Preparing for Disruptive and Catastrophic Events
Disruptions can occur at any time, and it is critical to be prepared and have plans in place to ensure the continued operation of the institution. Pitt’s UPitt Ready business continuity planning system can assist departments to develop these procedures before disaster strikes.
What exactly is business continuity planning?
The goal of business continuity planning is to enable the University of Pittsburgh to maintain operations and services in the face of a disruptive or catastrophic event. The longer an institution takes to recover, the greater damage it sustains to its reputation.
At Pitt, UPitt Ready is a web-based continuity planning tool to create useful, thoughtful plans to ensure each unit’s ability to continue its critical functions if an incident occurs.
The software facilitates dialogue between key department figures in an interview-style questionnaire to help capture institutional knowledge and protocol. By joining, you will gain an understanding of the critical functions of the department and the resources required to support those functions that will be documented in a centralized location.
Why is business continuity planning so important?
- UPitt Ready will help you plan for major disasters—such as the total loss of a building—but it puts planning in perspective and makes it more likely that crisis response will run smoothly in the case of an unforeseen scenario. It can be used as a tool for onboarding new staff during a period of major personnel changes.
- The tool helps you list out critical department function contacts and online programs used that could be a useful tool for those new to the department.
- It helps focus the department on its mission goals. It can be used as a refresher of the organization’s priorities by facilitating small groups that think through the scenarios that affect your department, keeping in mind the goals you have set internally.
For more information on business continuity planning and how you can get started, visit UPitt Ready, Pitt's Business and Academic Continuity Plan , or you can reach out to Pitt’s business continuity coordinator, Charlyn J. Loera.