery offers a very appropriate opportunity for shared services.

In his foreword to the report, Roberto Tambini, chief executive of Spelthorne BC says: ‘Our responsibilities to citizens are paramount, particularly where they are vulnerable or needy.  Whilst we have specific responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act, surely it is the ethos of public service that drives us to ensure that we continue to deliver, no matter what events unfold…readiness is key.’

Martin Greenwood, Programme Manager for Socitm Insight says: ‘Local authority services could be heavily jeopardised following the aftermath of a disaster due to the increasing reliance on ICT.  What is different about this report is that it is based on practical experiences from people on the ground.  It is not easy to share information on business continuity after a disaster strikes.  This report is an excellent way in communicating those lessons learned to all local authorities.’

Better Prepared: Lessons from experiences in business discontinuity is available in pdf format to Socitm Insight subscribers and as a 60pp printed report. Non-subscribers can order the report (cost £95 - Socitm members £85) from the Socitm website.

Further information

Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office
Tel: 0845 094 5641  email: vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk                 

Martin Greenwood, Programme Manager, Socitm Insight
Tel: 01926 498703 or 07967 383755  e-mail: martin.greenwood@socitm.gov.uk

Notes for editors

Organisations in the modern world are vulnerable to business discontinuity in many different ways.  The report classifies the sources of risk into six groups in order to help organisations plan their response to possible incidents: environment, people, governance, technology, information and collaboration.

From the six case studies covered it the report, 12 key lessons for business continuity are set out, covering the following 12 topics:

• Winning management attention.
• Planning for disasters.
• Rebuilding communications networks.
• Setting up command and control.
• Safeguarding health and safety.
• Dealing with disaster recovery suppliers.
• Using the response.
• Keeping plans up to date.
• Learning from incidents.
• Checking back-up arrangements.
• Developing working relationships.
• Testing the plan.