When putting together our business continuity strategies and plans we often have to make a number of assumptions. One of the most common is that key people will :

• Be available;
• Be willing and able to up sticks at a moment’s notice;
• Be happy to work long hours, miles from home for several weeks.

Unfortunately, experience has shown that when it comes to the crunch this isn’t necessarily the case. So, when developing your business continuity strategy and associated plans, try to guard against disappointment and risk to the recovery by :

• Involving people early in the planning process, making them aware of the potential issues and taking notice of the feedback;
• Carefully considering the location(s) of your proposed recovery site(s);
• Not making recovery plans reliant on particular individuals;
• Considering alternative sources for provision of staff (e.g. via agencies or other parts of the organisation);
• Cross-training.

Your people are probably the most important element in your plan and, more to the point, your organisation’s survival. Make sure you don’t overlook the potential issues. And don’t put your business at risk by making assumptions without validating them.