[Note: although many of these steps are applicable to anyone wanting to protect their own research and equipment, for this article and the rest of the series, I will be discussing continuity planning as it pertains to genealogical/historical societies.  At the end of the series, I will discuss how to alter a continuity plan to suit the individual researcher.]

 

The analysis portion is usually the first step for most genealogical societies developing a continuity plan.  And since the plan is best represented as a “life cycle,” it is normal to perform periodic analysis in order to ensure that the plan is up to date.  In my experience, analysis is the most time-consuming and detailed portion of a plan.

Take Inventory of Functions

The first step is to take inventory of all the functions of your society.  And don’t be surprised if you need to take several passes – this is why a continuity plan is set up in a life-cycle format.

Here is a partial list of items, both tangible and non-tangible:

Location

  • Furniture (desks, chairs, bookshelves, tables, lighting)
  • Office space or meeting space (rented or owned)

Communications/Connectivity

  • Fax
  • Telephone
  • Internet Connectivity (modem, DSL, T1, T3, broadband wireless)

Technology

  • Computers
  • Copiers
  • Projectors
  • Readers (microfilm microfiche)
  • Scanners
  • Television
  • VCR/DVD

Research

  • Books
  • Digital media
  • Original source material
  • Maps
  • Periodicals

Membership/Outreach

  • Mailing lists
  • Membership data
  • Name recognition
  • Web presence
  • Website/Blog data

Administration

  • Administration data
  • Board of Directors documents (resolutions, minutes)
  • Contacts (other societies, vendors, etc.)
  • Email (server, mailboxes, archives)
  • History (archives of former board members, minutes, etc.)
  • Non-profit status information (state and federal tax status, etc.)
  • Office supplies

Finances

  • Banking information
  • Membership dues
  • Revenue stream

Critical vs. Non-Critical Functions

Once the functions have initially been identified, the next step is to designate them as being critical to the continued operation and survival of the society or non-critical.  Some factors to consider when making this determination:

  • Are certain functions mandated by law or practice? E.g., annual board meetings, non-profit/tax status, certification, etc.  Realize that a society can forfeit its status with certain organizations if minimum requirements are not met.
  • The lack of which functions would damage the society and in what way? Could these function impact how the society is perceived by members, donors, etc.,?
  • If an interruption of one of these functions were acceptable, at what point would the interruption become unacceptable?  Is it a matter of length of time? Is it a matter of cost and/or maintenance?

Recovery Requirements

Once the functions are identified and classified as critical or non-critical, the next step is to determine what is needed to recover or restore these functions.  For each function, you should list:

  • the time frame for restoration of the function
  • the business requirements for restoration of the function
  • the technical requirements (if applicable) for restoration of the function

Interruption Scenarios

While you can’t cover all scenarios, you can cover those that are likely to happen.  A society located in Florida would probably focus on a hurricane while a California society would focus on an earthquake.  Both societies could include flooding since such a scenario may occur due to a water main break, sprinkler system malfunction, etc.

Some common scenarios include:

  • bomb
  • cyber attack
  • data loss
  • earthquake
  • fire
  • flood
  • power outage
  • theft
  • vandalism

Only list scenarios which require unique solutions for restoration of a function.  Example:  a power outage (either planned, caused by a natural disaster or due to provider malfunction) would not affect functions such as finances (directly – indirectly it would prevent use of computers to update data).  A power outage caused by a simple interruption of service (blackout, etc.) would affect a society minimally (short period of outage) whereas an earthquake or hurricane where surround areas are affected and there is possible infrastructure damage would affect a society quite a bit.

So How Do I Track All This? 

A perfectly valid question.  In reviewing the components of the analysis phase above, most societies will need some tracking mechanism which lists functions, whether they are critical or non-critical, recovery requirements, and which scenario(s) would impact them.

To get a jump start on the process, use this spreadsheet on Google Docs.  While it may not cover all of the items, you are invited to make a copy and customize it for your own use.