Force Byte
Business Continuity Plan - Part 3

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As mentioned in the last issue, the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) consists of end user manuals and system recovery manuals, which should be reviewed and drilled regularly. The end user manual is directly relevant to police officers as it documents the interim procedures and the essential information to be used by officers to maintain minimal services. Drills can be conducted in different formats and be broadly categorised as follows:

(1) Briefing - System controllers can assign supervisors to conduct a briefing on the end user manuals for officers. The main advantage of this is simplicity. Through a short briefing, officers can develop a rough idea of the emergency procedures of the BCP.

(2) Table Drill - The end user procedures may contain lots of communications among end users. While a joint simulated drill is usually costly, table drill can be a good substitute in this situation. System controllers can invite end users of different roles to attend the table drill. Through the use of a pre-defined scenario, end users can simulate their communication procedures laid down in the manual.

(3) Simulated Drill - This is the most comprehensive drill method. Through a simulated drill, officers can try all the procedures defined in the end user manual. However, detailed planning and preparation are required, implying a higher demand on time and human resources.

According to the guidelines provided by the Information Systems Wing (ISW), it is suggested that all end user drills should be conducted at least once every two years. This is to ensure that the procedures in the end user manuals are accurate and feasible. System controllers can choose the most suitable drill format in accordance with the specific needs of their environment.

ISW conducts an annual drill on system recovery manuals to ensure that computer operators and technical support staff are familiar with the recovery procedures. The results of the drill (including recovery time and technical problems encountered) will be recorded and reviewed. Related procedures would be updated or amended to ensure the accuracy of the manuals.

In the last three issues, we have presented the concepts of BCP and elaborated on details with examples. The success of BCP lies in the active participation of end users, especially in the regular review and drill of the end user manuals. In the near future, ISW will provide more reference information on POINT and disseminate relevant information on promotional publications.