Continuity of Operations (COOP) Awareness Training

1. Continuity of Operations (COOP)Awareness Training

2. Objectives • Provide an understanding of COOP, COOP terms, and benefits of COOP planning • Explain elements of a viable COOP capability • Provide information about how a COOP event might affect you, your organization, and your family

3. Training Topics • COOP Definition and Scope • Authority for COOP • COOP Overview • Elements of a Viable COOP Capability • COOP Impacts

4. COOP: Definition & Scope COOP includes. . . The activities of individual departments to ensure that their essential functions are performed

5. COOP: Definition & Scope COOP activities include: • Plans and procedures to ensure that essential functions are performed. • Tests, training, and exercises essential for ensuring a viable COOP capability

6. COOP Overview: Benefits COOP is a good business practice. It enables agencies to continue their essential functions across a broad spectrum of hazards and emergencies: • Natural • Manmade • Technological • National security emergencies

7. COOP Overview: Planning Objectives • Ensure continued performance of essential functions • Reduce loss of life/minimize damage • Ensure succession to office of key leadership • Reduce/mitigate disruptions to operations • Protect essential assets • Achieve timely recovery

8. COOP Overview: Planning Considerations COOP plans must: • Be capable of implementation anytime, with and without warning. • Provide full operational capability for essential functions not later than 12 hours after activation. • Be capable of sustaining operations for up to 30 days.

9. Plans and Procedures Essential Functions Delegations of Authority Orders of Succession Alternate Facilities Interoperable Communications Vital Records Human Capital Provide vital services. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability

10. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Essential functions: • Most important planning element • Basis for determining resource requirements: • Staff • Vital information/critical systems • Equipment • Supplies and services • Facilities

11. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Identifying/Prioritizing Essential Functions • Agencies must determine functions that must be continued in all circumstances. • Essential functions include those that: • Cannot be interrupted for 12 hours. • Must be resumed within 30 days.

12. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Staffing Staff required to support essential functions: • Number • Skills • Experience • Availability • Timing of requirement

13. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Delegations of Authority: • To ensure the continued operation of departments/agencies and their essential functions • To ensure rapid response to any emergency situation requiring COOP implementation

14. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Delegations of Authority specify. . . Who is authorized to make decisions or act on behalf of the department/agency head and other key personnel for specific purposes during COOP emergencies

15. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Delegations of Authority Purposes: • Approving emergency policy changes • Approving changes in SOPs • Making personnel management decisions • Approving commitment of resources • Signing contracts

16. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Alternate Facilities are: Locations, other than the normal facility, used to carry out essential functions in a COOP situation.

17. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Alternate Facilities Desirable characteristics: • Located at a safe distance from and secured against worst-case and most-likely scenarios • Can be operational in 12 hours or less • Provide sufficient space, equipment, supplies, and services to support COOP personnel in the performance of essential functions

18. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Alternate Facilities Desirable characteristics: • Supports required communications and IT infrastructures • Provides for food, lodging, health, sanitation, and security needs of COOP personnel on site or nearby

19. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Interoperable Communications are: Communications that provide the capability to perform essential functions, in conjunction with other agencies and organizations, until normal operations can be resumed.

20. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Interoperable Communications • Support performance of essential functions • Provide capability to communicate within the organization • Provide connectivity to outside agencies/ stakeholders/clients • Ensure access to data, systems, and services

21. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Vital Records are: Electronic and hardcopy documents, references, and records needed to support essential functions during a COOP situation. The two basic categories of vital records are: • Emergency operating records. • Legal and financial records.

22. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Emergency operating records: • Plans and directives • Orders of succession • Delegations of authority • References for performing essential functions Vital Records

23. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Vital Records Legal and financial records: • Personnel records • Social Security records • Payroll records • Retirement records • Insurance records • Contract records

24. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Human Capital Management is: The sum of the talent, energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm that people invest in their work.

25. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Human Capital Management • The right people in the right jobs to perform essential functions • Ensures that all employees have a clear understanding of what to do in an emergency • Includes protocols for identifying/assisting special-needs employees

26. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Human Capital Management • Invests in training and development to build skills and competencies to increase employee flexibility • Considers alternate assignments for nonemergency employees

27. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Human Capital Management: Non-essential Members • Tell non-essential members: • Where to go. • What to do. • Include employee accountability procedures • Include recall/activation procedures

28. Elements of a Viable COOP Capability Tests, training, and exercise program includes: Measures to ensure that an agency’s COOP program is capable of supporting the continued execution of its essential functions throughout the duration of the COOP situation.

29. COOP Impacts How will a COOP event affect your organization, you, and your family?

30. COOP Impacts Impact on the Organization: • Leadership • Operations • Security • Communications A viable COOP plan will minimize the adverse impacts of a COOP event!

31. COOP Impacts You and your family: • Uncertainty • Personal and family security • Job security • Economic well-being A viable COOP plan and a family support plan will minimize the adverse impacts of a COOP event!

32. COOP Impacts Employee and Family COOP and family support plans should: • Include personnel accountability procedures. • Provide a means for keeping employees informed. • Provide information to all employees so they can develop their family emergency plans. • Provide information about family support services near the alternate site.

33. COOP Impacts Employee and Family Family emergency plans should include: • Contact and communications information. • Immediate Emergency Checklist: • Medical • Financial • Automobile/Transportation • Legal/Administrative • Important documents

34. Wrapup Your support of your organization’s COOP program and a good family support plan can minimize adverse impacts and promptly restore normal operations and family life.