NPHS 1510: Federal and International Framework

Continuity of Operations

FEMA COOP Guidelines

FEMA’s Responsibilities  Serving as Executive Agent for Federal Executive Branch COOP Coordinating COOP activities of Federal Executive Branch agencies Issuing COOP guidance Chairing the COOP Working Group (CWG) Coordinating Federal Executive Branch interagency COOP exercises Conducting periodic assessments of Executive Branch COOP capabilities and reporting the results to the National Security Council

In addition to the DC COOP Working Group COOP Working Groups have been established in each of the Federal Executive Board (www.feb.gov) Regions: Atlanta, GA Baltimore, MD Boston, MA Buffalo, NY Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Detroit, MI Honolulu, HI Houston, TX Kansas City, MO Los Angeles, CA Minnesota Newark, NJ New Mexico New Orleans, LA New York City, NY Oklahoma Oregon Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA St. Louis, MO San Antonio, TX San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA South Florida

COOP Objectives Ensuring the continuous performance of an agency’s essential functions/operations during an emergency Protecting essential facilities, equipment, records, and other assets Reducing or mitigating disruptions to operations Reducing loss of life, minimizing damage and losses Achieving a timely and orderly recovery from an emergency and resumption of full service to stakeholders

COOP Requirements Must be maintained at a high level of readiness Must be capable of implementation both with and without warning Must be operational no later than 12 hours after activation Must maintain sustained operations for up to 30 days Should take maximum advantage of existing agency field infrastructures

Continuity Planning Process Overview Appointing the Continuity Program Manager. Selecting the planning team. Determining essential functions. Applying risk management principles to assess potential hazards. Identifying resources required for continuity planning. Establishing objectives and milestones. Determining procedures for information gathering and decisionmaking.

Continuity Plan Overview Executive Summary Part I Introduction Part II Planning Basis Part III Procedures for Plan Implementation Part IV Maintaining Continuity Readiness. See the accompanying COOP Plan Template for a better idea of the content and structure of a FEMA recommended COOP Plan.

FCD 1 identifies 10 elements for a viable continuity plan: Essential Functions. Orders of Succession. Delegations of Authority. Continuity Facilities. Continuity Communications. Vital Records Management. Human Capital. Test, Training, and Exercise (TT&E). Devolution of Control and Direction. Reconstitution Operations.

Exercise     Find a couple COOP plans for government agencies (Federal, State or local) on the web and compare them.

Copyright © 2011 Ken Sochats