HLS 6080 Comments: Continuity of Operations Plan or Ideas

Comment on these two post as if you were me with a 100 words each, and put 3 references for each post and please seperate the references
Mahin Karim
Share Your Continuity of Operations Plan or Research Paper Idea
My final project is actually a proposed hybrid of the COOP plan/research paper options. I'm planning to apply a case study approach to assessing continuity of operations and planning options for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Unlike their larger brethren in both the for-profit and non-profit private sector communities, SMEs – i.e., organizations with 500 or less employees – are less likely to invest in or prioritize business continuity as part of their normal operations and, thereby, less likely to survive a disaster. In fact, it is estimated that 40 to 60 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster (PrepareMyBusiness). This is a gap in emergency preparedness – and potential target of opportunity – that should be of concern, particularly in the context of National Essential Function (NEF) #7, which calls for “Protecting and stabilizing the Nation's economy and ensuring public confidence in its financial systems” (National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan, 2007).
Considering that SMEs comprise a significant portion of the nation's economy, even a small percentage of SME closures in a disaster-affected region could have serious implications for that region's post-disaster economic recovery. On a national scale, in the event of a catastrophic emergency, the impact could be devastating – not just to the nation's economic stability, but also to the psyche of the American people. Even in cases where SMEs do proactively decide to invest in a COOP or Business Continuity Plan (BCP), it could be argued that the available templates from which to derive such plans – such as those offered by FEMA or Ready.gov (FEMA; Ready.gov)– are tailored toward larger enterprises. While some of these may still be appropriate for SMEs with over a 100 employees, they may be less so for small entities – e.g., with 50 or less employees.
My paper will explore the Continuity of Operations/Business Continuity Plans and resources available to SMEs, with a particular focus on identifying any gaps that might help better inform future national emergency preparedness plans and policies. Further, using a case-study approach, and drawing on available templates, the paper will attempt to formulate a COOP/BCP that more effectively speaks to small-scale SMEs. It is my hope that the COOP/BCP developed for the selected case-study – a nonprofit think tank with a full-time employment (FTE) staff of 40-45 people, and two office locations in Seattle and Washington D.C. respectively – may serve as a useful resource for other SMEs of a similar size and/or business type.
References
FEMA. (n.d.). Planning & Templates. Retrieved from FEMA: https://www(dot)fema(dot)gov/planning-templates
National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan. (2007, August). Retrieved from Homeland Security Council: https://nuonline(dot)neu(dot)edu/bbcswebdav/courses/HLS6080.70731.201715/National%20Continuity%20Policy%20Implementation%20Plan%202007.pdf
PrepareMyBusiness. (n.d.). Business as Usual. No Matter What. Retrieved from Prepare My Business: http://www(dot)preparemybusiness(dot)org/
Ready.gov. (n.d.). Business Continuity Plan. Retrieved from Ready.gov: https://www(dot)ready(dot)gov/business/implementation/continuity
Matthew Berry
Share Your Continuity of Operations Plan or Research Paper Idea
I am using one of the non-governmental templates provided by FEMA to produce a Co-Op plan for my employer, Boston University Medical Center and Boston Medical Center. I work under the Department of Public Safety, and we are responsible for 37 buildings, encompassing 6 blocks in the South End of Boston. We have two major inpatient pavilions, with a largely busy emergency department. The University also conducts considerable research on the campus, and houses many laboratories operating at differing levels of Bio-Safety.
The medical center provides a critical service to the people in the area, as it is a Safety-Net Hospital, meaning that it cares for those that are not insured or have a difficult time financially providing for their medical care. No patient is turned away that wishes to be seen. Boston Medical is also a world renowned Level 1 Trauma Center, and directly supports the mission of assisting in National Essential Functions. Should any of these facilities go down or become sabotaged, there absolutely needs to be a fallback plan, and a line of succession should some of the leadership become incapacitated. I will be using the non-governmental template as a model to produce this plan.