Producing a continuity plan will enable your institution to carry on functioning should the unexpected occur. Find out more www.pageone.co.uk

1. Business Continuity
Check List
PageOne

2. Why Does Your Business Need A
Continuity Checklist?
 Should the unexpected occur, your business will be able to
continue functioning.
 You need a structure in case your organisation cannot
remain fully functional. What is the plan of action?
 It is vital that responsibility is handled for important
-
procedures and key employees.

3. 1. Select A Project Manager
 Select someone capable of co-ordinating and overseeing
procedures and processes during a threat to the business.
 They should have all the contact details of anyone they might
need to get hold of in this situation.

4. 2. Select A Management Team
 Consider selecting a team who can work together when a potential
crisis arises. They should be selected from key decision makers from
within the business.
 They will manage updates on the continuity plan and make
amendments where necessary. It should be clear who has been selected
from each team and how they can be contacted during this time.
 The continuity team will have specific roles that they are responsible for.

5. 3. Possible Emergencies
This step involves identifying the type(s) of emergency which could
potentially have an impact on your business.
Make a list and consider which things are likely to be a threat to your
business. Here are some examples:
Natural disasters Disasters that could affect suppliers
Power cut Legal issues
Restricted access to premises
Loss of key staff through illness
Loss of a significant number of staff

6. 4. Critical Processes
 This step involves thinking about what important
processes or critical areas will be most affected in the
event of a business complication.
 Think about what you would be comfortable to provide
as an acceptable level of service. This service needs to
be enough to keep the business running.

7. 5. Preventative Actions
You have already identified a range of different
emergencies. Now you need to think about how you could
prevent these from happening in the first place. Here are a
few examples to get you started:
IT actions Evacuation arrangements
Health and safety policy Staff induction
Staff training Last to leave checks
Bomb threat procedure Key documentation storage
Visitor sign in process
First aiders

8. 6. Communication
What methods of communication will you use?
 Thankfully, we have a lot of communication tools available to us in an
emergency.
 These include mobile phones, landlines, email, text, social media etc.
 Which ones are the most appropriate for your business?
 Identify which type of communication would be best suited to
different emergencies.

9. 7. Reporting
How will incidents be reported?
 There are a number of different people you need to notify in an
emergency.
 Your management team, staff and suppliers need to be notified.
 Ensure you have all their contact details.
 Determine who needs to be contacted with critical information.

10. 8. Staff Safety
How will you know whether your staff are safe?
 When an emergency occurs you will need to find a way to check on
the location and safety of your staff.
 Put measures in place to enable you to do this.
 These measures don’t have to be very complicated, they can be as
simple as getting a sign in book.

11. 9. Contingency Location
A contingency location needs to be identified.
 An alternative location may be needed when a crisis occurs.
 Staff and individuals need to be a safe distance from the emergency.
 Choose a suitable assembly point.
 Identify an alternative place to run your business to minimise negative
impact.
 Make sure employees can easily get updates on the situation and when it is
safe to go back to work.

12. 10. Off-site Data Storage
Where will you store your data?
 Try not to scatter information across different locations.
 Fast access to vital documents such as evacuation plans and accident
checklists is essential.

13. 11. Test Your Plan
Run trial exercises so that you can test your plan
 Everyone in your organisation should know their role in the business
contingency plan.
 Arrange training classes for employees.
 Staff should be aware of important procedures should an incident
occur.

14. 12. Review Your Plan
 Take time to analyse your plan on a regular basis and revise if
necessary.
 This should be done annually or more often if needed.
 If an incident occurs, go back to the plan and amend based on what
you learnt.
 Undertake on-going research into possible threats. This will help you
keep your plan up to date.

15. DISCLAIMER:
The advice contained in this guide is provided for guidance only. There
are many additional factors to consider when compiling a resilient
business continuity plan above and beyond what is outlined above.
PageOne takes no responsibility whatsoever for any plans devised using
the above guidelines.
For further information about business continuity, visit:
http://www.pageone.co.uk