Business Continuity

Not in My Job Description

Any organization—large or small, public or private—needs to understand and prepare for how it will continue to function when a disaster disrupts normal operations. ICF draws on deep knowledge of the most important homeland security efforts in the United States to guide clients through a comprehensive decision-making process to identify critical infrastructure risks and business continuity planning to determine the most effective mitigation strategies.

All of us have witnessed the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, the September 11 attacks, and the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster as well as many other natural and manmade disasters. In this climate, organizations of all kinds should be acutely aware that they need to prepare for the worst—replacing key staff, temporarily or permanently relocating a workplace, replacing essential records, and restoring customer relations. However, our shared concern about the disruption caused by disasters and some of the potential serious consequences does not necessarily equate to being prepared to resume operations when a disaster impacts our organization.

Related Market + Service Offerings

Enterprise Resilience

Authored By

Andrew Siegel
Senior Project ManagerICF International

Andrew Siegel is an expert in policy analysis of emergency management and homeland security issues, with a focus on business continuity. He has more than 25 years of experience consulting to Federal agencies, state and local governments, and Fortune 500 corporations. He has assisted local emergency management departments develop strategic and pandemic plans for emergency preparedness. Mr. Siegel also developed software used across the Federal government to streamline regulation writing and public comment analysis.

In the critical infrastructure protection field, Mr. Siegel provided expertise to the government and private industry committees associated with various sectors of the economy, including food and agriculture, commercial facilities, and national monuments and icons. He helped the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) upgrade its business continuity program by conducting National Level Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercises and training, drafting continuity plans, maintaining its alternate COOP facility, and performing evacuation drills to prepare employees for terrorist attacks.