Page 1 Uncontrolled copy – Refer to the Department of Education, Training and Employment Policy and Procedure Register at http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au for the most current version.

Response strategies Identifying response strategies Response strategies for significant business disruptions are:

• developed on the ‘worst case scenario’ using the All Hazards approach* • options that best suit the circumstances for re-establishing and

maintaining essential business activities • action-oriented and flexible to respond to varying disruptive events • operational within the Maximum Acceptable Outage** (MAO) period • scaled as required to continue minimum service delivery.

All Hazards* effect Response strategies

No access to buildings or infrastructure

Relocate to an alternate site outside the emergency location

Connection to DETE network

• State schools • Central or regional offices • Virtual office set-up

NO connection to DETE network

• Hot site • Other government premises • Work remotely from home

No access to ICT

Work from externally stored files

• ‘Off-line’ from back-up copies or tapes • USB or portable external hard drives • Manual processing based on hardcopy documents • Home computer or tablet

Work from systems available elsewhere

• State schools • Central or regional offices

Use alternative communication vehicles

• Record message for incoming calls advising outage and contact details or redirect telephones to active phone lines

• Use private email account or telephone • Provide shopfront or emergency call centre

• Outsource ICT services

Reduced access to staff

Cross training staff • Back-up staff and succession planning • Skills sharing within activity

Import staff from area outside the emergency location

• Within central or regional offices • Other government premises • Outsourced from private suppliers

* See All Hazards approach factsheet for more information ** See Maximum Acceptable Outage factsheet to calculate MAO

Page 2 Uncontrolled copy – Refer to the Department of Education, Training and Employment Policy and Procedure Register at http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au for the most current version.

Response strategies Continuity response example actions

• Relocate to alternative (backup) site or alternative ICT infrastructure • Salvage/transfer critical equipment or materials • Access back-up tapes and establish temporary server for data integrity and safety • Implement staff SMS messaging and phone tree communication strategies • Divert phones to active telephone lines • Workarounds, alternative work methods (e.g., work from home, Virtual Desktop) • Redeploy available staff to priority work or access extra human resources • Manage recovery staff fatigue issues • Contact details for staff and key stakeholders on iPhone or memory stick • Temporary delegations of authorities • Temporarily reduce or suspend non-critical activities or transfer the activity • Hard copy processing and temporary manual systems • Additional Corporate Cards and creditor accounts or cash to assist in purchasing • Contingent agreements with current suppliers or customers

Recovery response example actions

• Replace damaged facilities or resources (e.g., office furniture, computers) • Return to normal sites or relocate staff to alternative accommodation • Record assets • Reorganise staff, responsibilities and reporting lines • Ensure continued staff support • Restore damaged systems and prioritise restoration of damaged documents or

electronic media • Implement strategies to manage backlog of data entry • Liaise with HR to employ extra staff to clear backlogs • Process insurance claims • Reconcile hard copy processing • Reconcile and recover payments • Reimburse expenditure incurred for responses • Respond to outstanding queries

Page 3 Uncontrolled copy – Refer to the Department of Education, Training and Employment Policy and Procedure Register at http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au for the most current version.

Response strategies Selecting appropriate response options Actions to resume or maintain critical business activities should guide what needs to be done and the resources required. Evaluating and selecting the most appropriate response option to continue the critical business activity is based on the following seven considerations:

1. Time to implement

Can the option meet the Maximum Acceptable Outage** (MAO) timeframe?

2. Resource requirements

Are there sufficient resources available for this option? Resources are provided from the business area budget

3. Cost to implement

Is the option cost effective? Economical to implement

4. Operational viability

Is the option practical to implement? Easy to action Allows for privacy or confidentiality considerations

5. Preparation needs

What needs to be done prior to putting the option into place? Reduce or cease non-critical activities Salvage or transfer critical equipment or materials Organise alternate ICT and data Prepare workarounds or alternative work practices Redeploy staff or organise extra human resources Activate temporary supplier or customer agreements Update delegations of authority.

6. Recovery demands

What needs to be done to transition back to business as usual? Select recovery team and assign responsibilities Organise long-term alternate accommodation and equipment Relocate staff, reorganise teams and reporting lines, employ extra

staff to clear backlogs Restore damaged systems, documents or electronic media Reconcile manual transactions and process claims.

7. Customer impact

How are customers affected by the continuity responses? Inconvenient workaround Loss of service or customer confidence