Prework Before Updating MC

The following are questions to consider and data to gather in advance of making your updates in CardinalShield MC. Having this data in advance will streamline your data entry into CardinalShield MC. (Also see the section Specific Guidance for Each Step in MC).

It is highly suggested that you review the pre-work in advance, and schedule time with your local team to talk through the answers to the questions. Think carefully about how you’d answer these questions. Beyond just documenting the outcomes in CardinalShield, there is great value in having those conversations. The conversations and planning also develop a greater depth of understanding of your team’s essential functions and continuity strategies.

Completing a Mission Continuity Plan will require you to understand the in-depth details of the operations of your workgroup. This may be uncomfortable for you – there may be things that you do not know how to answer or haven’t thought about before. That’s okay. Do your best to fill out as much as possible, and then you’ll discover what’s needed to fill out in a subsequent update.

Key Questions and Data

The chart below offers a comprehensive overview of the MC workflow steps and provides key questions and data to consider for each.

WORKFLOW STEPS	SUMMARY OF DATA BEING GATHERED
Group/Team/Division Profile	What is the name of your local department or workgroup? How would you briefly describe your local department or workgroup? What is the scope of your continuity plan? Who is ultimately responsible for approving your continuity plan? Who is responsible for completing your continuity plan? Who are the members of your team that may play a part in carrying out your continuity plan?
Essential Contacts	What are the names and contact information from staff in other Stanford departments that you need to include in your continuity plan? What are the names and contact information from outside of Stanford that you need to include in your continuity plan?
Leadership & Succession/Delegation	What are the continuity responsibilities of the head of your Group/Team/Division? Who is the activation authority? What are the positions, roles, or responsibilities that have pre-defined successors or alternatives?
Essential Functions	What are the most important services, programs, or activities that are carried out by your Group/Team/Division? How would you briefly describe those essential functions? What is the name of the manager and direct participants in delivering those essential functions? How would you continue those functions if your usual workforce was reduced by 50% for an extended period of time? Can those functions be performed from home or elsewhere? What are the peak periods for delivering those functions? What is the primary role of this function? What is the recovery priority of this function? What is the scope of impact if those functions are disrupted? What is the duration of the interruption or point in time when operational and/or financial impact(s) will occur if the functions are disrupted? What is the severity of impact to your Group/Team/Division’s mission if the functions are disrupted for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month? What is the severity of impact to safety and health if the functions are disrupted for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month? What is the severity of regulatory impact if the functions are disrupted for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month? What is the severity of negative financial impact if the functions are disrupted for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month? What is the severity of reputational impact if the functions are disrupted for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month?
Technology Requirements	What are the IT applications that are required for use in delivering your essential functions? What is the workaround if the IT applications are not available, and how long can you use the workaround before it significantly disrupts your operations? What are the IT services (network, phones, printers, etc.) that are required for use in delivering your essential functions? What is the workaround if the IT services are not available, and how long can you use the workaround before it significantly disrupts your operations?
Essential Resources	What equipment is required for your essential functions and where is it stored? Which vendor was the equipment procured from, and what are the model numbers and serial numbers of the equipment? Is the equipment connected to a monitoring/alarm system, and if so, how is it monitored? What is the maximum time the equipment can operate without power? Is the equipment connected to alternative/emergency power? What would you do if your essential equipment failed? Describe your back-up plan. What supplies are required for your essential functions and where are they stored? Which vendor were the supplies procured from, and what are the model numbers of the equipment? Are the supplies sensitive to any variables (temperature, humidity, power, light, vibration, etc.)? What would you do if you ran out of supplies? How long can you function before you would need to restock? Describe your back-up plan. Which vendors are essential to your operations and what is their contact information? Are there alternative vendors that you’ve identified that you could use to maintain your operations? What are the identified functions reliant on (upstream dependencies)? What other functions, that you are aware of, are reliant on the identified functions (downstream dependencies)? What vital records are required for your essential functions and where is it stored? Is the record backed-up digitally, and if so, is it manually or automatically backed-up and how is it backed-up? Is the record accessible off-site?
Facility & Alternate Facility Requirements	What is the primary location of the essential functions? What types of spaces and what are the requirements of the primary location? Which utilities would be impactful to operations if disrupted, what are the impacts of losing those utilities, and what are the back-up plans? What is the alternative location of the essential functions? What are the requirements for seating, IT equipment, special equipment/supplies, and emergency power for the alternative location?
Activation & Demobilization	What are the activation steps and positions required to respond to a disruption of normal operations? What are the steps and positions required to return to normal operations?
Group/Team/Division Review & Approval